Acts 7:55-56

7:55 But Stephen, 1  full 2  of the Holy Spirit, looked intently 3  toward heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing 4  at the right hand of God. 7:56 “Look!” he said. 5  “I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

1 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Stephen) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

2 tn Grk “being full,” but the participle ὑπάρχων (Juparcwn) has not been translated since it would be redundant in English.

3 tn Grk “looking intently toward heaven, saw.” The participle ἀτενίσας (atenisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

4 sn The picture of Jesus standing (rather than seated) probably indicates his rising to receive his child. By announcing his vision, Stephen thoroughly offended his audience, who believed no one could share God’s place in heaven. The phrase is a variation on Ps 110:1.

5 tn Grk “And he said, ‘Look!’” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, καί (kai) has not been translated here; a new sentence is begun instead.