But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him.
Parallel translations
- WEB but their plot became known to Saul. They watched the gates both day and night that they might kill him,
- KJV But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.
- BSB but Saul learned of their plot. Day and night they watched the city gates in order to kill him.
- NASB but their plot became known to Saul. They were also closely watching the gates day and night so that they might put him to death;
- NLT They were watching for him day and night at the city gate so they could murder him, but Saul was told about their plot.
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
Saul learned of the plot as his enemies watched the city gates to kill him. God preserved him to continue his mission.
Overview
The vigilant guarding of the gates shows how serious and organized the threat had become. Yet Saul's awareness of the plot reflects God's protective hand over his chosen servant. The Lord who commissioned him also preserves him until his work is done.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- 2 Cor 11:32In Damascus the governor under King Aretas guarded the city of the Damascenes desiring to arrest me.
- Acts 25:3asking a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem; plotting to kill him on the way.
- Acts 20:3When he had spent three months there, and a plot was made against him by Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he determined to return through Macedonia.
- Acts 20:19serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears, and with trials which happened to me by the plots of the Jews;
- Acts 9:29–30preaching boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus. He spoke and disputed against the Hellenists, but they were seeking to kill him.
- Judg 16:2–3The Gazites were told, “Samson is here!” They surrounded him, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, “Wait until morning light, then we will kill him.”
- Acts 14:5–6When some of both the Gentiles and the Jews, with their rulers, made a violent attempt to mistreat and stone them,
- Acts 23:30When I was told that the Jews lay in wait for the man, I sent him to you immediately, charging his accusers also to bring their accusations against him before you. Farewell.”
- Acts 17:10–15The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea. When they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue.
- Acts 25:11For if I have done wrong, and have committed anything worthy of death, I don’t refuse to die; but if none of those things is true that they accuse me of, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!”
- Ps 21:11For they intended evil against you. They plotted evil against you which cannot succeed.
- Acts 23:12–21When it was day, some of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.
- Ps 37:32–33The wicked watches the righteous, and seeks to kill him.
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 9:24 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.