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Text -- Acts 23:1-21 (NET)
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Strongs On/Off
Context
23:1 Paul looked directly at the council and said , “Brothers , I have lived my life with a clear conscience before God to this day .”
23:2 At that the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth .
23:3 Then Paul said to him , “God is going to strike you , you whitewashed wall ! Do you sit there judging me according to the law , and in violation of the law you order me to be struck ?”
23:4 Those standing near him said , “Do you dare insult God’s high priest ?”
23:5 Paul replied , “I did not realize , brothers , that he was the high priest , for it is written , ‘You must not speak evil about a ruler of your people .’”
23:6 Then when Paul noticed that part of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees , he shouted out in the council , “Brothers , I am a Pharisee , a son of Pharisees . I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection of the dead !”
23:7 When he said this , an argument began between the Pharisees and the Sadducees , and the assembly was divided .
23:8 (For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection , or angel , or spirit , but the Pharisees acknowledge them all .)
23:9 There was a great commotion , and some experts in the law from the party of the Pharisees stood up and protested strongly , “We find nothing wrong with this man . What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him ?”
23:10 When the argument became so great the commanding officer feared that they would tear Paul to pieces , he ordered the detachment to go down , take him away from them by force , and bring him into the barracks .
23:11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said , “Have courage , for just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem , so you must also testify in Rome .”
The Plot to Kill Paul
23:12 When morning came , the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink anything until they had killed Paul .
23:13 There were more than forty of them who formed this conspiracy .
23:14 They went to the chief priests and the elders and said , “We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath not to partake of anything until we have killed Paul .
23:15 So now you and the council request the commanding officer to bring him down to you , as if you were going to determine his case by conducting a more thorough inquiry . We are ready to kill him before he comes near this place.”
23:16 But when the son of Paul’s sister heard about the ambush , he came and entered the barracks and told Paul .
23:17 Paul called one of the centurions and said , “Take this young man to the commanding officer , for he has something to report to him .”
23:18 So the centurion took him and brought him to the commanding officer and said , “The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you.”
23:19 The commanding officer took him by the hand , withdrew privately , and asked , “What is it that you want to report to me ?”
23:20 He replied , “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow , as if they were going to inquire more thoroughly about him .
23:21 So do not let them persuade you to do this, because more than forty of them are lying in ambush for him. They have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink anything until they have killed him , and now they are ready , waiting for you to agree to their request.”
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Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics
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Names, People and Places:
Dictionary Themes and Topics:
ACTS OF THE APOSTLES, 8-12 |
Prisoners |
Paul |
PAUL, THE APOSTLE, 5 |
Self-defense |
PROVINCE |
Claudius Lysias |
Minister |
ACTS OF THE APOSTLES, 13-OUTLINE |
Sanhedrim |
Ananias |
Court |
Sadducees |
Defense |
Pharisees |
Change of Venue |
ANANIAS (1) |
Tact |
Diplomacy |
THORN IN THE FLESH |
more
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expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes -> Act 23:1; Act 23:1; Act 23:1; Act 23:2; Act 23:2; Act 23:2; Act 23:2; Act 23:3; Act 23:3; Act 23:3; Act 23:3; Act 23:3; Act 23:4; Act 23:4; Act 23:4; Act 23:5; Act 23:5; Act 23:5; Act 23:6; Act 23:6; Act 23:6; Act 23:6; Act 23:6; Act 23:7; Act 23:7; Act 23:7; Act 23:8; Act 23:8; Act 23:9; Act 23:9; Act 23:9; Act 23:9; Act 23:9; Act 23:10; Act 23:10; Act 23:10; Act 23:10; Act 23:10; Act 23:10; Act 23:11; Act 23:11; Act 23:11; Act 23:11; Act 23:11; Act 23:11; Act 23:11; Act 23:12; Act 23:12; Act 23:12; Act 23:12; Act 23:12; Act 23:13; Act 23:14; Act 23:14; Act 23:14; Act 23:14; Act 23:14; Act 23:15; Act 23:15; Act 23:15; Act 23:15; Act 23:15; Act 23:15; Act 23:15; Act 23:16; Act 23:16; Act 23:16; Act 23:17; Act 23:17; Act 23:17; Act 23:18; Act 23:18; Act 23:18; Act 23:19; Act 23:19; Act 23:20; Act 23:20; Act 23:21; Act 23:21; Act 23:21; Act 23:21; Act 23:21; Act 23:21; Act 23:21
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NET Notes: Act 23:2 Or “hit” (‘strike’ maintains the wordplay with the following verse). The action was probably designed to indicate a rejection ...
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NET Notes: Act 23:3 In violation of the law. Paul was claiming that punishment was given before the examination was complete (m. Sanhedrin 3:6-8). Luke’s noting of ...
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NET Notes: Act 23:4 Insult God’s high priest. Paul was close to violation of the Mosaic law with his response, as the citation from Exod 22:28 in v. 5 makes clear.
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NET Notes: Act 23:5 A quotation from Exod 22:28. This text defines a form of blasphemy. Paul, aware of the fact that he came close to crossing the line, backed off out of...
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NET Notes: Act 23:6 That is, concerning the hope that the dead will be resurrected. Grk “concerning the hope and resurrection.” BDAG 320 s.v. ἐλ ...
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NET Notes: Act 23:7 Grk “there came about an argument.” This has been simplified to “an argument began”
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NET Notes: Act 23:9 “We find nothing wrong with this man.” Here is another declaration of innocence. These leaders recognized the possibility that Paul might ...
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NET Notes: Act 23:10 Or “the headquarters.” BDAG 775 s.v. παρεμβολή 2 has “barracks/headquarters of the Rom...
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NET Notes: Act 23:12 The word “anything” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but ...
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NET Notes: Act 23:13 L&N 30.73 defines συνωμοσία (sunwmosia) as “a plan for taking secret action someone or some ins...
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NET Notes: Act 23:14 This included both food and drink (γεύομαι [geuomai] is used of water turned to wine in John 2:9).
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NET Notes: Act 23:16 Or “the headquarters.” BDAG 775 s.v. παρεμβολή 2 has “barracks/headquarters of the Rom...
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NET Notes: Act 23:17 Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 10.
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NET Notes: Act 23:19 Grk “you have,” but the expression “have to report” in English could be understood to mean “must report” rather th...
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NET Notes: Act 23:20 Grk “the Sanhedrin” (the Sanhedrin was the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).
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