“To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,”
When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him - the response to Stephen's speech is visceral rage: 'furious and gnashed their teeth' (dieprionto tais odousin, cut to the heart and grinding their teeth). Luke echoes Jesus's words about weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 13:42, 50). The Sanhedrin's reaction proves Stephen's point: they are resisting the Spirit even as he speaks.
Church Fathers on Acts 7:39
To whom, he says, our fathers would not obey: Acts 7:39 after the wonders done in those forty years. And not only so, but just the contrary: but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt. Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us; for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we know not what has become of him. And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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