Acts 7:37 Meaning: The Prophet Like Moses and What We Do with Him
This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, ‘The Lord our God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, like me.’
This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.
This is that Moses, who said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall God raise up unto you from among your brethren, like unto me.
this is the Moses who did say to the sons of Israel: A prophet to you shall the Lord your God raise up out of your brethren, like to me, him shall ye hear.
This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, A prophet shall God raise up to you out of your brethren like me [him shall ye hear].
Meaning in one sentence
Stephen quotes Moses' prophecy about a coming prophet like himself. He applies it to Jesus, showing that rejecting Jesus is rejecting God's word.
Context
Stephen is on trial before the Jewish council, accused of speaking against Moses and the Temple. In his defense, he retells Israel’s story from Abraham to Solomon. He has just described how God sent Moses to deliver the people, even after they rejected him. Now Stephen reaches a key moment: Moses himself said that another prophet would come. The implication is clear. The same God who sent Moses has sent Jesus. And the same pattern of rejection is repeating itself. Stephen isn’t attacking Moses. He is showing that the leaders who claim to follow Moses are ignoring what Moses said.
Key Words
Three Greek words carry the weight of this verse. First, prophet (prophētēs) means one who speaks for God. Moses was a prophet like no other, he met God face to face. Yet he promised someone even greater. Second, the verb will raise up (anastēsei) can mean to cause someone to appear on the scene, but it also carries the idea of raising from the dead. That double meaning fits Jesus, who came and was raised. Third, the phrase him shall you hear (akousesthe) means more than listening with your ears. In the Old Testament, to hear meant to obey. Moses is not just predicting a future teacher. He is binding his people to respond to that teacher with trust and action. Stephen uses these words to show that Jesus is that Prophet, and the council is refusing to do what Moses told them.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians from nearly every tradition read this verse as a direct prophecy of Jesus. Wesley called it evidence that there is no opposition between Moses and Christ. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown said Moses was only a humble precursor, and absolute submission is due to the one he foretold. Calvin saw Stephen arguing that Christ is the end of the law. The Cambridge Bible notes that the quotation echoes Peter’s sermon in Acts 3, where the same prophecy is applied to Jesus. All these readings point one direction: Moses himself aimed the people’s faith forward. Stephen is simply showing where that faith is meant to land.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers treat this verse as a simple Old Testament quotation, as if Stephen were just reciting history. They miss why he brings it up. In fact, Stephen is using Moses’ own words to accuse his accusers. His audience claimed to follow Moses, but Moses told them to listen to a coming prophet. By rejecting Jesus, they were disobeying the very lawgiver they said they honored. The verse is not background information. It is the evidence in a courtroom.
Living This Out
Moses told the people to hear the coming prophet. For us, that means treating Jesus’ words as final. This week, pick one teaching of Jesus that you have heard but not obeyed, forgiving someone, trusting God with money, loving an enemy. Read it again, and ask yourself if you are really hearing him. Stephen’s audience had to decide. So do we.
Main takeaway: Moses himself pointed beyond himself to Jesus, and God calls us to listen to His Son.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Moses told the people that one day God would send a special prophet. That prophet is Jesus. We need to listen to Jesus because He speaks for God.
For ages 9, 12
Stephen reminded the leaders that Moses himself said God would send a prophet like him. Jesus is that prophet. So when we read what Jesus says in the Bible, it is not just good advice, it is God’s message for our lives. Listening to Jesus means obeying Him, even when it is hard.
Questions People Ask
Who is the prophet like Moses in Acts 7:37?
Stephen applies the prophecy to Jesus. Moses said God would raise up a prophet like himself. Most Christians understand this as a promise of the Messiah, who would be a deliverer and mediator like Moses, but even greater.
Why does Stephen quote Deuteronomy 18:15 in Acts 7?
Stephen is defending himself before the Sanhedrin. By quoting Moses, he shows that his faith in Jesus is actually rooted in what Moses taught. He uses Moses’ own words to prove that the leaders should have recognized Jesus as the promised prophet.
What does 'him shall ye hear' mean in this verse?
In the Old Testament, hearing often meant obeying. Moses required the people not just to listen to the coming prophet but to follow his words. Stephen is charging his audience with failing to do that with Jesus.
Was the prophecy in Deuteronomy 18:15 only about Jesus?
Some Christians see it as referring to a line of prophets that culminated in Jesus. Others read it as directly predicting Jesus alone. Both views agree that Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment, and that he alone perfectly reveals God.
How does Acts 7:37 connect to Peter's sermon in Acts 3?
Both Stephen and Peter quote the same Deuteronomy passage to identify Jesus as the prophet like Moses. Peter uses it to call the people to repentance. Stephen uses it to confront the council. The two sermons reinforce each other.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study