Berean Standard Bible
Acts 23:21
21Do not let them persuade you, because more than forty men are waiting to ambush him. They have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him; they are ready now, awaiting your consent.”
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 the young man by the hand, drew him aside, and asked, “What do you need to tell me?” 20He answered, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul to the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of acquiring more information about him. Do not let them persuade you, because more than forty men are waiting to ambush him. They have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him; they are ready now, awaiting your consent.” 22So the commander dismissed the young man and instructed him, “Do not tell anyone that you have reported this to me.” 23Then he called two of his centurions and said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea in the third hour of the night.
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
- ·οὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
- Do not letμήmē · notG3361
- themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- persuadeπείθωpeithō · to persuadeG3982
- youσύsu · youG4771
- becauseγάρgar · forG1063
- more thanπλείων, πλεῖονpleiōn pleion pleon · greaterG4119
- fortyτεσσαράκονταtessarakonta · fortyG5062
- ·ἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- menἀνήρanēr · manG435
- are waiting to ambushἐνεδρεύωenedreuō · to ambushG1748
- ·ὅστιςhostis hētis ho6ti · who/whichG3748
- have bound themselves with an oathἀναθεματίζωanathematizō · to take an oathG332
- have bound themselves with an oathἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
- notμήτεmēte · neitherG3383
- to eatφαγεῖνphagō · to eatG5315
- drinkπίνωpinō piō poō · to drinkG4095
- untilἕωςheōs · untilG2193
- untilὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- they have killedἀναιρέωanaireō · to killG337
- ·καίkai · andG2532
- they areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- readyἕτοιμοςhetoimos · readyG2092
- nowνῦνnun · nowG3568
- awaitingπροσδέχομαιprosdechomai · to wait for/welcomeG4327
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- yourἀπόapo · away fromG575
- consentἐπαγγελίαepaggelia · promiseG1860
Cross-references for Acts 23:21
- Exodus 23:2You shall not follow the crowd in wrongdoing. When you testify in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd.
- Acts 23:12When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
- Acts 9:23After many days had passed, the Jews conspired to kill him,
- Acts 14:5But when the Gentiles and Jews, together with their rulers, set out to mistreat and stone them,
- Acts 20:19I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, especially in the trials that came upon me through the plots of the Jews.
- Acts 25:3to grant them a concession against Paul by summoning him to Jerusalem, because they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.
- 2 Corinthians 11:26In my frequent journeys, I have been in danger from rivers and from bandits, in danger from my countrymen and from the Gentiles, in danger in the city and in the country, in danger on the sea and among false brothers,
- Acts 23:14They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.
- Romans 9:3For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my own flesh and blood,
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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