Old Testament quotations within the context of Stephen's speech in Acts
type: CreativeWork
description: The aim of this study is to contribute to ongoing studies on the Acts of the Apostles, particularly in the area of the manner in which the NT writer quotes and interprets the OT. Many scholars have studied the use of the OT in the NT, though few have investigated the explicit quotations in Acts. The discussion confines itself to an examination of the nine explicit quotations in Stephen’s speech of Acts 7 which are identified with introductory formulae, i.e.: (7:3 from Gn 12:1; 7:6-7 from Gn 15:13-14; 7:27-28 from Ex 2:14; 7:33-34 from Ex 3:5, 7-8, 10; 7:35 from Ex 2:14; 7:37 from Dt 18:15; 7:40 from Ex 32:1, 23; 7:42-43 from Am 5:25-27; and 7:49-50 from Is 66:1-2). The study first seeks to situate the quoted texts in their original context, after which attention is paid to their appearance in Stephen’s discourse in Acts. Specific attention is given to the question of the presence of a possible independent Lukan Textvorlage which might underlie these quotations. To this end, firstly an overview of the differences between the pertinent OT textual traditions (e.g., MT, LXX, etc), and the NT is provided. This clearly establishes the nature of the changes and modifications present in Luke’s reading of his original material. Secondly and finally, the discussion seeks to provide an assessment of Luke’s theological and hermeneutical framework, reflected within the OT quotations of Stephen’s defense. Through the method referred to above, best depicted as consisting of text-historical, methodological and hermeneutical aspects (Steyn 1995:31-37), this study makes the following observations: Firstly, most of the explicit quotations in Ac 7 are not found anywhere else in the NT, except for the book of Acts. Only the 8th quotation from Am 5:25-27 in Ac 7:42-43 occurs in CD 7:14-15, but the quotation from CD differs from the meaning of the original context. It seems clear that these quotations are attributable to Luke himself via his LXX version - although it is possible that Luke…
abstract: The aim of this study is to contribute to ongoing studies on the Acts of the Apostles, particularly in the area of the manner in which the NT writer quotes and interprets the OT. Many scholars have studied the use of the OT in the NT, though few have investigated the explicit quotations in Acts. The discussion confines itself to an examination of the nine explicit quotations in Stephen’s speech of Acts 7 which are identified with introductory formulae, i.e.: (7:3 from Gn 12:1; 7:6-7 from Gn 15:13-14; 7:27-28 from Ex 2:14; 7:33-34 from Ex 3:5, 7-8, 10; 7:35 from Ex 2:14; 7:37 from Dt 18:15; 7:40 from Ex 32:1, 23; 7:42-43 from Am 5:25-27; and 7:49-50 from Is 66:1-2). The study first seeks to situate the quoted texts in their original context, after which attention is paid to their appearance in Stephen’s discourse in Acts. Specific attention is given to the question of the presence of a possible independent Lukan Textvorlage which might underlie these quotations. To this end, firstly an overview of the differences between the pertinent OT textual traditions (e.g., MT, LXX, etc), and the NT is provided. This clearly establishes the nature of the changes and modifications present in Luke’s reading of his original material. Secondly and finally, the discussion seeks to provide an assessment of Luke’s theological and hermeneutical framework, reflected within the OT quotations of Stephen’s defense. Through the method referred to above, best depicted as consisting of text-historical, methodological and hermeneutical aspects (Steyn 1995:31-37), this study makes the following observations: Firstly, most of the explicit quotations in Ac 7 are not found anywhere else in the NT, except for the book of Acts. Only the 8th quotation from Am 5:25-27 in Ac 7:42-43 occurs in CD 7:14-15, but the quotation from CD differs from the meaning of the original context. It seems clear that these quotations are attributable to Luke himself via his LXX version - although it is possible that Luke…
keywords: Hermeneutical aspect, textvollage, Mt, Introductory formula, Lxx, Na27, Ot in nt, Textual difference, Explicit quotation, Pre-lukan occurence, Luke's context, Methodological aspect, Text-historical aspect, UCTD
date published: 2007-10-18
date modified: 2026-07-24T03:52:37Z
provider: University of Pretoria
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Pretoria

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/2263/28620