CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Acts 23:13 More than forty of them were involved in this plot.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/acts/23-13.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/11/44_Act_23_13.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Acts 23:13 - The Plot to Kill Paul" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="More than forty of them were involved in this plot." /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/vmenus/acts/23-13.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc/acts/23-13.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/acts/">Acts</a> > <a href="/acts/23.htm">Chapter 23</a> > Verse 13</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div><div id="ad1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/ad13.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/acts/23-12.htm" title="Acts 23:12">◄</a> Acts 23:13 <a href="/acts/23-14.htm" title="Acts 23:14">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#audio" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Audio Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Cross </a> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Study Bible"> Study </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Greek </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/acts/23.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/acts/23.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />More than forty men were involved in this plot.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/acts/23.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />There were more than forty of them in the conspiracy.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/acts/23.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />There were more than forty who made this conspiracy.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/acts/23.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />More than forty of them were involved in this plot.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/blb/acts/23.htm">Berean Literal Bible</a></span><br />Now there were more than forty having made this conspiracy,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/acts/23.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/acts/23.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />Now there were more than forty who had formed this conspiracy.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/acts/23.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />There were more than forty who formed this plot.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/acts/23.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />There were more than forty who formed this plot.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/acts/23.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />And there were more than forty who formed this plot.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/acts/23.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />And there were more than forty who formed this scheme.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/acts/23.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />There were more than forty [men] who formed this plot [and swore this oath].<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/acts/23.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />There were more than forty who had formed this plot.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/acts/23.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />There were more than 40 who had formed this plot. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/acts/23.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />And they were more than forty that made this conspiracy.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/acts/23.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />And they were more than forty which made this conspiracy.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/acts/23.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />More than forty men took part in this plot.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/acts/23.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />There were more than forty who planned this together. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/acts/23.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />More than 40 men formed this conspiracy. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/acts/23.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />More than forty of them were involved in this plot.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/acts/23.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />There were more than forty of them who formed this conspiracy.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/acts/23.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />There were more than forty people who had made this conspiracy.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/acts/23.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />And they were more than forty who had made this conspiracy.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wey/acts/23.htm">Weymouth New Testament</a></span><br />There were more than forty of them who bound themselves by this oath.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/acts/23.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />There were more than forty people who had made this conspiracy. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/acts/23.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />and they were more than forty who made this conspiracy by oath,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/blb/acts/23.htm">Berean Literal Bible</a></span><br />Now there were more than forty having made this conspiracy,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/acts/23.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> and they were more than forty who made this conspiracy by oath,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/acts/23.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />And there were more than forty having made this conspiracy.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/acts/23.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />And they were more than forty men that had made this conspiracy. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/acts/23.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />Now there were more than forty men who had taken this oath together.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/acts/23.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />There were more than forty who formed this conspiracy.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/acts/23.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />There were more than forty who joined in this conspiracy.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/acts/23.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />And those who had sworn to this conspiracy were more than forty persons.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/aramaic-plain-english/acts/23.htm">Aramaic Bible in Plain English</a></span><br />But those who established this covenant with an oath were more than forty men.<div class="vheading2"><b>NT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/anderson/acts/23.htm">Anderson New Testament</a></span><br />And there were more than forty who formed this conspiracy.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/godbey/acts/23.htm">Godbey New Testament</a></span><br />And there were more than forty having made this plot:<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/haweis/acts/23.htm">Haweis New Testament</a></span><br />Now there were more than forty who had on oath formed this conspiracy.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/mace/acts/23.htm">Mace New Testament</a></span><br />the conspirators, who were above forty in number,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wey/acts/23.htm">Weymouth New Testament</a></span><br />There were more than forty of them who bound themselves by this oath.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/worrell/acts/23.htm">Worrell New Testament</a></span><br />And there were more than forty, who made this conspiracy;<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/worsley/acts/23.htm">Worsley New Testament</a></span><br />And they were more than forty that had made this oath:<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/acts/23-13.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/in5WTRQ9BSQ?start=7789" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/acts/23.htm">The Plot to Kill Paul</a></span><br><span class="reftext">12</span>When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. <span class="reftext">13</span><span class="highl"><a href="/greek/1161.htm" title="1161: de (Conj) -- A primary particle; but, and, etc."></a> <a href="/greek/4119.htm" title="4119: pleious (Adj-NMP-C) -- Or neuter pleion, or pleon comparative of polus; more in quantity, number, or quality; also the major portion.">More than</a> <a href="/greek/5062.htm" title="5062: tesserakonta (Adj-GMP) -- Forty. The decade of tessares; forty.">forty of them</a> <a href="/greek/3588.htm" title="3588: hoi (Art-NMP) -- The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the."></a> <a href="/greek/1510.htm" title="1510: ēsan (V-IIA-3P) -- I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.">were</a> <a href="/greek/4160.htm" title="4160: poiēsamenoi (V-APM-NMP) -- (a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do.">involved</a> <a href="/greek/3778.htm" title="3778: tautēn (DPro-AFS) -- This; he, she, it. ">in this</a> <a href="/greek/3588.htm" title="3588: tēn (Art-AFS) -- The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the."></a> <a href="/greek/4945.htm" title="4945: synōmosian (N-AFS) -- A conspiracy, plot. From a compound of sun and omnuo; a swearing together, i.e. a plot.">plot.</a> </span> <span class="reftext">14</span>They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/acts/9-23.htm">Acts 9:23-24</a></span><br />After many days had passed, the Jews conspired to kill him, / but Saul learned of their plot. Day and night they watched the city gates in order to kill him.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/acts/25-3.htm">Acts 25:3</a></span><br />to grant them a concession against Paul by summoning him to Jerusalem, because they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/acts/21-30.htm">Acts 21:30-31</a></span><br />The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. / While they were trying to kill him, the commander of the Roman regiment received a report that all Jerusalem was in turmoil.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/acts/22-22.htm">Acts 22:22</a></span><br />The crowd listened to Paul until he made this statement. Then they lifted up their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He is not fit to live!”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/acts/24-1.htm">Acts 24:1-9</a></span><br />Five days later the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a lawyer named Tertullus, who presented to the governor their case against Paul. / When Paul had been called in, Tertullus opened the prosecution: “Because of you, we have enjoyed a lasting peace, and your foresight has brought improvements to this nation. / In every way and everywhere, most excellent Felix, we acknowledge this with all gratitude. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/acts/26-9.htm">Acts 26:9-11</a></span><br />So then, I too was convinced that I ought to do all I could to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. / And that is what I did in Jerusalem. With authority from the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were condemned to death, I cast my vote against them. / I frequently had them punished in the synagogues, and I tried to make them blaspheme. In my raging fury against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/acts/14-5.htm">Acts 14:5-6</a></span><br />But when the Gentiles and Jews, together with their rulers, set out to mistreat and stone them, / they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding region,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/acts/20-3.htm">Acts 20:3</a></span><br />where he stayed three months. And when the Jews formed a plot against him as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/acts/6-11.htm">Acts 6:11-14</a></span><br />Then they prompted some men to say, “We heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God.” / So they stirred up the people, elders, and scribes and confronted Stephen. They seized him and brought him before the Sanhedrin, / where they presented false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/acts/7-57.htm">Acts 7:57-58</a></span><br />At this they covered their ears, cried out in a loud voice, and rushed together at him. / They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/acts/13-50.htm">Acts 13:50</a></span><br />The Jews, however, incited the religious women of prominence and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their district.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/acts/17-5.htm">Acts 17:5</a></span><br />The Jews, however, became jealous. So they brought in some troublemakers from the marketplace, formed a mob, and sent the city into an uproar. They raided Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas, hoping to bring them out to the people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/acts/18-12.htm">Acts 18:12</a></span><br />While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews coordinated an attack on Paul and brought him before the judgment seat.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/26-3.htm">Matthew 26:3-4</a></span><br />At that time the chief priests and elders of the people assembled in the courtyard of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, / and they conspired to arrest Jesus covertly and kill Him.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/mark/14-1.htm">Mark 14:1</a></span><br />Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were two days away, and the chief priests and scribes were looking for a covert way to arrest Jesus and kill Him.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy.</p><p class="hdg">which.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/2_samuel/15-12.htm">2 Samuel 15:12,31</a></b></br> And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counseller, from his city, <i>even</i> from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/john/16-2.htm">John 16:2</a></b></br> They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/acts/23-12.htm">Bound</a> <a href="/acts/23-12.htm">Conspiracy</a> <a href="/acts/23-12.htm">Formed</a> <a href="/acts/13-21.htm">Forty</a> <a href="/deuteronomy/19-17.htm">Involved</a> <a href="/acts/21-16.htm">Joined</a> <a href="/acts/23-12.htm">Oath</a> <a href="/acts/23-12.htm">Plot</a> <a href="/acts/23-12.htm">Themselves</a> <a href="/acts/23-12.htm">Together</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/acts/23-14.htm">Bound</a> <a href="/2_samuel/15-12.htm">Conspiracy</a> <a href="/romans/9-20.htm">Formed</a> <a href="/acts/23-21.htm">Forty</a> <a href="/acts/24-18.htm">Involved</a> <a href="/acts/24-9.htm">Joined</a> <a href="/acts/23-14.htm">Oath</a> <a href="/acts/23-16.htm">Plot</a> <a href="/acts/23-19.htm">Themselves</a> <a href="/acts/23-20.htm">Together</a><div class="vheading2">Acts 23</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/acts/23-1.htm">As Paul pleads his cause,</a></span><br><span class="reftext">2. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/acts/23-2.htm">Ananias commands them to strike him.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">7. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/acts/23-7.htm">Dissension among his accusers.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">11. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/acts/23-11.htm">God encourages him.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">14. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/acts/23-14.htm">The Jews' vow to kill Paul,</a></span><br><span class="reftext">20. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/acts/23-20.htm">is declared unto the chief captain.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">27. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/acts/23-27.htm">He sends him to Felix the governor.</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/acts/23.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/acts/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/acts/23.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>More than forty of them</b><br>This phrase indicates a significant number of conspirators, suggesting a well-organized and serious threat. In the context of first-century Judea, a group of over forty individuals would represent a substantial faction, likely composed of zealots or those fervently opposed to Roman rule and any perceived collaborators. The number forty is often symbolic in the Bible, representing periods of testing or judgment, such as the forty days of rain during the flood (<a href="/genesis/7-12.htm">Genesis 7:12</a>) or the forty years the Israelites wandered in the desert (<a href="/numbers/14-33.htm">Numbers 14:33</a>).<p><b>were involved in this plot</b><br>The plot refers to the conspiracy to kill Paul, who was seen as a threat to Jewish traditions and the authority of the Sanhedrin. This reflects the intense opposition Paul faced from Jewish leaders who viewed his teachings about Jesus as blasphemous and a threat to their power. The involvement in a plot to kill Paul highlights the extreme measures some were willing to take to silence him, reminiscent of the plots against Jesus (<a href="/matthew/26-3.htm">Matthew 26:3-4</a>). This also underscores the fulfillment of Jesus' prophecy that His followers would face persecution (<a href="/john/15-20.htm">John 15:20</a>). The historical context of Roman occupation and the Jewish desire for autonomy further fueled such conspiracies, as any disruption to the status quo could provoke Roman intervention.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_conspirators.htm">The Conspirators</a></b><br>A group of more than forty Jewish men who took an oath to neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. This highlights the intense opposition Paul faced from some Jewish factions.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/p/paul_the_apostle.htm">Paul the Apostle</a></b><br>The target of the conspiracy, Paul was a former Pharisee and a zealous missionary for Christ, spreading the Gospel to the Gentiles and Jews alike.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/j/jerusalem.htm">Jerusalem</a></b><br>The city where this conspiracy took place, a central location for Jewish religious life and a place of significant tension between early Christians and Jewish authorities.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_sanhedrin.htm">The Sanhedrin</a></b><br>The Jewish ruling council, some of whose members were likely sympathetic to the conspirators' cause against Paul.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/r/roman_authorities.htm">Roman Authorities</a></b><br>Although not directly mentioned in this verse, they play a crucial role in the subsequent account, as they are responsible for Paul's protection and eventual transfer to Caesarea.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/t/the_reality_of_opposition.htm">The Reality of Opposition</a></b><br>As followers of Christ, we should expect opposition and be prepared to face it with faith and courage. Paul's experience reminds us that the Gospel often challenges the status quo and can provoke strong reactions.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/g/god's_sovereignty_in_protection.htm">God's Sovereignty in Protection</a></b><br>Despite human conspiracies, God's plans prevail. Paul's life was preserved because God had a purpose for him. We can trust in God's protection and purpose for our lives.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_power_of_commitment.htm">The Power of Commitment</a></b><br>The conspirators' oath shows the power of commitment, albeit for a wrong cause. As Christians, we should be equally committed to righteous causes, dedicating ourselves fully to God's work.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_importance_of_community.htm">The Importance of Community</a></b><br>Paul was not alone; he had a community of believers and even Roman authorities who played a role in his protection. We need to build and rely on our Christian community for support and encouragement.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_acts_23.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Acts 23</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/evidence_of_40-man_plot_to_kill_paul.htm">Acts 23:12-15 - Is there concrete historical or archaeological evidence supporting the existence of this conspiracy of more than forty men to kill Paul?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_do_1_sam_13_1-2_and_acts_13_21_align.htm">How does 1 Samuel 13:1-2 reconcile with Acts 13:21, which states Saul reigned for forty years?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/could_rome_hold_paul_years_without_proof.htm">Acts 24:13 states the accusers could not prove any crime; how plausible is it that the Roman legal system would hold Paul for years without solid evidence?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/isaiah_58_13__sabbath_vs._sunday_worship.htm">Isaiah 58:13 - How can the chapter's call to honor the Sabbath be reconciled with Christianity's shift to Sunday worship, suggesting inconsistency with Old Testament commands?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/acts/23.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 13.</span> <span class="accented">- Made</span> for <span class="accented">had made</span>, A.V. <span class="cmt_word">Conspiracy</span>; <span class="greek">συνωμοσία</span>, in Latin <span class="accented">conjuratio.</span> It only occurs here in the New Testament, but is used occasionally by Diodorus Siculus and other Greek writers. The kindred word <span class="greek">συνωμότης</span> is found in the LXX. of <a href="/genesis/14-13.htm">Genesis 14:13</a>, rendered "confederate," A.V. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/acts/23-13.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Greek</div><span class="word">More than</span><br /><span class="grk">πλείους</span> <span class="translit">(pleious)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural - Comparative<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/greek/strongs_4119.htm">Strong's 4119: </a> </span><span class="str2">Or neuter pleion, or pleon comparative of polus; more in quantity, number, or quality; also the major portion.</span><br /><br /><span class="word">forty [of them]</span><br /><span class="grk">τεσσεράκοντα</span> <span class="translit">(tesserakonta)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/greek/strongs_5062.htm">Strong's 5062: </a> </span><span class="str2">Forty. The decade of tessares; forty.</span><br /><br /><span class="word">were</span><br /><span class="grk">ἦσαν</span> <span class="translit">(ēsan)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/greek/strongs_1510.htm">Strong's 1510: </a> </span><span class="str2">I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.</span><br /><br /><span class="word">involved</span><br /><span class="grk">ποιησάμενοι</span> <span class="translit">(poiēsamenoi)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Aorist Participle Middle - Nominative Masculine Plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/greek/strongs_4160.htm">Strong's 4160: </a> </span><span class="str2">(a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do.</span><br /><br /><span class="word">in this</span><br /><span class="grk">ταύτην</span> <span class="translit">(tautēn)</span><br /><span class="parse">Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Feminine Singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/greek/strongs_3778.htm">Strong's 3778: </a> </span><span class="str2">This; he, she, it. </span><br /><br /><span class="word">plot.</span><br /><span class="grk">συνωμοσίαν</span> <span class="translit">(synōmosian)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/greek/strongs_4945.htm">Strong's 4945: </a> </span><span class="str2">A conspiracy, plot. From a compound of sun and omnuo; a swearing together, i.e. a plot.</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/acts/23-13.htm">Acts 23:13 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/acts/23-13.htm">Acts 23:13 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/acts/23-13.htm">Acts 23:13 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/acts/23-13.htm">Acts 23:13 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/acts/23-13.htm">Acts 23:13 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/acts/23-13.htm">Acts 23:13 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/acts/23-13.htm">Acts 23:13 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/acts/23-13.htm">Acts 23:13 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/acts/23-13.htm">Acts 23:13 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/acts/23-13.htm">Acts 23:13 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/acts/23-13.htm">NT Apostles: Acts 23:13 There were more than forty people who (Acts of the Apostles Ac) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/acts/23-12.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Acts 23:12"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Acts 23:12" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/acts/23-14.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Acts 23:14"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Acts 23:14" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>