SEV Biblia, Chapter 23:21
Mas t no los creas; porque ms de cuarenta hombres de ellos le acechan, los cuales han hecho voto bajo maldicin, de no comer ni beber hasta que le hayan muerto; y ahora estn apercibidos esperando tu promesa.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 21. But do not thou yield unto them , etc.] Or be persuaded by them, to bring Paul down from the castle to the sanhedrim; this must not be imputed to the young mans pride and vanity, in taking upon him to give advice to the chief captain; but to his great affection for his uncle, which moved him to entreat, rather than to direct him, for which he gives a good reason: for there lie in wait for him more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him ; (see Gill on Acts 23:12). (see Gill on Acts 23:13). and now are they ready ; to execute their designs, being met together, and lying in ambush in some place, between the castle and the place where the sanhedrim met: looking for a promise from thee ; that when the sanhedrim should apply to him, he would promise them to bring Paul down according to their request; and for the making and performing of this promise, these men were waiting.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 12-24 - False religious principles, adopted by carnal men, urge on to suc wickedness, as human nature would hardly be supposed capable of. Ye the Lord readily disappoints the best concerted schemes of iniquity Paul knew that the Divine providence acts by reasonable and pruden 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 wil not help himself according to his means and power, has neither reaso 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.
Greek Textus Receptus
συ 4771 P-2NS ουν 3767 CONJ μη 3361 PRT-N πεισθης 3982 5686 V-APS-2S αυτοις 846 P-DPM ενεδρευουσιν 1748 5719 V-PAI-3P γαρ 1063 CONJ αυτον 846 P-ASM εξ 1537 PREP αυτων 846 P-GPM ανδρες 435 N-NPM πλειους 4119 A-NPM-C τεσσαρακοντα 5062 A-NUI οιτινες 3748 R-NPM ανεθεματισαν 332 5656 V-AAI-3P εαυτους 1438 F-3APM μητε 3383 CONJ φαγειν 5315 5629 V-2AAN μητε 3383 CONJ πιειν 4095 5629 V-2AAN εως 2193 CONJ ου 3739 R-GSM ανελωσιν 337 5661 V-AAS-3P αυτον 846 P-ASM και 2532 CONJ νυν 3568 ADV ετοιμοι 2092 A-NPM εισιν 1526 5748 V-PXI-3P προσδεχομενοι 4327 5740 V-PNP-NPM την 3588 T-ASF απο 575 PREP σου 4675 P-2GS επαγγελιαν 1860 N-ASF
Vincent's NT Word Studies
21. Have bound themselves. "If we should wonder how, so early in the morning, after the long discussion in the Sanhedrim, which must have occupied a considerable part of the day, more than forty men should have been found banded together, under an anathema, neither to eat nor to drink till they had killed Paul; and, still more, how such a conspiracy, or, rather, conjuration, which, in the nature of it, would be kept a profound secret, should have become known to Paul's sister's son - the circumstances of the case furnish a sufficient explanation. The Pharisees were avowedly a fraternity or guild; and they, or some of their kindred fraternities, would furnish the ready material for such a band, to whom this additional vow would be nothing new or strange, and, murderous though it sounded, only seem a further carrying out of the principles of their order. Again, since the wife and all the children of a member were ipso facto members of the guild, and Paul's father had been a Pharisee (ver. 6), Paul's sister also would, by virtue of her birth, belong to the fraternity, even irrespective of the probability that, in accordance with the principles of the party, she would have married into a Pharisaical family" (Edersheim, "Jewish Social Life").
Robertson's NT Word Studies
23:21 {Do not therefore yield unto them} (su oun me peisqeis autois). First aorist passive subjunctive of peiqw, common verb, here to be persuaded by, to listen to, to obey, to yield to. With negative and rightly. Do not yield to them (dative) at all. On the aorist subjunctive with me in prohibitions against committing an act see Robertson, _Grammar_, pp. 851-4. {For there lie in wait} (enedreuousin gar). Present active indicative of enedreuw, old verb from enedra (verse #16), in the N.T. only here and #Lu 11:54 which see. {Till they have slain him} (hews hou anel"sin auton). Same idiom as in verse #12 save that here we have anel"sin (second aorist active subjunctive) instead of apokteinwsin (another word for kill), "till they slay him." {Looking for the promise from thee} (prosdecomenoi ten apo sou epaggelian). this item is all that is needed to put the scheme through, the young man shrewdly adds.
