EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Acts 23:21
21Do not agree to do what they want. There are more than 40 men who will be hiding somewhere. They are waiting for Paul. They have made a serious promise to God. They will not eat or drink anything until they have killed Paul. They are now ready to do this. They will be waiting to hear your answer.’
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 leader of the soldiers held the young man's hand and he led him to another place. When they were alone, he asked the young man, ‘What do you want to tell me?’ 20The young man said, ‘Some Jewish men have agreed together to send a message to you. They will ask you to take Paul down to the meeting of the Jewish leaders tomorrow. They will say that they want to ask him more questions. But that is not true. Do not agree to do what they want. There are more than 40 men who will be hiding somewhere. They are waiting for Paul. They have made a serious promise to God. They will not eat or drink anything until they have killed Paul. They are now ready to do this. They will be waiting to hear your answer.’ 22The leader of the soldiers said to him, ‘Do not tell anyone that you told me about this.’ Then he sent the young man away. 23Then the soldiers' leader told two of his officers to come to him. He said to them, ‘Tell 200 of our soldiers to prepare themselves. They must go to Caesarea at nine o'clock tonight. 70 soldiers who ride on horses must also go. There must also be another 200 soldiers with their weapons.
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 23:2Do not join a group of bad people to do evil things. When you speak in court, tell the truth so that the judges will decide what is right. Do not tell lies to agree with what everyone else says.
- Acts 23:12The next morning, a group of Jews talked together about how they might kill Paul. They agreed to make a promise to God. They would not eat or drink anything until they had killed Paul.
- Acts 9:23After many days, the Jews met together. They decided that they would kill Saul.
- Acts 14:5Some of the Jews and the Gentiles met with their leaders. They decided to do bad things to Paul and Barnabas. They wanted to throw stones at them and kill them.
- Acts 20:19I did not say that I was an important man. Instead, I worked as a servant of the Lord Jesus. I often was sad because of trouble that came to me. Some Jewish people spoke against my message. They wanted to hurt me.
- Acts 25:3They said to Festus, ‘Please listen to us. We really want you to bring Paul here to Jerusalem. You can judge him here. Then we would be very happy.’ They wanted to kill Paul while he was travelling to Jerusalem.
- 2 Corinthians 11:26I have travelled on many journeys. I have been in danger from rivers and also from robbers. I have been in danger from my own people and also from Gentiles. I have been in danger in cities and also in the wilderness. I have been in danger on the sea. I have been in danger from false believers.
- Acts 23:14They went to the leaders of the priests and the important Jews. They said to them, ‘We have agreed together to make a serious promise to God. We will not eat anything until we have killed Paul.
- Romans 9:3I belong to the same family as they do. They are my own people. I really want them to believe in Christ too. If it would help them, I would even ask God to curse me. I would ask him to make me separate from Christ.
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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