[The posts which follow make extensive use of The Acts of the Apostles, by Madame Cecilia, (Religious of St Andrew's Convent, Streatham), with an Imprimi potest dated 16 October 1907 (Westminster); Burns, Oates & Washbourne Ltd. (London). With grateful prayers for the author and her team:
REQUIEM æternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. Requiescant in pace. Amen.ETERNAL rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.]
Acts XXIII : 12-22
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| St Paul. J-J Tissot. |
[13] And they were more than forty men that had made this conspiracy.
[14] Who came to the chief priests and the ancients, and said: We have bound ourselves under a great curse that we will eat nothing till we have slain Paul.
[15] 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.
[16] Which when Paul's sister's son had heard, of their lying in wait, he came and entered into the castle and told Paul.
[17] And Paul, calling to him one of the centurions, said: Bring this young man to the tribune, for he hath some thing to tell him.
[18] And he taking him, brought him to the tribune, and said: Paul, the prisoner, desired me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath some thing to say to thee.
[19] And the tribune taking him by the hand, went aside with him privately, and asked him: What is it that thou hast to tell me?
[20] And he said: The Jews have agreed to desire thee, that thou wouldst bring forth Paul tomorrow into the council, as if they meant to inquire some thing more certain touching him.
[21] But do not thou give credit to them; for there lie in wait for him more than forty men of them, who have bound themselves by oath neither to eat, nor to drink, till they have killed him: and they are now ready, looking for a promise from thee.
[22] The tribune therefore dismissed the young man, charging him that he should tell no man, that he had made known these things unto him.
[12] Facta autem die collegerunt se quidam ex Judaeis, et devoverunt se dicentes, neque manducaturos, neque bibaturos donec occiderent Paulum. [13] Erant autem plus quam quadraginta viri, qui hanc conjurationem fecerant : [14] qui accesserunt ad principes sacerdotum et seniores, et dixerunt : Devotione devovimus nos nihil gustaturos, donec occidamus Paulum. [15] Nunc ergo vos notum facite tribuno cum concilio, ut producat illum ad vos, tamquam aliquid certius cognituri de eo. Nos vero prius quam appropiet, parati sumus interficere illum.
[16] Quod cum audisset filius sororis Pauli insidias, venit, et intravit in castra, nuntiavitque Paulo. [17] Vocans autem Paulus ad se unum ex centurionibus, ait : Adolescentem hunc perduc ad tribunum, habet enim aliquid indicare illi. [18] Et ille quidem assumens eum duxit ad tribunum, et ait : Vinctus Paulus rogavit me hunc adolescentem perducere ad te, habentem aliquid loqui tibi. [19] Apprehendens autem tribunus manum illius, secessit cum eo seorsum, et interrogavit illum : Quid est quod habes indicare mihi? [20] Ille autem dixit : Judaeis convenit rogare te ut crastina die producas Paulum in concilium, quasi aliquid certius inquisituri sint de illo :
[21] tu vero ne credideris illis, insidiantur enim ei ex eis viri amplius quam quadraginta, qui se devoverunt non manducare, neque bibere donec interficiant eum : et nunc parati sunt, exspectantes promissum tuum. [22] Tribunus igitur dimisit adolescentem, praecipiens ne cui loqueretur quoniam haec nota sibi fecisset.
Notes
12. some of the Jews. The best codices (א, A, B, L, E) have simply “ the Jews.”
bound themselves under a curse. Lit. “ with a curse they cursed ” (ἀναθεματι ἀναθεματισαμεν). The word “anathema” is the Greek rendering of the Hebrew “khenmi.” It signifies a person or thing devoted, i.e. given up, to destruction. In classical Greek the word is colourless, but in biblical language it generally has a sinister meaning. The phrase is a translation of a Hebrew idiom, by which a verb and its cognate noun are employed to express one thought. For a parallel example see Annot. on iv. 17.
they would neither eat nor drink. Such a vow shews their desire to kill St Paul as soon as possible. Wetstein and Ughtfoot give examples to prove that this vow was not uncommon among the Jews.
In the Old Testament we find a similar instance. Cf. And the men of Israel were joined, together that day, and Saul adjured the people, saying : Cursed be the man that shall eat food till evening, till I be revenged of my enemies. So none of the people tasted any food (1 Kings xiv. 24).
This conspiracy is a proof that the Jews no longer had the power of inflicting capital punishment.
14. to the chief priests. As they were mostly Sadducees, the conspirators would be favourably received by them. It is not clear whether Ananias knew of the plot.
under a great curse. The original runs simply, “ we have cursed ourselves with a curse,” as in verse 1 2.
eat nothing. Lit. “taste nothing,” thus including the vow not to drink anything.
15. signify. St Luke uses a Greek legal term, which signifies “to give judicial information.”
to know something more certain. The ancients were to give formal notice by letter that they desired to determine some point touching the trial of St Paul.
before he come near. The object of killing him before this second examination was to shield the Sanhedrin from suspicion.
16. Paul's sister's son. This is the only reference in the Acts to St Paul’s relations. He had relations at Tarsus, his birthplace, and we find two allusions to his “kinsmen” in Rome, of whom the names were Andronicus, Junias, and Herodian. (See Rom. xvi. 7 and 11.) It is possible that one of these three may have been the nephew who was instrumental in saving St Paul’s life.
entered into the castle. As St Paul was only a state prisoner it was easy to obtain access to him ; the interview could not have been private, as the apostle, being a Roman citizen, was in “ custodia militaris,” and consequently chained to the soldier who guarded him.
17. Bring this young man, etc. Although St Paul had been told in a vision that he was to bear witness at Rome to the Gospel, yet he took all necessary precautions to frustrate the plot.
18. Paul the prisoner. Lit. “ Paul, the bound one” (Ὁ δεσμιος Παυλος)
19. the tribune taking him, etc. The Roman authorities in general treated St Paul with courtesy and consideration. (See ch. xvi. 33-34, xxiv. 23, xxvi. 32, xxvii. 3, xxviii. 30.) St Paul’s nephew evidently had proofs of the conspiracy he reported to the tribune.
20. bring forth. This is the correct rendering of the Vulgate “ producas,” but the best MSS. read “bring down” (καταλαλης), which harmonizes better with the actual circumstances, as the castle stood higher than the Temple area.
as if they meant. There is another reading which runs “ as if thou wouldst enquire,” etc. ’’This has the support of א, A, B, E, and some cursives, and is accepted by Tischendorf, Westcott and Hort, Wordsworth, Alford, Knabenbauer, etc. On this passage Lumby remarks that the singular is to be preferred, “for in addressing the chief captain Paul’s nephew would naturally speak as though he, who had control of the whole proceedings, was the person to enquire ; while the plural in verse 15 is equally natural in the mouth of a speaker among the Zealots, who would say to the chief priests, as though ye would enquire ” (Greek Testament, in h. 1.).
21. a promise, (ἐπαγγελιαν.) This Greek word may he rendered “promise” or “order,” and commentators are divided between the two, as either suits the sense here. The A.V. and R.V. read “promise.”
22. that he had made, etc. The Greek gives the second person singular, “that thou hast made known.”
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
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