Nehemiah 5:12-13

5:12 They replied, “We will return these things, ¹  and we will no longer demand anything from them. We will do just as you say.” Then I called the priests and made the wealthy and the officials ²  swear to do what had been promised. ³  5:13 I also shook out my garment, ⁴  and I said, “In this way may God shake out from his house and his property every person who does not carry out ⁵  this matter. In this way may he be shaken out and emptied!” All the assembly replied, “So be it!” and they praised the LORD. Then the people did as they had promised. ⁶ 

Nehemiah 13:25

13:25 So I entered a complaint with them. I called down a curse on them, and I struck some of the men and pulled out their hair. I had them swear by God saying, “You will not marry off ⁷  your daughters to their sons, and you will not take any of their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves!

Deuteronomy 27:15-26

27:15 ‘Cursed is the one ⁸  who makes a carved or metal image – something abhorrent ⁹  to the Lord, the work of the craftsman ¹⁰  – and sets it up in a secret place.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ ¹¹  27:16 ‘Cursed ¹²  is the one who disrespects ¹³  his father and mother.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:17 ‘Cursed is the one who moves his neighbor’s boundary marker.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:18 ‘Cursed is the one who misleads a blind person on the road.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:19 ‘Cursed is the one who perverts justice for the resident foreigner, the orphan, and the widow.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:20 ‘Cursed is the one who has sexual relations with ¹⁴  his father’s former wife, ¹⁵  for he dishonors his father.’ ¹⁶  Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:21 ‘Cursed is the one who commits bestiality.’ ¹⁷  Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:22 ‘Cursed is the one who has sexual relations with his sister, the daughter of either his father or mother.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:23 ‘Cursed is the one who has sexual relations with his mother-in-law.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:24 ‘Cursed is the one who kills ¹⁸  his neighbor in private.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:25 ‘Cursed is the one who takes a bribe to kill an innocent person.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:26 ‘Cursed is the one who refuses to keep the words of this law.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’

Deuteronomy 29:12-14

29:12 so that you may enter by oath into the covenant the Lord your God is making with you today. ¹⁹  29:13 Today he will affirm that you are his people and that he is your God, ²⁰  just as he promised you and as he swore by oath to your ancestors ²¹  Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 29:14 It is not with you alone that I am making this covenant by oath,

Deuteronomy 29:2

The Exodus, Wandering, and Conquest Reviewed

29:2 Moses proclaimed to all Israel as follows: “You have seen all that the Lord did ²²  in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, all his servants, and his land.

Deuteronomy 15:13-14

15:13 If you set them free, you must not send them away empty-handed. 15:14 You must supply them generously ²³  from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress – as the Lord your God has blessed you, you must give to them.

Psalms 119:106

119:106 I have vowed and solemnly sworn

to keep your just regulations.

Acts 23:12-15

The Plot to Kill Paul

23:12 When morning came, ²⁴  the Jews formed ²⁵  a conspiracy ²⁶  and bound themselves with an oath ²⁷  not to eat or drink anything ²⁸  until they had killed Paul. 23:13 There were more than forty of them who formed this conspiracy. ²⁹  23:14 They ³⁰  went ³¹  to the chief priests ³²  and the elders and said, “We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath ³³  not to partake ³⁴  of anything until we have killed Paul. 23:15 So now you and the council ³⁵  request the commanding officer ³⁶  to bring him down to you, as if you were going to determine ³⁷  his case ³⁸  by conducting a more thorough inquiry. ³⁹  We are ready to kill him ⁴⁰  before he comes near this place.” ⁴¹ 

Acts 23:21

23:21 So do not let them persuade you to do this, ⁴²  because more than forty of them ⁴³  are lying in ambush ⁴⁴  for him. They ⁴⁵  have bound themselves with an oath ⁴⁶  not to eat or drink anything ⁴⁷  until they have killed him, and now they are ready, waiting for you to agree to their request.” ⁴⁸ 

[5:12]  ¹ tn The words “these things” are not included in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[5:12]  ² tn Heb “took an oath from them”; the referents (the wealthy and the officials, cf. v. 7) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:12]  ³ tn Heb “according to this word.”

[5:13]  ⁴ tn Heb “my bosom.”

[5:13]  ⁵ tn Heb “cause to stand.”

[5:13]  ⁶ tn Heb “according to this word.”

[13:25]  ⁷ tn Heb “give.”

[27:15]  ⁸ tn Heb “man,” but in a generic sense here.

[27:15]  ⁹ tn The Hebrew term translated here “abhorrent” (תּוֹעֵבָה, to’evah) speaks of attitudes and/or behaviors so vile as to be reprehensible to a holy God. See note on the word “abhorrent” in Deut 7:25.

[27:15]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “craftsman’s hands.”

[27:15]  ¹¹ tn Or “So be it!” The term is an affirmation expressing agreement with the words of the Levites.

[27:16]  ¹² tn The Levites speak again at this point; throughout this pericope the Levites pronounce the curse and the people respond with “Amen.”

[27:16]  ¹³ tn The Hebrew term קָלָה (qalah) means to treat with disdain or lack of due respect (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV “dishonors”; NLT “despises”). It is the opposite of כָּבֵד (kaved, “to be heavy,” that is, to treat with reverence and proper deference). To treat a parent lightly is to dishonor him or her and thus violate the fifth commandment (Deut 5:16; cf. Exod 21:17).

[27:20]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “who lies with” (so NASB, NRSV); also in vv. 22, 23. This is a Hebrew idiom for having sexual relations (cf. NIV “who sleeps with”; NLT “who has sexual intercourse with”).

[27:20]  ¹⁵ tn See note at Deut 22:30.

[27:20]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “he uncovers his father’s skirt” (NASB similar). See note at Deut 22:30.

[27:21]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “lies with any animal” (so NASB, NRSV). “To lie with” is a Hebrew euphemism for having sexual relations with someone (or in this case, some animal).

[27:24]  ¹⁸ tn Or “strikes down” (so NRSV).

[29:12]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “for you to pass on into the covenant of the Lord your God and into his oath, which the Lord your God is cutting with you today.”

[29:13]  ²⁰ tn Heb “in order to establish you today to him for a people and he will be to you for God.” Verses 10-13 are one long sentence in Hebrew. The translation divides this into two sentences for stylistic reasons.

[29:13]  ²¹ tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 25).

[29:2]  ²² tn The Hebrew text includes “to your eyes,” but this is redundant in English style (cf. the preceding “you have seen”) and is omitted in the translation.

[15:14]  ²³ tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with “generously.”

[23:12]  ²⁴ tn Grk “when it was day.”

[23:12]  ²⁵ tn Grk “forming a conspiracy, bound.” The participle ποιήσαντες (poihsantes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[23:12]  ²⁶ tn L&N 30.72 has ‘some Jews formed a conspiracy’ Ac 23:12”; BDAG 979 s.v. συστροφή 1 has “Judeans came together in a mob 23:12. But in the last pass. the word may also mean – 2. the product of a clandestine gathering, plot, conspiracy” (see also Amos 7:10; Ps 63:3).

[23:12]  ²⁷ tn Or “bound themselves under a curse.” BDAG 63 s.v. ἀναθεματίζω 1 has “trans. put under a curse τινά someone…pleonastically ἀναθέματι ἀ. ἑαυτόν Ac 23:14…ἀ. ἑαυτόν vss. 12, 21, 13 v.l.” On such oaths see m. Shevi’it 3:1-5. The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

[23:12]  ²⁸ tn 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 must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[23:13]  ²⁹ tn L&N 30.73 defines συνωμοσία (sunwmosia) as “a plan for taking secret action someone or some institution, with the implication of an oath binding the conspirators – ‘conspiracy, plot.’ …‘there were more than forty of them who formed this conspiracy’ Ac 23:13.”

[23:14]  ³⁰ tn Grk “who.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) was translated by the third person plural pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence begun in the translation.

[23:14]  ³¹ tn Grk “going.” The participle προσελθόντες (proselqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[23:14]  ³² sn They went to the chief priests. The fact that the high priest knew of this plot and did nothing shows the Jewish leadership would even become accomplices to murder to stop Paul. They would not allow Roman justice to take its course. Paul’s charge in v. 3 of superficially following the law is thus shown to be true.

[23:14]  ³³ tn Or “bound ourselves under a curse.” BDAG 63 s.v. ἀναθεματίζω 1 has “trans. put under a curse τινά someone…pleonastically ἀναθέματι ἀ. ἑαυτόν Ac 23:14…ἀ. ἑαυτόν vss. 12, 21, 13 v.l.” The pleonastic use ἀναθέματι ἀνεθεματίσαμεν (literally “we have cursed ourselves with a curse”) probably serves as an intensifier following Semitic usage, and is represented in the translation by the word “solemn.” On such oaths see m. Nedarim 3:1, 3.

[23:14]  ³⁴ tn This included both food and drink (γεύομαι [geuomai] is used of water turned to wine in John 2:9).

[23:15]  ³⁵ tn Grk “the Sanhedrin” (the Sanhedrin was the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).

[23:15]  ³⁶ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 10.

[23:15]  ³⁷ tn Or “decide.” BDAG 227 s.v. διαγινώσκω has “ἀκριβέστερον τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ to make a more thorough examination of his case Ac 23:15.”

[23:15]  ³⁸ tn Grk “determine the things about him.”

[23:15]  ³⁹ tn The expression “more thorough inquiry” reflects the comparative form of ἀκριβέστερον (akribesteron).

[23:15]  ⁴⁰ sn “We are ready to kill him.” Now those Jews involved in the conspiracy, along with the leaders as accomplices, are going to break one of the ten commandments.

[23:15]  ⁴¹ tn The words “this place” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[23:21]  ⁴² tn Grk “do not be persuaded by them.” The passive construction μὴ πεισθῇς αὐτοῖς (mh peisqh" autoi") has been converted to an active construction in the translation, and the phrase “to do this” supplied to indicate more clearly the object of their persuasion.

[23:21]  ⁴³ tn Grk “forty men of them.” In the expression ἐξ αὐτῶν ἄνδρες (ex autwn andre") “men” is somewhat redundant and has not been included in the English translation.

[23:21]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “are lying in wait for him” (BDAG 334 s.v. ἐνεδρεύω); see also v. 16.

[23:21]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “for him, who.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“who”) was translated by the third person plural pronoun (“they”) and a new sentence begun in the translation.

[23:21]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “bound themselves under a curse.” BDAG 63 s.v. ἀναθεματίζω 1 has “trans. put under a curse τινά someone… ἀ. ἑαυτόν vss. 12, 21, 13 v.l.”

[23:21]  ⁴⁷ tn 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 must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[23:21]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “waiting for your approval,” “waiting for your agreement.” Since it would be possible to misunderstand the literal translation “waiting for your approval” to mean that the Jews were waiting for the commander’s approval to carry out their plot or to kill Paul (as if he were to be an accomplice to their plot), the object of the commander’s approval (their request to bring Paul to the council) has been specified in the translation as “their request.”