Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you to morrow, as though ye would enquire something more perfectly concerning him: and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him.
Parallel translations
- WEB Now therefore, you with the council inform the commanding officer that he should bring him down to you tomorrow, as though you were going to judge his case more exactly. We are ready to kill him before he comes near.”
- BSB Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him down to you on the pretext of examining his case more carefully. We are ready to kill him on the way.”
- NKJV Now you, therefore, together with the council, suggest to the commander that he be brought down to you tomorrow, as though you were going to make further inquiries concerning him; but we are ready to kill him before he comes near.”
- NASB Now therefore, you and the Council notify the commander to bring him down to you, as though you were going to investigate his case more thoroughly; and as for us, we are ready to kill him before he comes near the place.”
- NLT So you and the high council should ask the commander to bring Paul back to the council again. Pretend you want to examine his case more fully. We will kill him on the way.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
They propose that the council request Paul be brought down again, planning to ambush and kill him on the way. The deception cloaks murder in a false pretense of justice.
Overview
The plan exploits the appearance of a fair legal inquiry to lure Paul to his death. The leaders' willingness to deceive the Roman commander reveals their hardened intent. Yet their carefully laid trap will be exposed and undone by a young relative of Paul, showing that God thwarts the counsel of the wicked (Psalm 33:10).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Ps 37:32–33The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.
- Isa 59:7Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.
- Prov 1:11–12If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:
- Prov 1:16For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
- Rom 3:14–16Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
- Ps 21:11For they intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform.
- Acts 22:30On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.
- Prov 4:16For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
- Acts 25:3And desired favour against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying wait in the way to kill him.
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Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.
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Original language
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