This wasn't just a casual "let's get him" plan; these men bound themselves by a solemn oath, a "swearing together," meaning they were deeply committed to this deadly plot. The sheer number, over forty, highlights how widespread and fervent the opposition to Paul had become, creating a very real and immediate danger.
There were more than forty who made this conspiracy. They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul. Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following a violent uproar in the temple, Roman soldiers rescued Paul from the angry crowd and brought him back to the barracks. The next night, Jesus encouraged Paul, assuring him he would testify in Rome. Meanwhile, a determined group of over forty Jewish men secretly swore an oath to assassinate Paul, seeing him as a threat to their traditions.
Forty men, united by a solemn vow, were ready to take Paul's life. What drives such a dangerous commitment?
The word 'conspiracy' here signifies more than just a secret plan; it implies an agreement, often sealed by an oath. This wasn't just a casual agreement among a few disgruntled individuals.
A Vow of Death
These men literally 'swore together,' binding themselves under a curse. They vowed not to eat or drink until Paul was dead. This shows an extreme, almost fanatical level of commitment.
Religious Zeal Gone Wrong
Their motivation stemmed from a fervent, albeit misguided, zeal for their religious traditions. They saw Paul as a threat to Judaism and believed his death was necessary. This highlights how religious passion, when detached from love and truth, can lead to horrific violence.
Why did these men resort to a secret plot instead of legal means?
This conspiracy reveals a tense situation within Jewish society under Roman rule.
Loss of Authority
The Jewish leaders no longer had the power of capital punishment. Roman authorities controlled the death penalty. This meant they couldn't simply execute Paul themselves, even if they felt he deserved it.
A Circumvented System
To bypass the Roman legal system, which they knew would likely acquit Paul based on the evidence, they resorted to this assassination plot. They aimed to kill Paul before he could be brought to trial or any formal judgment could be made by the Romans.
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Understand the original words
syskeuē · Greek Noun
The formal, planned collaboration of persons to perform an evil or unlawful act, often characterized by secrecy and malicious intent.
archiereus · Greek Noun
The leading religious officials of Judaism, specifically the high priest and heads of the priestly families, who formed the core of the Sanhedrin and held significant political and spiritual authority.
synedrion · Greek Noun
The supreme judicial and administrative body of the Jewish people in the Second Temple period, consisting of seventy-one members including chief priests, elders, and scribes.
This specific plot shows how deeply entrenched opposition to Paul had become, forcing Roman authorities to resort to extraordinary measures to protect him, even as Jewish leaders cooperated with the conspiracy.
c. AD 57
Paul arrested in Jerusalem
Paul is arrested by Roman soldiers in Jerusalem after a riot breaks out, instigated by Jews who accused him of bringing Gentiles into the temple. He narrowly avoids being beaten to death by the mob.
c. AD 57
Paul speaks to the crowd
Paul is given a chance to address the angry Jewish crowd from the temple steps, but they erupt in further chaos when he reveals his mission to the Gentiles. He is then taken into military custody.
c. AD 57— this verse
Plot to kill Paul
More than forty Jewish men take a solemn vow to fast until they have killed Paul, seeking to ambush him on his way to a hearing before the Jewish council.
c. AD 57
Plot exposed
Paul's nephew overhears the plot and rushes to warn Paul in the Roman barracks. The commandant is informed and immediately takes steps to move Paul to safety.
c. AD 57
Paul sent to Caesarea
Under the cover of night, the Roman commandant escorts Paul with a large military guard to Caesarea Maritima, the provincial capital, to stand trial before Governor Felix.
c. AD 57-59
Paul imprisoned in Caesarea
Paul remains imprisoned in Caesarea for two years, facing hearings before Governor Felix and later Festus, as the Jewish leaders continue to seek his death.
This passage describes a similar, violent conspiracy where a large group of men banded together to achieve a wicked goal, highlighting the recurring theme of plots against those God is using.
1 Samuel 22:2Here, David gathered 'everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented,' forming a group that, like the conspirators in Acts, was motivated by a shared grievance and unity of purpose, though for different ends.
Psalm 2:1-3This psalm speaks of kings and rulers taking counsel together against the Lord and his Anointed, mirroring the unified opposition and plotting of the Jewish leaders and the forty men against Paul, God's servant.
Esther 3:13-14This shows a decree being sent out for the destruction of a people, revealing how a conspiracy, even when officially sanctioned, stems from a deep-seated hatred and a unified, malevolent intent, much like the plot against Paul.
cambridgeActs 23:13: "And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy."
13 . more than forty ] Shewing the excited state of popular feeling at this moment among the Jews. They may have been prompted to this method of getting rid of the Apostle, because they had not the power of life and death any longer, and were not likely to procure Paul’s death at the hands of the Roman authorities, on any accusation connected with a religious question.
pulpitActs 23:13: "And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy."
Verse 13. - Made for had made, A.V. Conspiracy; συνωμοσία, in Latin conjuratio. It only occurs here in the New Testament, but is used occasionally by Diodorus Siculus and other Greek writers. The kindred word συνωμότης is found in the LXX. of Genesis 14:13, rendered "confederate," A.V.
This wasn't just a casual "let's get him" plan; these men bound themselves by a solemn oath, a "swearing together," meaning they were deeply committed to this deadly plot. The sheer number, over forty, highlights how widespread and fervent the opposition to Paul had become, creating a very real and immediate danger.
Following a violent uproar in the temple, Roman soldiers rescued Paul from the angry crowd and brought him back to the barracks. The next night, Jesus encouraged Paul, assuring him he would testify in Rome. Meanwhile, a determined group of over forty Jewish men secretly swore an oath to assassinate Paul, seeing him as a threat to their traditions.
Following a violent uproar in the temple, Roman soldiers rescued Paul from the angry crowd and brought him back to the barracks. The next night, Jesus encouraged Paul, assuring him he would testify in Rome. Meanwhile, a determined group of over forty Jewish men secretly swore an oath to assassinate Paul, seeing him as a threat to their traditions.
"There were more than forty who made this conspiracy. They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul. Now therefore you, along with the council, giv…" — This wasn't just a casual "let's get him" plan; these men bound themselves by a solemn oath, a "swearing together," meaning they were deeply committed to this deadly plot. The sheer number, over fort…
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Last reviewed October 2026
