Bible Strands
Acts 23:13
More than forty of them were involved in this plot.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The narrator reports that over forty conspirators joined the oath-bound group immediately after the Jews swore not to eat or drink until Paul was killed. This statement follows the formation of the conspiracy and precedes the group's appeal to the chief priests and elders.
The words — The text literally states πλεῖονας τεσσαράκοντα (pleious tesserakonta) = more than forty were involved in ταύτῃ τῇ συνωμοσίᾳ (tautēi tēi sunōmosiai) = this plot, emphasizing the numerical scale of the sworn agreement.
The thread — The motif of sworn conspiracies to kill God’s messengers recurs in 2 Samuel 15:12 and 2 Samuel 15:31 during Absalom’s rebellion, and surfaces again in John 16:2 where zeal drives followers to believe killing believers is holy service.
Why it lands — The verse demands recognition that organized, numerically significant opposition actively pursued Paul, establishing the concrete historical pressure that necessitated his transfer to Roman custody.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy.
Cross-references
- John 16:2 They will put you out of the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.
- 2 Samuel 15:12 While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from his hometown of Giloh. So the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept increasing.
- 2 Samuel 15:31 Now someone told David: “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David pleaded, “O LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!”