Now therefore do you with the council signify to the tribune, that he bring him forth to you, as if you meant to know something more certain touching him. And we, before he come near, are ready to kill him.
νυν ουν υμεις εμφανισατε τω χιλιαρχω συν τω συνεδριω οπως αυριον αυτον καταγαγη καταγαγη αυτον προς υμας ως μελλοντας διαγινωσκειν ακριβεστερον τα περι αυτου ημεις δε προ του εγγισαι αυτον ετοιμοι εσμεν του ανελειν αυτον
4 Church Fathers comment on this verse
What are you saying? Had he not already spoken before you another time? Did he not call himself a Pharisee? What more do you want? They feared nothing, neither courts nor laws. They were so bold in everything that they both suggested the treacherous plan and promised to act.
The Jews were greatly angered that the Roman official was not entirely on their side. They were also angered that Paul's trial had not fulfilled their desire to hand the Apostle over to death. Then certain fanatics from among them, forty in number, vowed neither to drink nor eat until they had killed Paul. To carry out their murderous design, they told the high priest and the other ranks of the Sanhedrin to ask the tribune to bring Paul to them again for trial. During his journey to the Sanhedrin, they intended to kill him. But their design was discovered and brought to the tribune's knowledge by Paul's nephew. The tribune continued to respect and protect Paul as a Roman citizen.
On the night before the day when the conspirators expected to carry out their design, he sent him under a strong guard to Caesarea, to Felix the proconsul of Judea. In a special letter he explained to Felix the circumstances of the Apostle's arrest, his Roman citizenship, and his political innocence.
Before he draws near: that is, on the way from the fortress of Antonia to the place where the Sanhedrin was expected to assemble. The conspirators probably supposed that Paul's escort would then be small. They thought they could overcome it in case of resistance, before other soldiers from the fortress came to help.
The proposal made to the members of the Sanhedrin by the forty men concerning their wish to kill Paul recalls the proposal of Judas. But that earlier act bore more human features. There thirty pieces of silver were requested, while here the criminals were ready to give money themselves, if only they were permitted to kill Paul. Since they did not hope to buy this right themselves, they proposed that the members of the Sanhedrin appoint another hearing of Paul's case. For this they were to ask the commander to bring him out of the fortress. Then the conspirators would commit the evil deed they had planned against him. 'See what extreme malice,' exclaims St. John Chrysostom.
'Not content with inclining one another to evil, they decide also to incline the ruler to the same thing along with themselves.' Bishop Michael thinks these were the same Jews from Asia Minor who had stirred up this whole persecution of Paul (see Acts 21:27), joined with other local enemies of Paul. They probably did not act without assistance from the Sadducees. They supposed that Paul's military escort would be small and that, if there were resistance, they could overpower it.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 32 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS