Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 23:20
And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire thee that thou wouldest bring down Paul tomorrow into the council, as though they would inquire somewhat of him more perfectly.
20. as though they would inquire ] The oldest MSS. give “ as though thou wouldest inquire.” It is more probable that this older reading was altered to agree with the plural in Act 23:15, than that the plural was changed into the singular. It was natural enough for the speaker among the Zealots to say to the chief priests “as though ye would inquire,” and it is equally natural that Paul’s nephew, speaking to the chief captain, who had control of the whole proceedings, should say “as though thou wouldest inquire.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And he said … – In what way this young man had received intelligence of this, we can only conjecture. It is not improbable that he was a student under some one of the Jewish teachers, and that he might have learned it of him. It is not at all probable that the purpose of the 40 men would be very closely kept. Indeed, it is evident that they were not themselves very anxious about concealing their oath, as they mentioned it freely to the chief priests and elders, Act 23:14.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
The Jews; both the council, and those forty and upwards spoken of, in Act 23:12,13.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
16-22. Paul’s sister’s son(Seeon Ac 9:30). If he was at thistime residing at Jerusalem for his education, like Paul himself, hemay have got at the schools those hints of the conspiracy on which heso promptly acted.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And he said, the Jews have agreed to desire thee,…. By the Jews are meant, the Jewish sanhedrim, for the young man had not only intelligence of the conspiracy, and lying in wait of the forty men or more; but also of the agreement which the sanhedrim at the motion of these men were come into, to make the following request to the chief captain; which seems to confirm the above conjecture, that this young man might be a student under the president of the council, or one of the doctors, whereby he came at the knowledge of these things:
that thou wouldst bring down Paul tomorrow into the council, &c.
[See comments on Ac 23:15].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The Jews ( ). As if the whole nation was in the conspiracy and so in verse 12. The conspirators may have belonged to the Zealots, but clearly they represented the state of Jewish feeling toward Paul in Jerusalem.
Have agreed (). Second aorist middle indicative of , old verb to join together, to agree. Already this form in Lu 22:5 which see. See also John 9:22; Acts 24:9.
To bring down ( ). Very words of the conspirators in verse 15 as if the young man overheard. Second aorist active subjunctive of with in final clause, still used, but nothing like so common as though again in verse 23 (Robertson, Grammar, p. 985).
As though thou wouldest inquire ( ). Just as in verse 15 except that here refers to Lysias instead of to the conspirators as in verse 15. The singular is used by the youth out of deference to the authority of Lysias and so modifies a bit the scheming of the conspirators, not “absurd” as Page holds.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “And he said, The Jews have agreed,” (eipen de hoti hoi loudaioi sunethento) “Then he (the lad) said to him, the Jews have agreed,” in a collusion manner, by a conspiracy.
2) “To desire thee,” (tou erotesai se) “To request you,” to send a request, appeal to you.
3) “That thou wouldest bring down Paul tomorrow into the council,” (hopos aurion ton Paulon katagages eis to sunedrion) “That tomorrow you would bring Paul down into the council,” of the Sanhedrin, down into the castle or by the barracks steps into the council.
4) “As though they would enquire,” (hos mellon ti akribesteron punthanesthai) “As if (the council)’were intending to inquire something more accurately,”
5) “Somewhat of him more perfectly.” (peri autou) “Something more accurately concerning him,” concerning Paul, a thing they had privately concocted in a collusion band of forty men, Act 23:12-13.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
‘And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down tomorrow to the council, as though you would enquire somewhat more exactly concerning him. Do not therefore yield to them, for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, who have bound themselves under a curse, neither to eat nor to drink till they have slain him, and now are they ready, looking for the promise from you.” ’
Then the lad explained what he had overheard. On the next day the Jews would pretend that they wanted to question Paul, but really it was simply a ruse in order to get Paul out of the fortress. Once he left the fortress they would attack the guards and kill him. All they were now waiting for was the chief captain’s promise that Paul would be forthcoming. No doubt the chief captain questioned the lad about the source of his information, and was satisfied. He would know that the High Priest Ananias was quite likely to be involved in such a plot. It was typical of his methods.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
20 And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire thee that thou wouldest bring down Paul to morrow into the council, as though they would enquire somewhat of him more perfectly.
Ver. 20. As though they would ] See Act 23:15 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Act 23:20 . , Luk 22:5 , Joh 9:22 , so in classical Greek in middle, cf. 1Sa 22:13 , Dan. (Th.) Act 2:9 . : the word certainly points to a certain equality with the person asked (not ), see above on Act 23:15 but still a request, not a demand. , see critical note; if plural, the clause intimates the pretext put forward by the conspirators; if singular, it is perhaps more in accordance with the deference of the youth, who would refer the control of the proceedings to the chiliarch.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
have agreed = agreed. Greek. suntithemi. Here, Act 24:9. Luk 22:5. Joh 9:22.
desire. Same as “prayed”, Act 23:18.
enquire. Same as “asked”, Act 23:19.
somewhat = something, as in Act 23:18.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
The Jews: Act 23:12
as: Act 23:15, Psa 12:2, Dan 6:5-12
Reciprocal: Act 5:9 – have
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
See notes on verse 17