Christian Standard Bible
Acts 23:21
21Don’t let them persuade you, because there are more than forty of them lying in ambush — men who have bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they have killed him. Now they are ready, waiting for 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 him by the hand, led him aside, and inquired privately, “What is it you have to report to me?” 20“The Jews,” he said, “have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin tomorrow, as though they are going to hold a somewhat more careful inquiry about him. Don’t let them persuade you, because there are more than forty of them lying in ambush — men who have bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they have killed him. Now they are ready, waiting for your consent.” 22So the commander dismissed the young man and instructed him, “Don’t tell anyone that you have informed me about this.” 23He summoned two of his centurions and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready with seventy cavalry and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight.
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 23:2“You must not follow a crowd in wrongdoing. Do not testify in a lawsuit and go along with a crowd to pervert justice.
- Acts 23:12When it was morning, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
- Acts 9:23After many days had passed, the Jews conspired to kill him,
- Acts 14:5When an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat and stone them,
- Acts 20:19serving the Lord with all humility, with tears, and during the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews.
- Acts 25:3asking for a favor against Paul, that Festus summon him to Jerusalem. They were, in fact, preparing an ambush along the road to kill him.
- 2 Corinthians 11:26On frequent journeys, I faced dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, and dangers among false brothers;
- Acts 23:14These men went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves under a solemn curse that we won’t 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 benefit of my brothers and sisters, 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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