Acts 7:55
New International Version
But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

New Living Translation
But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand.

English Standard Version
But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

Berean Standard Bible
But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

Berean Literal Bible
But he being full of the Holy Spirit, having looked intently into heaven, saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,

King James Bible
But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

New King James Version
But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,

New American Standard Bible
But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;

NASB 1995
But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;

NASB 1977
But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;

Legacy Standard Bible
But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;

Amplified Bible
But he, being full of the Holy Spirit and led by Him, gazed into heaven and saw the glory [the great splendor and majesty] of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;

Christian Standard Bible
Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven. He saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But Stephen, filled by the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven. He saw God’s glory, with Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and he said, “

American Standard Version
But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

Contemporary English Version
But Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit. He looked toward heaven, where he saw our glorious God and Jesus standing at his right side.

English Revised Version
But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit. He looked into heaven, saw God's glory, and Jesus in the position of authority that God gives.

Good News Translation
But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw God's glory and Jesus standing at the right side of God.

International Standard Version
But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

Majority Standard Bible
But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

NET Bible
But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently toward heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

New Heart English Bible
But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God.

Webster's Bible Translation
But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

Weymouth New Testament
But, full of the Holy Spirit and looking up to Heaven, Stephen saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God's right hand.

World English Bible
But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and being full of the Holy Spirit, having looked steadfastly to the sky, he saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

Berean Literal Bible
But he being full of the Holy Spirit, having looked intently into heaven, saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,

Young's Literal Translation
and being full of the Holy Spirit, having looked stedfastly to the heaven, he saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

Smith's Literal Translation
And being full of the Holy Spirit, having looked intently to heaven, he saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looking up steadfastly to heaven, saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. And he said: Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But he, being filled with the Holy Spirit, and gazing intently toward heaven, saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

New American Bible
But he, filled with the holy Spirit, looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,

New Revised Standard Version
But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But he, full of faith and Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he, being filled with faith and The Spirit of Holiness, gazed into Heaven and he saw the glory of God, and Yeshua as he stood at the right side of God.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
But being full of the Holy Spirit, he looked earnestly up into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;

Godbey New Testament
But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, and looking up to heaven, saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

Haweis New Testament
But he being full of the Holy Ghost, and looking up stedfastly to heaven, saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;

Mace New Testament
but he, full of the holy spirit, fix'd his eyes towards heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

Weymouth New Testament
But, full of the Holy Spirit and looking up to Heaven, Stephen saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God's right hand.

Worrell New Testament
But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looking intently into Heaven, saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God;

Worsley New Testament
But he being full of the holy Spirit looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Stoning of Stephen
54On hearing this, the members of the Sanhedrin were enraged, and they gnashed their teeth at him. 55But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56“Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”…

Cross References
Matthew 3:16-17
As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and resting on Him. / And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!”

Luke 3:21-22
When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as He was praying, heaven was opened, / and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in a bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”

John 1:32-34
Then John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and resting on Him. / I myself did not know Him, but the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is He who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ / I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”

John 14:16-17
And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever— / the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you do know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you.

John 16:13-15
However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. / He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you. / Everything that belongs to the Father is Mine. That is why I said that the Spirit will take from what is Mine and disclose it to you.

Romans 8:16
The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

Romans 8:26-27
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words. / And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

1 Corinthians 2:10-12
But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. / For who among men knows the thoughts of man except his own spirit within him? So too, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. / We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. / And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Ephesians 1:17-18
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him. / I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints,

Ephesians 3:16-19
I ask that out of the riches of His glory He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, / so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Then you, being rooted and grounded in love, / will have power, together with all the saints, to comprehend the length and width and height and depth ...

Colossians 1:9
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

Hebrews 1:3
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Hebrews 12:2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Revelation 1:10
On the Lord’s day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,


Treasury of Scripture

But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

full.

Acts 2:4
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 4:8
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,

Acts 6:3,5,8,10
Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business…

looked.

Acts 1:10,11
And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; …

2 Corinthians 12:2-4
I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven…

Revelation 4:1-3
After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter…

and saw.

Isaiah 6:1-3
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple…

Ezekiel 1:26-28
And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it…

Ezekiel 10:4,18
Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD'S glory…

standing.

Psalm 109:31
For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.

Psalm 110:1
A Psalm of David. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

John 14:3
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

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Eyes Fixed Full Gazed Ghost Glory God's Hand Heaven Holy Intently Jesus Right Spirit Standing Steadfastly Stedfastly Stephen
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Eyes Fixed Full Gazed Ghost Glory God's Hand Heaven Holy Intently Jesus Right Spirit Standing Steadfastly Stedfastly Stephen
Acts 7
1. Stephen, permitted to answer to the accusation of blasphemy,
2. shows that Abraham worshipped God rightly, and how God chose the fathers,
20. before Moses was born, and before the tabernacle and temple were built;
37. that Moses himself witnessed of Christ;
44. and that all outward ceremonies were ordained to last but for a time;
51. reprehending their rebellion, and murdering of Christ, whom the prophets foretold.
54. Whereupon they stone Stephen to death,
59. who commends his soul to Jesus, and humbly prays for them.














But Stephen
Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, was one of the first deacons chosen by the early church (Acts 6:5). His selection highlights the importance of being spiritually mature and full of wisdom to serve in the church. Stephen's life and ministry exemplify the power of the Holy Spirit working through believers, even in the face of persecution.

full of the Holy Spirit
The phrase underscores the indwelling and empowering presence of the Holy Spirit in Stephen's life. In Greek, "full" (πλήρης, plērēs) indicates completeness or being filled to capacity. This fullness enabled Stephen to perform great wonders and signs among the people (Acts 6:8) and to speak with wisdom and power. The Holy Spirit's role is crucial in the believer's life, providing guidance, strength, and boldness to witness for Christ.

looked up to heaven
Stephen's gaze towards heaven signifies his focus on God amidst earthly trials. This act of looking up is symbolic of seeking divine help and assurance. In times of distress, believers are encouraged to fix their eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith (Hebrews 12:2). Stephen's upward look reflects his unwavering faith and trust in God's sovereignty.

and saw the glory of God
The "glory of God" (δόξα τοῦ θεοῦ, doxa tou theou) represents God's majestic presence and divine radiance. In the Old Testament, God's glory often appeared in visible manifestations, such as the cloud in the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34). Stephen's vision of God's glory affirms the reality of God's presence and the hope of eternal life for believers. It serves as a reminder that God's glory is the ultimate goal and reward for those who remain faithful.

and Jesus standing at the right hand of God
The image of Jesus standing, rather than sitting, at God's right hand is significant. In Scripture, the right hand symbolizes power and authority (Psalm 110:1). Jesus standing may indicate His active role as an advocate and intercessor for Stephen (1 John 2:1). This vision reassures believers of Christ's continual presence and support, especially during persecution. It also emphasizes Jesus' exalted position and His victory over sin and death.

(55) Being full of the Holy Ghost.--There is something suggestive in the fact that this description comes at the close, as at the beginning, of the record of St. Stephen's work (Acts 6:8). From first to last he had been conspicuous as manifesting the power of the higher life which had, as it were, illumined and transfigured his whole being. The Greek "being full" implies, not a sudden inspiration, but a permanent state.

And saw the glory of God.--Stephen had begun with speaking of "the God of glory" (Acts 7:2). He ends with the vision of that glory as belonging to the Son of Man. The fact was inferred partly, we may believe, from the rapt, fixed expression of the martyr's face, partly from the words that followed, interpreting that upward gaze. On the word for "looked up steadfastly," see Note on Acts 3:4.

Verse 55. - Looked up steadfastly (ἀτενίσας); see Acts 6:15; Acts 3:4, and note. The glory of God; i.e. the visible glory which surrounds and proclaims God's near presence (see Exodus 24:10, 16, 17; Isaiah 6:1-3; Ezekiel 1:28; Revelation 21:14, 23, etc.). Jesus standing. Sitting at the right hand of God is the usual attitude ascribed to our Lord in token of his victorious rest, and waiting for the day of judgment. Here he is seen standing, as rising to welcome his faithful martyr, and to place on his head the crown of life Revelation 2:10). Whether Stephen saw these glorious things in the flesh or out of the flesh he probably knew not himself.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
But
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

[Stephen],
ὑπάρχων (hyparchōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5225: To begin, am, exist, be in possession. From hupo and archomai; to begin under, i.e. Come into existence; expletively, to exist (verb).

full
πλήρης (plērēs)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4134: Full, abounding in, complete, completely occupied with. From pletho; replete, or covered over; by analogy, complete.

of [the] Holy Spirit,
Πνεύματος (Pneumatos)
Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 4151: Wind, breath, spirit.

looked intently
ἀτενίσας (atenisas)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 816: To direct my gaze, look steadily. From a compound of a and teino; to gaze intently.

into
εἰς (eis)
Preposition
Strong's 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.

heaven
οὐρανὸν (ouranon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3772: Perhaps from the same as oros; the sky; by extension, heaven; by implication, happiness, power, eternity; specially, the Gospel.

[and] saw
εἶδεν (eiden)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3708: Properly, to stare at, i.e. to discern clearly; by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear.

[the] glory
δόξαν (doxan)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1391: From the base of dokeo; glory, in a wide application.

of God
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

Jesus
Ἰησοῦν (Iēsoun)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2424: Of Hebrew origin; Jesus, the name of our Lord and two other Israelites.

standing
ἑστῶτα (hestōta)
Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2476: A prolonged form of a primary stao stah'-o; to stand, used in various applications.

at
ἐκ (ek)
Preposition
Strong's 1537: From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out.

the right hand
δεξιῶν (dexiōn)
Adjective - Genitive Neuter Plural
Strong's 1188: On the right hand, right hand, right. From dechomai; the right side or hand.

of God.
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.


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NT Apostles: Acts 7:55 But he being full of the Holy (Acts of the Apostles Ac)
Acts 7:54
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