(Verse 40) - Saying unto Aaron – (Exo. 32:1).

Make us gods - That is, idols.

(Verse 41) - And they made a calf - This was made of the earrings and ornaments which they had brought from Egypt, (Exo. 32:2-4). Stephen introduces this to remind them how prone the nation had been to reject God, and to walk in the ways of sin.

(Verse 42) - Then God turned - That is, turned away from them; abandoned them to their own desires.

The host of heaven - The stars, or heavenly bodies. The word “host” means “armies.” It is applied to the heavenly bodies because they are very numerous, and appear to be “marshaled” or arrayed in military order. It is from this that God is called YAHWEH “of hosts,” as being the ruler of these well-arranged heavenly bodies. (See Isa. 1:9). The proof that they did this Stephen proceeds to allege by a question from the prophets.

In the book of the prophets – (Amos 5:25-26). The twelve minor prophets were commonly written in one volume, and were called the Book of the Prophets; that is, the book containing these several prophecies, Daniel, Hosea, Micah, etc. They were small “tracts” separately, and were bound up together to preserve them from being lost. This passage is not quoted literally; it is evidently made from memory; and though in its main spirit it coincides with the passage in Amos, yet in some important respects it varies from it.

O ye house of Israel - Ye people of Israel.

Have ye offered  - That is, ye have NOT offered. The interrogative form is often an emphatic way of saying that the thing had “not” been done. But it is certain that the Jews DID offer sacrifices to God in the wilderness, though it is also certain that they did not do it with a pure and upright heart. They kept up the FORM of worship generally, but they frequently forsook God, and offered worship to idols. THROUGH the continuous space of forty years they did “not” honor God, but often departed from him, and worshipped idols.

(Verse 43) - Yea, ye took up - That is, you bore, or you carried with you, for purposes of idolatrous worship.

The tabernacle - This word properly means a “tent”; but it is also applied to the small tent or house in which was contained the image of the god; the shrine, box, or tent in which the idol was placed. It is customary for idolatrous nations to bear their idols about with them, enclosed in cases or boxes of various sizes, usually very small, as their idols are commonly small. Probably they were made in the shape of small “temples” or tabernacles; and such appear to have been the “silver shrines” for Diana, made at Ephesus, (Acts 19:24). These shrines, or images, were borne with them as a species of amulet, charm, or talisman to defend them from evil. Such images the Jews seem to have carried with them.

Moloch - This word comes from the Hebrew word signifying “king.” This was a god of the Ammonites, to whom human sacrifices were offered. Moses in several places forbids the Israelites, under penalty of death, to dedicate their children to Moloch, by making them pass through the fire, (Lev. 18:21; 20:2-5). There is great probability that the Hebrews were addicted to the worship of this deity after they entered the land of Canaan. Solomon built a temple to Moloch on the Mount of Olives (1 Kings 11:7); and Manasseh made his son pass through the fire in honor of this idol, (2 Kings 21:3, 6). The image of this idol was made of brass, and his arms extended so as to embrace anyone; and when they offered children to him, they heated the statue, and when it was burning hot, they placed the child in his arms, where it was soon destroyed by heat. It is not certain what this god was supposed to represent. Some suppose it was in honor of the planet Saturn; others, the sun; others, Mercury, Venus, etc. What particular god it was is not material. It was the most cutting reproof that could be made to the Jews, that their fathers had been guilty of worshipping this idol.

And the star - The Hebrew in this place is, “Chiun your images, the star of your god.” The expression used here leads us to suppose that this was a STAR which was worshipped, but WHAT star it is not easy to ascertain; nor is it easy to determine why it is called both “Chiun” and “Remphan.” Stephen quotes from the Septuagint translation. In that translation the word “Chiun” is rendered by the word “Raiphan,” or “Rephan,” easily changed into “Remphan.” Why the authors of that version adopted this is not known. It was probably, however, from one of two causes:

(1) Either because the word “Chiun” in Hebrew meant the same as “Remphan” in the language of Egypt, where the translation was made; or,

(2) Because the “object” of worship called “Chiun” in Hebrew was called “Remphan” in the language of Egypt. It is generally agreed that the object of their worship was the planet “Saturn,” or “Mars,” both of which planets were worshipped as gods of evil influence. In Arabic, the word “Chevan” denotes the planet Saturn. Probably “Rephan,” or “Remphan,” is the Coptic name for the same planet, and the Septuagint adopted this because that translation was made in Egypt, where the Coptic language was spoken.

Figures which ye made - Images of the god which they made.

And I will carry you away  - This is simply expressing in few words what is stated at greater length in Amos 5:27. In Hebrew it is “Damascus”; but this evidently denotes the Eastern region, in which also Babylon was situated.

(Verse 44) - The tabernacle of witness - The “tent” or “tabernacle” which Moses was commanded to make. It was called a tabernacle of “witness,” or of “testimony,” because it was the visible witness or proof of God’s presence with them; the evidence that he to whom it was devoted was their protector and guide. The name is given either to the “tent,” to the two tables of stone, or to the ark; all of which were “witnesses,” or “evidences” of God’s relation to them as their Lawgiver and guide, (Exo. 16:34; 25:16, 21; 27:21; 30:6, 36; 31:18, etc.; Num. 1:50, 53). The two charges against Stephen were, that he had spoken blasphemy against Moses or his Law, and against the temple, (Acts 6:13-14). In the previous part of this defense he had shown his respect for Moses and his Law. He now proceeds to show that he did not design to speak with disrespect of the temple, or the holy places of their worship. He therefore expresses his belief in the divine appointment of both the tabernacle (Acts 7:44-46) and of the temple (Acts 7:47).

According to the fashion  - According to the pattern that was shown to him, by which it was to be made, (Exo. 25:9, 40; 26:30). As God showed him “a pattern,” it proved that the tabernacle had his sanction. Against that Stephen did not intend to speak.