Acts 23:12

When it was day, some of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.

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WEBBE

When it was day, some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.

BSB

When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.

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.

ASV

And when it was day, the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.

BBE

And when it was day, the Jews came together and put themselves under an oath that they would take no food or drink till they had put Paul to death.

Original Greek

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Γενομένης Genomenēs When it was becoming G1096 δὲ de then G1161 ἡμέρας hēmeras day G2250 ποιήσαντες poiēsantes having made G4160 συστροφὴν sustrophēn a conspiracy G4963 οἱ hoi the G3588 Ἰουδαῖοι Ioudaioi Jews G2453 ἀνεθεμάτισαν anethematisan put under an oath G332 ἑαυτοὺς he'autous themselves G1438 λέγοντες legontes declaring G3004 μήτε mēte neither G3383 φαγεῖν phagein to eat G5315 μήτε mēte nor G3383 πιεῖν piein to drink G4095 ἕως he'ōs until G2193 οὗ hou that G3739 ἀποκτείνωσιν apokteinōsin they may kill G615 τὸν ton (the) G3588 Παῦλον Paulon Paul G3972

The early church

"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. And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy." "They bound themselves under a curse," it says. See how vehement and revengeful they are in their malice! What means, "bound under a curse?" Why then those men are accused forever, seeing they did not kill Paul. And forty together. For such is the nature of that nation: when there needs concerting together for a good object, not even two concur with each other: but when it is for an evil object, the entire people does it.
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on Acts
"We have bound ourselves," they say, "under a curse, that we will not eat nor drink." What is all this zeal? "Bound themselves by a curse:" it was a kind of necessity that those men fastened on themselves by the curse. "That they would neither eat nor drink." Behold fasting the mother of murder! Just as Herod imposed on himself that necessity by his oath, so also do these. For such are the devil's ways: under the pretext forsooth of piety he sets his traps.
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on Acts

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 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 means and power, has neither reason nor revelation to assure him that he shall receive help from God. Believing in the Lord, we and ours shall be kept from every evil work, and kept to his kingdom. Heavenly Father, give us by thy Holy Spirit, for Christ's sake, this precious faith.

Read Matthew Henry on Acts 23 →

Cross-references

26

People & places

Paul

Topics

PaulMaliceOathVowsConspiracyRevenge

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.