Acts 23:20

And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire thee that thou wouldest bring down Paul to morrow into the council, as though they would inquire somewhat of him more perfectly. And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire thee that thou wouldest bring down Paul tomorrow into the council, as though they would inquire - `as if thou wert going to inquire' seems the true reading [ melloon (G3195)]....

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....

AND HE SAID ... - In what way this young man had received intelligence of this, we can only conjecture. It is not improbable that he was a student under some one of the Jewish teachers, and that he might have learned it of him. It is not at all probable that the purpose of the 40 men would be very closely kept. Indeed, it is evident that they were not themselves very anxious about concealing their oath, as they mentioned it freely to the chief priests and elders, Acts 23:14....

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;...

AND HE SAID, THE JEWS HAVE AGREED TO DESIRE THEE,.... By the Jews are meant, the Jewish sanhedrim, for the young man had not only intelligence of the conspiracy, and lying in wait of the forty men or more; but also of the agreement which the sanhedrim at the motion of these men were come into, to make the following request to the chief captain; which seems to confirm the above conjecture, that this young man might be a student under the president of the council, or one of the doctors, whereby he came at the knowledge of these things: THAT THOU WOULDST BRING DOWN PAUL TOMORROW INTO THE COUNCIL, c. Acts 23:15....

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)...

HAVE AGREED. agreed. Greek. _suntithemi._ Here, Acts 24:9; Luke 22:5.John 9:22. DESIRE. Same as "prayed", Acts 23:18. ENQUIRE. Same as "asked", Acts 23:19. SOMEWHAT. something, as in Acts 23:18....

_as though they would inquire_ The oldest MSS. give "_as though_ THOU _wouldest inquire_." It is more probable that this older reading was altered to agree with the plural in Acts 23:15, than that the plural was changed into the singular. It was natural enough for the speaker among the Zealots to say to the chief priests "as though ye would inquire," and it is equally natural that Paul's nephew, speaking to the chief captain, who had control of the whole proceedings, should say "as though _thou_wouldest inquire....

PAUL IS CHEERED BY A VISION. THE JEWS CONSPIRE TO KILL HIM...