Acts · 35 verses
Acts 23
Every verse links to the people and places named in it, and to the passages readers connect it with.
The chapter
What happens here
Atlas's own reading, written from this chapter and nothing else, and published only once a person has approved it. Each scene names the verses it covers; the names inside it link to the people and places they name.
More than forty men swore neither to eat nor drink until Paul was dead, and then waited for a commander to approve the ambush. The commander, instead, sent Paul away with two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen—a rather emphatic escort for one prisoner.
A quarrel in the Sanhedrinvv. 1–11
Paul begins with a clear conscience and receives a blow on the mouth by order of Ananias, the high priest. His answer—“whitewashed wall”—is followed by the information that he had not known Ananias was the high priest, for the text gives no reason for that ignorance. Then Paul divides the assembly with one sentence about the resurrection: Pharisees and Sadducees quarrel over resurrection, angels, and spirits until the commander fears Paul will be torn apart and has him carried into the barracks. The following night, the Lord stands near him and sends his testimony onward to Rome.
The plot becomes a military movementvv. 12–35
By daylight, more than forty men have bound themselves to a murderous fast. Their plan requires the Sanhedrin to request another examination, while they wait on the road; but Paul’s sister’s son hears of it and brings the news into the barracks. The commander quietly sends the young man away, orders the great escort, and writes to Felix that the accusation concerns the Jews’ own law and contains no charge worthy of death or imprisonment. Paul travels by night to Antipatris, while the infantry return and the horsemen continue with him to Caesarea. Felix reads the letter, learns that Paul is from Cilicia, and orders him kept under guard in Herod’s Praetorium until the accusers arrive.
The text
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Berean Standard Bible, public domain. Names the Hebrew and Greek put in the verse link to the person, place or people they name; the address beside each verse is a link to that verse, which is what a reader copies and shares.
Acts 23:1Paul looked directly at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have conducted myself before God in all good conscience to this day.”
Acts 23:2At this, the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.
Acts 23:3Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit here to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck.”
Acts 23:4But those standing nearby said, “How dare you insult the high priest of God!”
Acts 23:5“Brothers,” Paul replied, “I was not aware that he was the high priest, for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’”
Acts 23:6Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. It is because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.”
Acts 23:7As soon as he had said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.
Acts 23:8For the Sadducees say that there is neither a resurrection nor angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.
Acts 23:9A great clamor arose, and some scribes from the party of the Pharisees got up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”
Acts 23:10The dispute grew so violent that the commander was afraid they would tear Paul to pieces. He ordered the soldiers to go down and remove him by force and bring him into the barracks.
Acts 23:11The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so also you must testify in Rome.”
Acts 23:12When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
Acts 23:13More than forty of them were involved in this plot.
Acts 23:14They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.
Acts 23:15Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him down to you on the pretext of examining his case more carefully. We are ready to kill him on the way.”
Acts 23:16But when the son of Paul’s sister heard about the plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul.
Acts 23:17Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.”
Acts 23:18So the centurion took him to the commander and said, “Paul the prisoner sent and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you.”
Acts 23:19The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside, and asked, “What do you need to tell me?”
Acts 23:20He answered, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul to the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of acquiring more information about him.
Acts 23:21Do not let them persuade you, because more than forty men are waiting to ambush him. They have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him; they are ready now, awaiting your consent.”
Acts 23:22So the commander dismissed the young man and instructed him, “Do not tell anyone that you have reported this to me.”
Acts 23:23Then he called two of his centurions and said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea in the third hour of the night.
Acts 23:24Provide mounts for Paul to take him safely to Governor Felix.”
Acts 23:25And he wrote the following letter:
Acts 23:26Claudius Lysias, To His Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings.
Acts 23:27This man was seized by the Jews, and they were about to kill him when I came with my troops to rescue him. For I had learned that he is a Roman citizen,
Acts 23:28and since I wanted to understand their charges against him, I brought him down to their Sanhedrin.
Acts 23:29I found that the accusation involved questions about their own law, but there was no charge worthy of death or imprisonment.
Acts 23:30When I was informed that there was a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also instructed his accusers to present their case against him before you.
Acts 23:31So the soldiers followed their orders and brought Paul by night to Antipatris.
Acts 23:32The next day they returned to the barracks and let the horsemen go on with him.
Acts 23:33When the horsemen arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and presented Paul to him.
Acts 23:34The governor read the letter and asked what province Paul was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia,
Acts 23:35he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers arrive.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod’s Praetorium.
01 — Also here
Who else the chapter reaches
Names written in the English are linked in the text above. These are the ones that are not: an entity the Hebrew or Greek names under a spelling the translation does not use, or one reached only by an assertion about a verse of this chapter.
Named in the Hebrew or Greek somewhere in this chapter, under a form the English renders differently — the registry's Ludim against the translation's Ludites — so there is no word in the sentence to hang the link on.
Reached by an assertion Atlas extracted from a verse of this chapter rather than by a name written in it — a pronoun, a title, or a participant the sentence carries without naming. This layer is model-read and measured at 88.6–90.3% precision, and it is kept separate from the names above for that reason.
02 — Read alongside
Where this is echoed
Readers' own connections, from OpenBible's crowd-voted cross-references — agreement about relevance, and not scholarly confidence. 269 passages were voted onto 33 verses of this chapter; the 16 shown lead on votes, and each is listed at the verse it was voted onto most strongly.
- 5Exodus 22:28You must not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.
- 12Acts 23:30When I was informed that there was a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also instructed his accusers to present their case against him before you.
- 5Ecclesiastes 10:20Do not curse the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich even in your bedroom, for a bird of the air may carry your words, and a winged creature may report your speech.
- 11Acts 18:9One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking; do not be silent.
- 12Isaiah 8:9–10Huddle together, O peoples, and be shattered; pay attention, all you distant lands; prepare for battle, and be shattered; prepare for battle, and be shattered!
- 112 Timothy 4:17But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles would hear it. So I was delivered from the mouth of the lion.
- 12Acts 23:21Do not let them persuade you, because more than forty men are waiting to ambush him. They have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him; they are ready now, awaiting your consent.”
- 11Matthew 14:27But Jesus spoke up at once: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.”
- 1Acts 24:16In this hope, I strive always to maintain a clear conscience before God and man.
- 11Jeremiah 15:19–21Therefore this is what the LORD says: “If you return, I will restore you; you will stand in My presence. And if you speak words that are noble instead of worthless, you will be My spokesman. It is they who must turn to you, but you must not turn to them.
- 11Acts 19:21After these things had happened, Paul resolved in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must see Rome as well.”
- 12Psalms 31:13For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side. They conspire against me and plot to take my life.
- 12 Timothy 1:3I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience as did my forefathers, as I constantly remember you night and day in my prayers.
- 12 Corinthians 1:12For this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in relation to you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God—not in worldly wisdom, but in the grace of God.
- 5Jude 1:8–9Yet in the same way these dreamers defile their bodies, reject authority, and slander glorious beings.
- 6Acts 24:21unless it was this one thing I called out as I stood in their presence: ‘It is concerning the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.’”
Onward