Acts 23:15

_ _ Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you to morrow, as though ye would inquire something more perfectly concerning him: and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him. How therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you [tomorrow], (the bracketed word is clearly not genuine.) As though ye would inquire something more perfectly concerning him. That these high ecclesiastics fell in readily with this infamous plot is clear; indeed, what will not unscrupulous and hypocritical religionists do under the mask of religion? The narrative bears unmistakeable internal marks of truth. And we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him. Their plan was to assassinate him on his way down from the barracks to the council. The case was critical; but He who had pledged His word to him, that he sh...

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....

Verse Acts 23:15. _AND WE, OR EVER HE COME NEAR, ARE READY TO KILL HIM._] We shall lie in wait, and despatch him before he can reach the chief captain. The plan was well and deeply laid; and nothing but an especial providence could have saved Paul....

YE, WITH THE COUNCIL - With the concurrence or request of the Sanhedrin. It was only by such a request that they had any hope that the chief captain would remove Paul from the castle. SIGNIFY TO THE CHIEF CAPTAIN - Send a message or request to him. THAT HE BRING HIM DOWN UNTO YOU - That he bring him from the castle to the usual place of the meeting of the Sanhedrin. As this was at some distance from the castle of Antonia, where Paul was, they supposed it would be easy to waylay him and take his life. TO-MORROW - This is missing in the Syriac, Vulgate, and Ethiopic versions. It is, however, probably the correct reading of the text, as it would be necessary to convene the council, and make the request of the tribune, which might require the whole of one day. As though ye would in

EXPOSITION ACTS 23:1 _Looking steadfastly on _for _earnestly beholding, _A.V.; _brethren _for _men and brethren, _A.V._; I have lived before God, _etc., for _I have lived, _etc., _before God, _A.V. LOOKING STEADFASTLY; ἀτενίσας, as in Acts 1:10; Acts 3:4, Acts 3:12; Acts 6:15; Acts 7:55; Acts 10:4;...

NOW THEREFORE YE WITH THE COUNCIL,.... The whole sanhedrim; their sense is, that they would have the sanhedrim convened by the chief priests and elders, and being met together, then to SIGNIFY TO THE CHIEF CAPTAIN; or let him know that they were assembled together, upon the affair of Paul, and that they here desirous he might be brought before them: THAT HE BRING HIM DOWN UNTO YOU TOMORROW; from the castle of Antonia to the place where the sanhedrim met; the word "tomorrow" is not in the Alexandrian copy, nor in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions; and then it should seem that they desired him to be brought down forthwith, or otherwise they must propose to fast all that day, and so long on the morrow, till Paul was brought down; but that the common reading is right, appears from the chief captain's sending away Paul at the third hour of the night following, to prevent thei...

ACTS 23:15 At the beginning of the verse the Western text (itgig syrhmg copsa Lucifer) expands by reading (according to A. C. Clark’s reconstruction) nu/n ou=n evrwtw/men u`ma/j i[na tou/to h`mi/n poih,shte\ sunagago,ntej to. sune,drion evmfani,sate tw|/ cilia,rcw| (“Now therefore _we ask you that you do this for us: Gather the Sanhedrin together and_ give notice to the tribune”). At the close of the verse the Western text (614 2147 ith syrhmg) adds eva.n de,h| kai. avpoqanei/n (“even though we must die too”)....

JEWISH PLOT: REMOVAL OF PAUL. The Jews propose what the tribune, in Acts 22:30 to Acts 23:10, has already done on his own initiative; here we are on historical ground. The hated person being removed from their power, they plan an assassination. Forty of them make themselves a curse (so literally), _i.e._ they are to be accursed if they do not carry out their purpose; and they are to fast till it is done. For this end they apply to the high priests and elders to get the tribune to bring Paul down to a meeting for a further inquiry. No doubt is entertained apparently that the leaders will countenance such a plot. The tribune, who is well disposed to Paul since he discovered his citizenship, at once removes him from danger; but 470 men seem a large force for the purpose. Lysias-' motive in all this apparatus was

THE STRATEGY OF PAUL (Acts 23:1-10)...

SIGNIFY. Greek. _emphanizo._ App-106. BRING... DOWN. Greek. _katago._ See note on Acts 21:3. THOUGH YE WOULD. being about to. ENQUIRE. Greek. _diaginosko._ This is the medical word for making. careful examination. Only here and Acts 24:22. The noun _diagnosis_ only in Acts 25:21. SOMETHING... HIM. the things concerning him more accurately (Greek. _akribesteron,_ comparative of _akribos,_ Acts 18:25; Acts 18:26). Occurs...