Acts 23:21

Do not do what they ask you (sg) to do, because there are more than 40 Jewish men who will be hiding and waiting to attack Paul when he passes by on the way to the Council. They even promised/vowed to God that they will not eat or drink anything until they have killed Paul. They are ready to do it, and right now they are waiting for you (sg) to agree to do what they are asking you to do.”

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

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.

In Context

20The young man said, “ There are some [SYN] Jews who have planned to ask you (sg) to bring Paul before their Council tomorrow. They will say that they want to ask him some more questions. But that is not true.

22The commander said to Paul’s young nephew, “Do not tell anyone that you (sg) have told me about their plan.” Then he sent the young man away.

Read all of Acts 23

Cross References

Exodus 23:2Do not join a group of people who are planning to do something evil. Do not testify the way the crowd wants you to, if that will prevent the judge from deciding the case justly/fairly.

Acts 14:5Then the non-Jewish people and the Jewish leaders [SYN] who opposed those two talked among themselves about how they could mistreat them. Some of the important men in that city agreed to help them. Together, they decided that they would kill Paul and Barnabas by throwing stones at them.

Acts 23:12The next morning some of the Jews [MTY] who hated Paul met secretly and talked about how they could kill him. They promised themselves that they would not eat or drink anything until they had killed him. They asked God to curse them if they did not do what they promised.

Romans 9:3I personally would be willing to let God curse me and, as a result, be separated from Christ, if that would help my fellow Israelites, my natural kinsmen, to believe in Christ.

2 Corinthians 11:32One time when I was in Damascus city, the governor whom King Aretas had appointed to rule part of his area, told his soldiers to guard the gates of the city so that they could seize me if I tried to leave the city.

Matthew Henry on Acts 23:13-35

A Conspiracy against Paul; Paul Sent to Felix. 12 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. 13 And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy. 14 And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul. 15 Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Acts 23:21