Acts 23:12

Acts 23:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
• New International Version (NIV)The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
• English Standard Version (ESV)When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And when it was day, some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.

Context of Acts 23:12

10And as the dissension became even greater, the commander, fearing that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, ordered the troops to go down and forcibly take him from them, and bring him to the barracks. 11On the following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Be brave; for as you have solemnly and faithfully witnessed about Me at Jerusalem, so you must also testify at Rome.” Now when day came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under an oath (curse), saying that they would not eat or drink until they had killed Paul. 13There were more than forty [men] who formed this plot [and swore this oath]. 14They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves under a solemn oath not to taste anything [neither food nor drink] until we have killed Paul.

Acts 23:12 word by word

Γενομένης δὲ ἡμέρας ποιήσαντες συστροφὴν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι ἀνεθεμάτισαν ἑαυτοὺς λέγοντες μήτε φαγεῖν μήτε πιεῖν ἕως οὗ ἀποκτείνωσιν τὸν Παῦλον.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andδέde · thenG1161
• when it wasγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• dayἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250
• certainτιςtis · oneG5100
• of the JewsἸουδαῖοςIoudaios · JewG2453
• bandedποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• togetherσυστροφήsustrophē · commotion/plotG4963
• and boundἀναθεματίζωanathematizō · to take an oathG332
• themselvesἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
• saying thatλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• they wouldφαγεῖνphagō · to eatG5315
• neitherμήτεmēte · neitherG3383
• drinkπίνωpinō piō poō · to drinkG4095
• tillἕωςheōs · untilG2193
• ·ὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• they had killedἀποκτείνωapokteinō · to killG615
• PaulΠαῦλοςPaulos · PaulG3972

Cross-references for Acts 23:12

• Acts 23:21But do not listen to them, for more than forty of them are lying in wait for him, and they have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. Even now they are ready, just waiting for your promise.”
• Acts 25:3asking as a concession against Paul, that he would have him brought to Jerusalem; (meanwhile planning an ambush to kill him on the way).
• Psalms 2:1Why are the nations in an uproar [in turmoil against God], And why do the people devise a vain and hopeless plot?
• Psalms 64:2Hide me from the secret counsel and conspiracy of the ungodly, From the scheming of those who do wrong,
• Isaiah 8:9“Be broken [in pieces], O peoples, and be shattered! Listen, all you [our enemies from the] far countries. Prepare yourselves [for war], and be shattered; Prepare yourselves [for war], and be shattered.
• Jeremiah 11:19But I was like a gentle and tame lamb brought to the slaughter; And I did not know that they had devised plots and schemes against me, saying, “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit; Let us cut him off from the land of the living, That his name be remembered no longer.”
• Matthew 26:4and plotted together to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill Him.
• 1 Kings 19:2Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me, and even more, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like the life of one of them.”
• 2 Kings 6:31Then he said, “May God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on him today!”
• Matthew 27:25And all the people answered, “Let [the responsibility for] His blood be on us and on our children!”
• Mark 6:23And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give it to you; up to half of my kingdom.”
• Leviticus 27:29No one who may have been set apart among men shall be ransomed [from death], he shall most certainly be put to death.
• Joshua 6:26Then Joshua made them take an oath at that time, saying, “Cursed before the Lord is the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho; with the loss of his firstborn he shall lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son he shall set up its gates.”
• Joshua 7:1But the sons of Israel acted unfaithfully and violated their obligation in regard to the things [off limits] under the ban [those things belonging to the Lord], for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took some of the things under the ban [for personal gain]. Therefore the anger of the Lord burned against the Israelites.
• Nehemiah 10:29are joining with their fellow Israelites, their nobles, and are taking on themselves a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law, which was given through Moses the servant of God, and to keep and to observe all the commandments of God our Lord, and His ordinances and statutes:
• Matthew 26:74Then he began to curse [that is, to invoke God’s judgment on himself] and swear [an oath], “I do not know the man!” And at that moment a rooster crowed.

Commentaries on Acts 23:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12That they would neither eat nor drink, etc. - These forty Jews were no doubt of the class of the sicarii mentioned before, (similar to those afterwards called assassins), a class of fierce zealots, who took justice into their own hand; and who thought they had a right to despatch all those who, according to their views, were not orthodox in their religious principles. If these were, in their bad way, conscientious men, must they not all perish through…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Certain of the Jews - Some of the Jews. They were more than forty in number, Acts 23:13. Banded together - Made an agreement or compact. They conspired to kill him. And bound themselves under a curse - See the margin. The Greek is, “they anathematized themselves”; that is, they bound themselves by a solemn oath. They invoked a curse on themselves, or devoted themselves to destruction, if they did not do it. Lightfoot remarks, however, that they could be…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-24Verses 12-24 False religious principles, adopted by carnal men, urge on to such wickedness, as human nature would hardly be supposed capable of. Yet the Lord readily disappoints the best concerted schemes of iniquity. Paul knew that the Divine providence acts by reasonable and prudent means; and that, if he neglected to use the means in his power, he could not expect God's providence to work on his behalf. He who will not help himself according to his…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12-15The plan to kill Paul was desperate. More than 40 men took an oath (a strong promise) not to eat or drink until they had killed him (compare 1 Samuel 14:24–46; Matthew 14:6–11; see also Deuteronomy 23:21–23; Matthew 5:33–37; James 5:12).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 12-1412-14. bound themselves under a curse ... that they would neither eat ... fill they had killed Paul--Compare 2Sa 3:35; 1Sa 14:24.Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 23:12

• Claudius Lysius
• Conspiracy
• Malice
• Minister, Christian
• Oath
• Paul
• Revenge
• Vows

In the dictionaries

• Paul
• Paul, Saul
• Anathema
• Band
• Conspiracy
• Cry
• James
• Tiller
• Acts of the Apostles
• Felix; Antonius

Commentaries on Acts 23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings