The noun χορτάσματα (chortasmata) denotes “provisions, fodder, or sustenance for nourishment.” It embraces both human food and animal forage, emphasizing what keeps life going during ordinary times and, pointedly, during crisis.

Occurrence in the New Testament

Acts 7:11 contains the sole New-Testament use. Stephen recounts the patriarchal history: “Then famine and great suffering swept across all Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers could not find food” (Acts 7:11). The term captures the life-and-death urgency that drove Jacob’s sons to Egypt, setting the stage for the Exodus story.

Old-Testament and Second-Temple Background

In the Septuagint, the cognate appears where God designates vegetation as “food” for beasts and birds (for example, Genesis 1:30). It surfaces again in narratives of drought (1 Kings 18) and prophetic promises of restored pasture (Ezekiel 34:14). Jewish literature of the Second Temple era similarly employs the word for life-preserving rations, reinforcing its association with divine provision or judgment.

Historical Setting of Acts 7:11

Stephen’s audience in Jerusalem knew the Joseph saga well. By selecting χορτάσματα, Luke (recording Stephen’s speech) spotlights the severity of the ancient famine and, by implication, God’s sovereign use of scarcity to move His covenant family into Egypt. This dovetails with Luke’s broader concern for God’s plan in salvation history (compare Acts 2:23; Acts 13:17).

Theological Themes

1. Divine Providence. The lack of χορτάσματα displays God’s governance over natural resources. He withholds or supplies sustenance to accomplish redemptive purposes (Psalm 104:27–28; Matthew 6:26).
2. Human Dependence. The patriarchs, though heirs of promise, were powerless without physical sustenance, underscoring the Creator-creature distinction (Deuteronomy 8:3).
3. Foreshadowing Christ. Physical provision in Joseph’s day anticipates the greater provision found in Jesus Christ, “the bread of life” (John 6:35). Joseph distributes grain; Christ gives Himself.
4. Eschatological Reversal. Prophets envision a time when God’s people “will neither hunger nor thirst” (Isaiah 49:10; Revelation 7:16). χορτάσματα thus serves as a tangible sign pointing toward ultimate satisfaction in God.

Implications for Pastoral Ministry

• Preaching: Acts 7:11 offers a template for tracing God’s faithfulness through hardship. Sermons can connect physical χορτάσματα to the gospel, showing how temporal needs highlight eternal need.
• Counseling: Believers facing financial or material lack can be reminded that scarcity has always been part of God’s training school, cultivating trust (Philippians 4:11-13).
• Mercy Ministry: The church, as the body of Christ, is called to provide χορτάσματα for those in need (James 2:15-16), mirroring God’s character revealed in both Joseph’s storehouses and Christ’s feedings (Mark 6:41-42).

Devotional Application

Meditation on Acts 7:11 urges gratitude for daily bread and vigilance against complacency. Prayerfully recalling past seasons without χορτάσματα fosters humility and worship (Psalm 63:5).

Summary

Strong’s Greek 5527 encapsulates the concrete reality of nourishment and the theological truth that life itself is a gift sustained by God. From Genesis pastureland to Stephen’s recounting of famine, χορτάσματα underscores humanity’s continual dependence on the Lord who alone satisfies both body and soul.