Acts 7:48

However, the Most High doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says,

World English Bible

Learn

Your notes

Private to you. Anything you write on this verse, here or while reading, shows up here and in My study.

Other translations

WEBBE

However, the Most High doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says,

BSB

However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says:

KJV

Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,

ASV

Howbeit the Most High dwelleth not in [houses] made with hands; as saith the prophet,

BBE

But still, the Most High has not his resting-place in houses made with hands, as the prophet says,

Original Greek

Look up a word

Tap a word to see what it means and everywhere else it's used.

ἀλλ all᾽ Yet G235 οὐχ ouch not G3756 ὁ ho the G3588 ὕψιστος hupsistos Most High G5310 ἐν en in G1722 χειροποιήτοις cheiropoiētois hand-made G5499 ναοῖς naois temples G3485 κατοικεῖ katoikei dwells G2730 καθὼς kathōs Even as G2531 ὁ ho the G3588 προφήτης prophētēs prophet G4396 λέγει legei says G3004

The early church

"Howbeit the Most High dwelleth not in (places) made with hands." This was shown indeed already by what had been before said: but it is shown also by the voice of a prophet; "What house will ye build for Me? saith the Lord God. As saith the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build for me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? Hath not my hand made all these things?"

John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on Acts

"Howbeit the Most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool." Nay, not even these are worthy of God, forasmuch as they are made, seeing they are creatures, the works of His hand. See how he leads them on by little and little (showing) that not even these are to be mentioned. And again the prophecy says openly, "What house will ye build Me?" etc.

John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on Acts

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 42–50

Stephen upbraids the Jews with the idolatry of their fathers, to which God gave them up as a punishment for their early forsaking him. It was no dishonour, but an honour to God, that the tabernacle gave way to the temple; so it is now, that the earthly temple gives way to the spiritual one; and so it will be when, at last, the spiritual shall give way to the eternal one. The whole world is God's temple, in which he is every where present, and fills it with his glory; what occasion has he then for a temple to manifest himself in? And these things show his eternal power and Godhead. But as heaven is his throne, and the earth his footstool, so none of our services can profit Him who made all things. Next to the human nature of Christ, the broken and spiritual heart is his most valued temple.

Read Matthew Henry on Acts 7 →

Cross-references

Topics

God

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.