New International Version
Acts 23:21
21Don’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.”
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.
- 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.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)But don’t do it! There are more than forty men hiding along the way ready to ambush him. They have vowed not to eat or drink anything until they have killed him. They are ready now, just waiting for your consent.”
Context of Acts 23:21
19The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, “What is it you want to tell me?” 20He said: “Some Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him. 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.” 22The commander dismissed the young man with this warning: “Don’t tell anyone that you have reported this to me.” 23Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them, “Get ready a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen 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“Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd,
- Acts 23:12The next morning some 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 gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him,
- Acts 14:5There was a plot afoot among both Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them.
- Acts 20:19I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents.
- Acts 25:3They requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.
- 2 Corinthians 11:26I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.
- Acts 23:14They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have taken 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 people, those of my own race,
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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