And the soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim away and escape.
Parallel translations
- WEB The soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim out and escape.
- KJV And the soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.
- BSB The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners so none of them could swim to freedom.
- NASB The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim away and escape;
- NLT The soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners to make sure they didn’t swim ashore and escape.
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
The soldiers plan to kill the prisoners to prevent any from swimming away and escaping.
Overview
Under Roman law guards could pay with their lives for escaped prisoners, so the soldiers resolve to kill them, including Paul. This deadly threat seems to endanger God's promise of safety for all. The peril heightens the drama just before God works deliverance through the centurion's intervention.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Luke 23:40–41But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Don’t you even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?
- Acts 12:19When Herod had sought for him, and didn’t find him, he examined the guards, and commanded that they should be put to death. He went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.
- Prov 12:10A righteous man respects the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
- Eccl 9:3This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all: yes also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
- Ps 74:20Honor your covenant, for haunts of violence fill the dark places of the earth.
- Mark 15:15–20Pilate, wishing to please the multitude, released Barabbas to them, and handed over Jesus, when he had flogged him, to be crucified.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
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.
How Acts 27:42 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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