Tag Archives: Acts 7:22

καὶ ἐπαιδεύθη Μωϋσῆς πάσῃ σοφίᾳ Αἰγυπτίων, ἦν δὲ δυνατὸς ἐν λόγοις καὶ ἐν ἔργοις. — Acts 7:22

The Grammar of Formation and Power

Stephen’s speech before the Sanhedrin offers a rare insight into the early Christian view of Moses’ upbringing and abilities. Acts 7:22 presents Moses not merely as a Hebrew, but as someone shaped by the wisdom of Egypt and gifted with remarkable influence. The Greek grammar balances a divine passive with a descriptive contrast, giving us both the process of education and the character it produced.

ἐπαιδεύθη… πάσῃ σοφίᾳ Αἰγυπτίων: The Divine Passive of Education

The verb ἐπαιδεύθη (“he was educated”) is in the aorist passive, indicating that Moses underwent a process of instruction at a point in the past.… Learn Koine Greek