καὶ ἀτενίσαντες εἰς αὐτὸν ἅπαντες οἱ καθεζόμενοι ἐν τῷ συνεδρίῳ εἶδον τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ὡσεὶ πρόσωπον ἀγγέλου. (Acts 6:15)
When Heaven Looks Back
This striking verse describes the final moment before Stephen’s speech—when every eye in the Sanhedrin fixed upon him and saw a supernatural glow. But this isn’t just a narrative pause; it’s loaded with Greek grammatical cues about collective perception, participial action, and simile that frame Stephen’s divinely charged presence.
Key Verb Chain and Sentence Flow
| Greek Element | Grammatical Role | Interpretive Significance |
|---|---|---|
| ἀτενίσαντες | Aorist active participle, nominative masculine plural | Marks simultaneous action—intense gaze that precedes recognition |
| εἰς αὐτόν | Prepositional phrase with accusative | Focuses visual attention on Stephen |
| ἅπαντες οἱ καθεζόμενοι | Subject + Present middle participle | “All those sitting” — emphasizes unanimous participation |
| ἐν τῷ συνεδρίῳ | Prepositional phrase with dative | Locative: identifies the legal/religious setting |
| εἶδον | Aorist active indicative, 3rd person plural | Main verb of perception: “they saw” |
| τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ | Accusative object of εἶδον | “His face” is the object of collective vision |
| ὡσεὶ πρόσωπον ἀγγέλου | Simile introduced by ὡσεί (“as if”) | Links Stephen’s appearance to angelic radiance (cf. Ex 34:29) |
Insights on Style and Theology
- Participial Density: The dual use of ἀτενίσαντες and οἱ καθεζόμενοι saturates the sentence with action before the main verb. This is a hallmark of Luke’s literary style, frontloading description to build suspense.
- Visual Tension: The entire Sanhedrin is gazing—yet what they perceive is not what they expect: a visage glowing with divine assurance, not fear.
- Simile (ὡσεὶ): A rare and poetic turn of phrase in Luke’s prose. It doesn’t say Stephen was an angel, but that his countenance was like one—possibly evoking divine favor, serenity, or judgment.
Heavenly Glow in a Hostile Court
This verse is a literary threshold: before Stephen speaks, his face already declares the divine origin of his mission. Greek grammar builds the tension with collective participles, aorist precision, and a metaphoric climax. Stephen’s radiance is not just a miracle—it’s a grammatical crescendo of sacred visibility.
