New Living Translation
Acts 23:21
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 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 his hand, led him aside, and asked, “What is it you want to tell me?” 20Paul’s nephew told him, “Some Jews are going to ask you to bring Paul before the high council tomorrow, pretending they want to get some more information. 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.” 22“Don’t let anyone know you told me this,” the commander warned the young man. 23Then the commander called two of his officers and ordered, “Get 200 soldiers ready to leave for Caesarea at nine o’clock tonight. Also take 200 spearmen and 70 mounted troops.
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 the crowd in doing wrong. When you are called to testify in a dispute, do not be swayed by the crowd to twist justice.
- Acts 23:12The next morning a group of Jews got together and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
- Acts 9:23After a while some of the Jews plotted together to kill him.
- Acts 14:5Then a mob of Gentiles and Jews, along with their leaders, decided to attack and stone them.
- Acts 20:19I have done the Lord’s work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews.
- Acts 25:3They asked Festus as a favor to transfer Paul to Jerusalem (planning to ambush and kill him on the way).
- 2 Corinthians 11:26I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.
- Acts 23:14They 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.
- Romans 9:3for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed—cut off from Christ!—if that would save them.
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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