“And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.”
Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him - the 'godly men' (andres eulabeis, reverent men) conduct proper burial despite the illegality of Stephen's execution. The 'mourned deeply' (pentheo) suggests public lamentation, a sign of honored status. Even those not initially part of the apostolic circle honor Stephen, suggesting his witness had created a wider circle of believers.
Church Fathers on Acts 8:2
And devout men, it says, carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. Acts 8:2 If they were devout, why did they make great lamentation over him? They were not yet perfect. The man was gracious and amiable: this also shows that they were men — not their fear alone, but their grief and lamentation. Who would not have wept to see that mild, that lamb-like person stoned, and lying dead? Fit eulogy to be spoken over his grave has the Evangelist recorded, in…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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