Acts 7:33
New International Version
“Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.

New Living Translation
“Then the LORD said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground.

English Standard Version
Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.

Berean Standard Bible
Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.

Berean Literal Bible
And the Lord said to him, 'Take off the sandal of your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground.

King James Bible
Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground.

New King James Version
‘Then the LORD said to him, “Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.

New American Standard Bible
But the LORD said to him, ‘REMOVE YOUR SANDALS FROM YOUR FEET, FOR THE PLACE ON WHICH YOU ARE STANDING IS HOLY GROUND.

NASB 1995
“BUT THE LORD SAID TO HIM, ‘TAKE OFF THE SANDALS FROM YOUR FEET, FOR THE PLACE ON WHICH YOU ARE STANDING IS HOLY GROUND.

NASB 1977
“BUT THE LORD SAID TO HIM, ‘TAKE OFF THE SANDALS FROM YOUR FEET, FOR THE PLACE ON WHICH YOU ARE STANDING IS HOLY GROUND.

Legacy Standard Bible
BUT THE LORD SAID TO HIM, ‘REMOVE THE SANDALS FROM YOUR FEET, FOR THE PLACE ON WHICH YOU ARE STANDING IS HOLY GROUND.

Amplified Bible
THEN THE LORD SAID TO HIM, ‘REMOVE THE SANDALS FROM YOUR FEET, FOR THE PLACE WHERE YOU ARE STANDING IS HOLY GROUND [worthy of reverence and respect].

Christian Standard Bible
“The Lord said to him: Take off the sandals from your feet, because the place where you are standing is holy ground.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then the Lord said to him: Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.

American Standard Version
And the Lord said unto him, Loose the shoes from thy feet: for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

Contemporary English Version
The Lord said to him, "Take off your sandals, because the place where you are standing is holy.

English Revised Version
And the Lord said unto him, Loose the shoes from thy feet: for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The Lord told him, 'Take off your sandals. The place where you're standing is holy ground.

Good News Translation
The Lord said to him, 'Take your sandals off, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.

International Standard Version
Then the Lord told him, 'Remove your sandals from your feet, because the place where you are standing is holy ground.

Majority Standard Bible
Then the Lord said to him, ?Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.

NET Bible
But the Lord said to him, 'Take the sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.

New Heart English Bible
The Lord said to him, 'Take your sandals off of your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground.

Weymouth New Testament
"'Take off your shoes,' said the Lord, 'for the spot on which you are standing is holy ground.

World English Bible
The Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you stand is holy ground.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and the LORD said to him, Loose the sandal of your feet, for the place in which you have stood is holy ground;

Berean Literal Bible
And the Lord said to him, 'Take off the sandal of your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground.

Young's Literal Translation
and the Lord said to him, Loose the sandal of thy feet, for the place in which thou hast stood is holy ground;

Smith's Literal Translation
And the Lord said to him, Loose the shoes of thy feet: for the place in which thou standest is holy land.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Lord said to him: Loose the shoes from thy feet, for the place wherein thou standest, is holy ground.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But the Lord said to him: ‘Loosen the shoes from your feet. For the place in which you stand is holy ground.

New American Bible
But the Lord said to him, ‘Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.

New Revised Standard Version
Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then the LORD said to him, Take off your shoes from your feet, for the ground on which you stand is holy.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And THE LORD JEHOVAH said to him, 'Loose your shoes from your feet, for the ground on which you stand is holy.'
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
Then said the Lord to him: Loose your shoes from your feet; for the place in which you stand is holy ground.

Godbey New Testament
And the Lord said to him, Loose the sandal of thy feet: for the place on which thou standest is holy ground.

Haweis New Testament
Then the Lord said unto him, ?Loose the sandal from thy feet: for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

Mace New Testament
then said the Lord to him, "put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground.

Weymouth New Testament
"'Take off your shoes,' said the Lord, 'for the spot on which you are standing is holy ground.

Worrell New Testament
And the Lord said to him, 'Loose the sandals from your feet; for the place on which you have been standing is holy ground.

Worsley New Testament
And the Lord said to him, "Take off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place on which thou standest is holy ground.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Stephen's Address to the Sanhedrin
32‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look. 33Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 34I have indeed seen the oppression of My people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’…

Cross References
Exodus 3:5
“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”

Joshua 5:15
The Commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Isaiah 6:1-5
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted; and the train of His robe filled the temple. / Above Him stood seraphim, each having six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. / And they were calling out to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; all the earth is full of His glory.” ...

Hebrews 12:18-21
For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom, and storm; / to a trumpet blast or to a voice that made its hearers beg that no further word be spoken. / For they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.” ...

Matthew 22:32
‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

Mark 12:26
But concerning the dead rising, have you not read about the burning bush in the Book of Moses, how God told him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?

Luke 20:37
Even Moses demonstrates that the dead are raised, in the passage about the burning bush. For he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’

Exodus 19:12-13
And you are to set up a boundary for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful not to go up on the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. / No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with arrows—whether man or beast, he must not live.’ Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.”

Deuteronomy 33:2
He said: “The LORD came from Sinai and dawned upon us from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran and came with myriads of holy ones, with flaming fire at His right hand.

Psalm 68:17
The chariots of God are tens of thousands—thousands of thousands are they; the Lord is in His sanctuary as He was at Sinai.

1 Kings 19:12-13
After the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a still, small voice. / When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Revelation 1:17
When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last,

2 Peter 1:18
And we ourselves heard this voice from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

John 12:28-30
Father, glorify Your name!” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” / The crowd standing there heard it and said that it had thundered. Others said that an angel had spoken to Him. / In response, Jesus said, “This voice was not for My benefit, but yours.

1 Timothy 6:16
He alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen Him, nor can anyone see Him. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.


Treasury of Scripture

Then said the Lord to him, Put off your shoes from your feet: for the place where you stand is holy ground.

Put.

Exodus 3:5
And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

Joshua 5:15
And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.

Ecclesiastes 5:1
Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.

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Feet Ground Holy Loose Sandal Sandals Shoes Spot Stand Standest Standing Stood Whereon
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Feet Ground Holy Loose Sandal Sandals Shoes Spot Stand Standest Standing Stood Whereon
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.














Then the Lord said to him
This phrase introduces a direct communication from God, emphasizing the divine authority and sacredness of the message. The Greek word for "Lord" here is "Κύριος" (Kyrios), which denotes supreme authority and is often used in the New Testament to refer to God or Jesus Christ. This highlights the continuity of God's revelation from the Old Testament to the New Testament, affirming the consistency of His character and His ongoing relationship with His people. Historically, this moment is a reference to the encounter between God and Moses at the burning bush, as recorded in Exodus 3:5. It underscores the personal nature of God's call and His initiative in reaching out to humanity.

Take off your sandals
The act of removing sandals is a gesture of reverence and humility before God. In ancient Near Eastern culture, removing one's sandals was a sign of respect and acknowledgment of the sacredness of a place. The Hebrew root for "sandals" is "נַעַל" (na'al), which can also imply the idea of loosening or freeing oneself. Spiritually, this act symbolizes the need to approach God with purity and a recognition of His holiness, free from the defilement of the world. It is a call to shed anything that might hinder one's relationship with God, emphasizing the need for personal sanctification.

for the place where you are standing
This phrase draws attention to the specific location where Moses encounters God. The Greek word for "place" is "τόπος" (topos), which can refer to a physical location but also carries a deeper meaning of a divinely appointed space. This indicates that God can sanctify any place by His presence, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. It serves as a reminder that God's presence is not confined to temples or religious structures but can be experienced wherever He chooses to reveal Himself.

is holy ground
The declaration of the ground as "holy" signifies its consecration by God's presence. The Greek word for "holy" is "ἅγιος" (hagios), which means set apart, sacred, or consecrated. This concept of holiness is central to understanding God's nature and His expectations for His people. The ground becomes holy not because of its inherent qualities but because of God's presence. This teaches that holiness is derived from God and that His presence sanctifies and transforms. It calls believers to recognize and respect the sacredness of God's presence in their lives and to live in a manner that reflects His holiness.

(33, 34) Then said the Lord to him . . . .--The words are almost a verbal reproduction of Exodus 3:5; Exodus 3:7-8. The citation was in part an implied answer to the charge of disregarding the sanctity of places in which man stands as in the presence of God, partly an implied protest against the narrowing thoughts which limited that sanctity to the Temple of Jerusalem.

Verse 33. - And the Lord said unto him for then said the Lord to him, A.V.; loose the shoes for put off by shoes, A.V. Loose the shoes, etc. In Exodus 3:5 it is λύσαι... ἐκ τῶν ποδῶν σου. Iamblichus, quoted by Meyer, refers the Pythagorean precept, "Sacrifice and worship with thy shoes off," to an Egyptian custom. The custom of Orientals to take off their sandals on entering mosques or other sacred places, as existing to the present day, is noticed by many travelers (see also Joshua 5:15).

Parallel Commentaries ...


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

the
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Lord
Κύριος (Kyrios)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2962: Lord, master, sir; the Lord. From kuros; supreme in authority, i.e. controller; by implication, Master.

said
Εἶπεν (Eipen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

to him,
αὐτῷ (autō)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

‘Take off
Λῦσον (Lyson)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 3089: A primary verb; to 'loosen'.

[your]
τὸ (to)
Article - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

sandals,
ὑπόδημα (hypodēma)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5266: A sandal; anything bound under. From hupodeo; something bound under the feet, i.e. A shoe or sandal.

for
γὰρ (gar)
Conjunction
Strong's 1063: For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason.

the
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

place
τόπος (topos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5117: Apparently a primary word; a spot, i.e. Location; figuratively, condition, opportunity; specially, a scabbard.

where
(hō)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

you are standing
ἕστηκας (hestēkas)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 2476: A prolonged form of a primary stao stah'-o; to stand, used in various applications.

is
ἐστίν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

holy
ἁγία (hagia)
Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 40: Set apart by (or for) God, holy, sacred. From hagos; sacred.

ground.
γῆ (gē)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1093: Contracted from a primary word; soil; by extension a region, or the solid part or the whole of the terrene globe.


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