Acts 23:12-15

Acts 23:12-15

[12] And  when it was  day,  of the Jews  banded together,  themselves  under a curse,  saying  neither  eat  nor  drink  till  they had killed  Paul.  [13] And  more than  forty  which  had made  conspiracy.  [14] And they  came to  the chief priests  and  elders,  and said,  We have bound  ourselves  under a great curse,  that we will eat  nothing  until  we have slain  Paul.  [15] Now  therefore  with  the council  signify  to the chief captain  that  him  down  as  though ye would  enquire  concerning  him:  and  or ever  he  come near,  ready  to kill  him. 

What does Acts 23:12-15 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Paul"s adversaries (cf. Acts 21:27-29) evidently agreed together not to taste food or drink again until Paul was dead (cf. John 16:2). Their plan was to have the chief priests and elders of Israel ask the Roman commander to return Paul to the Sanhedrin for further questioning. Assassins planned to kill him somewhere on the streets between the Fortress of Antonia and the hall of the Sanhedrin. These buildings were not far apart. They surely realized that Paul"s Roman guards might kill some of their number in the process.
"The oath was not so suicidal as it seems, since provision was made by the rabbis for releasing participants from the consequences of failure to carry out their purpose if external circumstances had made it impossible." [1]