Amplified Bible
Acts 23:21
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 23:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But do not thou yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him: and now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee.
- New International Version (NIV)Don’t give in to them, because more than forty of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, waiting for your consent to their request.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him, who have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for your consent."
- New King James Version (NKJV)But do not yield to them, for more than forty of them lie in wait for him, men who have bound themselves by an oath that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him; and now they are ready, waiting for the promise from you.”
Context of Acts 23:21
19The commander took him by the hand and stepping aside, began to ask him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?” 20And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) tomorrow, as if they were going to interrogate him more thoroughly. But 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.” 22So the commander let the young man leave, instructing him, “Do not tell anyone that you have given me this information.” 23Then summoning two of the centurions, he said, “Have two hundred soldiers ready by the third hour of the night (9:00 p.m.) to go as far as Caesarea, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen;
Read all of Acts 23Acts 23:21 word by word
σὺ οὖν μὴ πεισθῇς αὐτοῖς, ἐνεδρεύουσιν γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐξ αὐτῶν ἄνδρες πλείους τεσσεράκοντα, οἵτινες ἀνεθεμάτισαν ἑαυτοὺς μήτε φαγεῖν μήτε πιεῖν ἕως οὗ ἀνέλωσιν αὐτὸν καὶ νῦν εἰσιν ἕτοιμοι προσδεχόμενοι τὴν ἀπὸ σοῦ ἐπαγγελίαν.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Butοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
- doπείθωpeithō · to persuadeG3982
- notμήmē · notG3361
- thouσύsu · youG4771
- unto themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- forγάρgar · forG1063
- there lie in waitἐνεδρεύωenedreuō · to ambushG1748
- ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- moreπλείων, πλεῖονpleiōn pleion pleon · greaterG4119
- than fortyτεσσαράκονταtessarakonta · fortyG5062
- menἀνήρanēr · manG435
- whichὅστιςhostis hētis ho6ti · who/whichG3748
- have boundἀναθεματίζωanathematizō · to take an oathG332
- themselvesἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
- thatὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- they willφαγεῖνphagō · to eatG5315
- neitherμήτεmēte · neitherG3383
- drinkπίνωpinō piō poō · to drinkG4095
- tillἕωςheōs · untilG2193
- they have killedἀναιρέωanaireō · to killG337
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- nowνῦνnun · nowG3568
- are theyεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- readyἕτοιμοςhetoimos · readyG2092
- looking forπροσδέχομαιprosdechomai · to wait for/welcomeG4327
- a promiseἐπαγγελίαepaggelia · promiseG1860
- fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
Cross-references for Acts 23:21
- Exodus 23:2You shall not follow a crowd to do [something] evil, nor shall you testify at a trial or in a dispute so as to side with a crowd in order to pervert justice;
- Acts 23:12Now 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.
- Acts 9:23After considerable time had passed [about three years or so], the Jews plotted together to kill him,
- Acts 14:5When there was an attempt by both the Gentiles and the Jews, together with their rulers, to shamefully mistreat and to stone them,
- Acts 20:19serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and trials which came on me because of the plots of the Jews [against me];
- 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).
- 2 Corinthians 11:26many times on journeys, [exposed to] danger from rivers, danger from bandits, danger from my own countrymen, danger from the Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger on the sea, danger among those posing as believers;
- Acts 23:14They 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.
- Romans 9:3For [if it were possible] I would wish that I myself were accursed, [separated, banished] from Christ for the sake [of the salvation] of my brothers, my natural kinsmen,
Commentaries on Acts 23:21
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Looking for a promise from thee - Waiting for your consent to bring him down to them.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. 16-22Paul’s nephew stopped the plan to kill him by telling a Roman officer.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 16-2216-22. Paul's sister's son--(See on Ac 9:30). If he was at this time residing at Jerusalem for his education, like Paul himself, he may have got at the schools those hints of the conspiracy on which he so promptly acted.Read the comment
Topics related to Acts 23:21
In the dictionaries
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
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