Acts 23:21

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 officer took the young man by the arm, went where they could be alone, and asked him, “What do you have to tell me?” 20The young man answered, “The Jews have planned to ask you to bring Paul to the Jewish council tomorrow. They’re going to make it look as though they want more accurate information about him. Don’t let them persuade you to do this. More than forty of them are planning to ambush him. They have asked God to curse them if they eat or drink anything before they have murdered him. They are ready now and are expecting you to promise ⌞that you will bring Paul⌟.” 22The officer dismissed the young man and ordered him not to tell this information to anyone else. 23Then the officer summoned two of his sergeants and told them, “I want 200 infantrymen, 70 soldiers on horseback, and 200 soldiers with spears. Have them ready to go to Caesarea at nine o’clock tonight.

Acts 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 23:2Never follow a crowd in doing wrong. When you testify in court, don’t side with the majority to pervert justice.
• Acts 23:12In the morning the Jews formed a conspiracy. They asked God to curse them if they ate or drank anything before they had killed Paul.
• Acts 9:23Later the Jews planned to murder Saul,
• Acts 14:5In the meantime, Paul and Barnabas found out that the non-Jewish people and the Jewish people with their rulers planned to attack them and stone them to death.
• Acts 20:19I humbly served the Lord, often with tears in my eyes. I served the Lord during the difficult times I went through when the Jews plotted against me.
• Acts 25:3Festus to do them the favor of having Paul brought to Jerusalem. The Jews had a plan to ambush and kill Paul as he traveled to Jerusalem.
• 2 Corinthians 11:26Because I’ve traveled a lot, I’ve faced dangers from raging rivers, from robbers, from my own people, and from other people. I’ve faced dangers in the city, in the open country, on the sea, and from believers who turned out to be false friends.
• Acts 23:14They went to the chief priests and leaders ⌞of the people⌟ and said, “We’ve asked God to curse us if we taste any food before we’ve killed Paul.
• Romans 9:3I wish I could be condemned and cut off from Christ for the sake of others who, like me, are Jewish by birth.

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

• Change of Venue
• Claudius Lysius
• Minister, Christian
• Paul

In the dictionaries

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

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