Acts 23:12

Acts 23:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
• New International Version (NIV)The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
• English Standard Version (ESV)When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And when it was day, some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.

Context of Acts 23:12

10As the conflict grew more violent, the commander was afraid they would tear Paul apart. So he ordered his soldiers to go and rescue him by force and take him back to the fortress. 11That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, “Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well.” The next morning a group of Jews got together and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. 13There were more than forty of them in the conspiracy. 14They went to the leading priests and elders and told them, “We have bound ourselves with an oath to eat nothing until we have killed Paul.

Acts 23:12 word by word

Γενομένης δὲ ἡμέρας ποιήσαντες συστροφὴν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι ἀνεθεμάτισαν ἑαυτοὺς λέγοντες μήτε φαγεῖν μήτε πιεῖν ἕως οὗ ἀποκτείνωσιν τὸν Παῦλον.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andδέde · thenG1161
• when it wasγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• dayἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250
• certainτιςtis · oneG5100
• of the JewsἸουδαῖοςIoudaios · JewG2453
• bandedποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• togetherσυστροφήsustrophē · commotion/plotG4963
• and boundἀναθεματίζωanathematizō · to take an oathG332
• themselvesἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
• saying thatλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• they wouldφαγεῖνphagō · to eatG5315
• neitherμήτεmēte · neitherG3383
• drinkπίνωpinō piō poō · to drinkG4095
• tillἕωςheōs · untilG2193
• ·ὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• they had killedἀποκτείνωapokteinō · to killG615
• PaulΠαῦλοςPaulos · PaulG3972

Cross-references for Acts 23:12

• Acts 23:21But 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.”
• Acts 25:3They asked Festus as a favor to transfer Paul to Jerusalem (planning to ambush and kill him on the way).
• Psalms 2:1Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans?
• Psalms 64:2Hide me from the plots of this evil mob, from this gang of wrongdoers.
• Isaiah 8:9“Huddle together, you nations, and be terrified. Listen, all you distant lands. Prepare for battle, but you will be crushed! Yes, prepare for battle, but you will be crushed!
• Jeremiah 11:19I was like a lamb being led to the slaughter. I had no idea that they were planning to kill me! “Let’s destroy this man and all his words,” they said. “Let’s cut him down, so his name will be forgotten forever.”
• Matthew 26:4plotting how to capture Jesus secretly and kill him.
• 1 Kings 19:2So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.”
• 2 Kings 6:31“May God strike me and even kill me if I don’t separate Elisha’s head from his shoulders this very day,” the king vowed.
• Matthew 27:25And all the people yelled back, “We will take responsibility for his death—we and our children!”
• Mark 6:23He even vowed, “I will give you whatever you ask, up to half my kingdom!”
• Leviticus 27:29No person specially set apart for destruction may be bought back. Such a person must be put to death.
• Joshua 6:26At that time Joshua invoked this curse: “May the curse of the Lord fall on anyone who tries to rebuild the town of Jericho. At the cost of his firstborn son, he will lay its foundation. At the cost of his youngest son, he will set up its gates.”
• Joshua 7:1But Israel violated the instructions about the things set apart for the Lord. A man named Achan had stolen some of these dedicated things, so the Lord was very angry with the Israelites. Achan was the son of Carmi, a descendant of Zimri son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah.
• Nehemiah 10:29joined their leaders and bound themselves with an oath. They swore a curse on themselves if they failed to obey the Law of God as issued by his servant Moses. They solemnly promised to carefully follow all the commands, regulations, and decrees of the Lord our Lord:
• Matthew 26:74Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know the man!” And immediately the rooster crowed.

Commentaries on Acts 23:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12That they would neither eat nor drink, etc. - These forty Jews were no doubt of the class of the sicarii mentioned before, (similar to those afterwards called assassins), a class of fierce zealots, who took justice into their own hand; and who thought they had a right to despatch all those who, according to their views, were not orthodox in their religious principles. If these were, in their bad way, conscientious men, must they not all perish through…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Certain of the Jews - Some of the Jews. They were more than forty in number, Acts 23:13. Banded together - Made an agreement or compact. They conspired to kill him. And bound themselves under a curse - See the margin. The Greek is, “they anathematized themselves”; that is, they bound themselves by a solemn oath. They invoked a curse on themselves, or devoted themselves to destruction, if they did not do it. Lightfoot remarks, however, that they could be…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. 12-15The plan to kill Paul was desperate. More than 40 men took an oath (a strong promise) not to eat or drink until they had killed him (compare 1 Samuel 14:24–46; Matthew 14:6–11; see also Deuteronomy 23:21–23; Matthew 5:33–37; James 5:12).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 12-1412-14. bound themselves under a curse ... that they would neither eat ... fill they had killed Paul--Compare 2Sa 3:35; 1Sa 14:24.Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 23:12

• Claudius Lysius
• Conspiracy
• Malice
• Minister, Christian
• Oath
• Paul
• Revenge
• Vows

In the dictionaries

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

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