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Monday, August 18th, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Read the Bible

New Living Translation

Acts 23:16

But Paul's nephew—his sister's son—heard of their plan and went to the fortress and told Paul.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Castle;   Claudius Lysius;   Friendship;   Minister, Christian;   Paul;  

Dictionaries:

- Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Ordination;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Paul;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Lysias Claudius;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Acts;   Ambush;   Letter;   Persecution in the Bible;   Prison, Prisoners;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Caesarea;   Paul the Apostle;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Andronicus ;   Castle;   Lysias;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Claudius;   Paul;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Sister;   Sister's Son;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
But the son of Paul’s sister, hearing about their ambush, came and entered the barracks and reported it to Paul.
King James Version (1611)
And when Pauls sisters sonne heard of their laying in wait, hee went and entred into the castle, & told Paul.
King James Version
And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul.
English Standard Version
Now the son of Paul's sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul.
New American Standard Bible
But the son of Paul's sister heard about their ambush, and he came and entered the barracks and told Paul.
New Century Version
But Paul's nephew heard about this plan and went to the army building and told Paul.
Amplified Bible
But the son of Paul's sister heard of their [planned] ambush, and he went to the barracks and told Paul.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
But the son of Paul's sister heard of their ambush, and he came and entered the barracks and told Paul.
Legacy Standard Bible
But when the son of Paul's sister heard of their ambush, he came and entered the barracks and reported it to Paul.
Berean Standard Bible
But when the son of Paul's sister heard about the ambush, he went into the barracks and told Paul.
Contemporary English Version
When Paul's nephew heard about the plot, he went to the fortress and told Paul about it.
Complete Jewish Bible
But the son of Sha'ul's sister got wind of the planned ambush, and he went into the barracks and told Sha'ul.
Darby Translation
But Paul's sister's son, having heard of the lying in wait, came and entered into the fortress and reported [it] to Paul.
Easy-to-Read Version
But Paul's nephew heard about this plan. He went to the army building and told Paul.
Geneva Bible (1587)
But when Pauls sisters sonne heard of their laying awaite, he went, and entred into the castel, and tolde Paul.
George Lamsa Translation
When Paul''s nephew heard this plot, he went into the castle and told Paul.
Good News Translation
But the son of Paul's sister heard about the plot; so he went to the fort and told Paul.
Lexham English Bible
But when the son of Paul's sister heard about the ambush, he came and entered into the barracks and reported it to Paul.
Literal Translation
But the son of Paul's sister hearing of the ambush, having come near, and entering into the fortress, reported to Paul.
American Standard Version
But Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, and he came and entered into the castle and told Paul.
Bible in Basic English
But Paul's sister's son had word of their design, and he came into the army building and gave news of it to Paul.
Hebrew Names Version
But Sha'ul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, and he came and entered into the barracks and told Sha'ul.
International Standard Version
But the son of Paul's sister heard about the ambush, so he came and got into the barracks and told Paul.
Etheridge Translation
And the son of the sister of Paulos heard this plot, and he entered the fortress and informed Paulos.
Murdock Translation
the son of Paul's sister, heard of this plot: and he went into the castle, and informed Paul.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when Paules sisters sonne heard of their laying awaite, he went & entred into the castle, and tolde Paul.
English Revised Version
But Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, and he came and entered into the castle, and told Paul.
World English Bible
But Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, and he came and entered into the barracks and told Paul.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But Paul's sister's son, hearing of the ambush, came, and entering into the castle, told Paul.
Weymouth's New Testament
But Paul's sister's son heard of the intended attack upon him. So he came and went into the barracks and told Paul about it;
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne the sone of Poulis sister hadde herd the aspies, he cam, and entride in to the castels, and telde to Poul.
Update Bible Version
But Paul's sister's son heard of their ambush, and he came and entered into the castle and told Paul.
Webster's Bible Translation
And when the son of Paul's sister heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul.
New English Translation
But when the son of Paul's sister heard about the ambush, he came and entered the barracks and told Paul.
New King James Version
So when Paul's sister's son heard of their ambush, he went and entered the barracks and told Paul.
New Life Bible
Paul's nephew heard about the plan. He went to the soldiers' building and told Paul.
New Revised Standard
Now the son of Paul's sister heard about the ambush; so he went and gained entrance to the barracks and told Paul.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But Paul's sister's son hearing of the lying-in-wait, happening to be near, and coming into the castle, - reported it unto Paul.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Which when Paul’s sister’s son had heard, of their lying in wait, he came and entered into the castle and told Paul.
Revised Standard Version
Now the son of Paul's sister heard of their ambush; so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
When Pauls sisters sonne hearde of their layinge awayte he wet and entred into the castle and tolde Paul.
Young's Literal Translation
And the son of Paul's sister having heard of the lying in wait, having gone and entered into the castle, told Paul,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But whan Pauls sisters sonne herde of their layenge awayte, he came, and entred into the castell, and tolde Paul.
Mace New Testament (1729)
Paul's sister's son hearing of the ambuscade, went to the castle, and being admitted, told Paul;
THE MESSAGE
Paul's nephew, his sister's son, overheard them plotting the ambush. He went immediately to the barracks and told Paul. Paul called over one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the captain. He has something important to tell him."
Simplified Cowboy Version
But Paul's nephew on his sister's side heard the plot and went to the garrison to tell Paul about the plan to ambush and kill him.

Contextual Overview

12 The next morning a group of Jews got together and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. 13 There were more than forty of them in the conspiracy. 14 They went to the leading priests and elders and told them, "We have bound ourselves with an oath to eat nothing until we have killed Paul. 15 So you and the high council should ask the commander to bring Paul back to the council again. Pretend you want to examine his case more fully. We will kill him on the way." 16 But Paul's nephew—his sister's son—heard of their plan and went to the fortress and told Paul. 17 Paul called for one of the Roman officers and said, "Take this young man to the commander. He has something important to tell him." 18 So the officer did, explaining, "Paul, the prisoner, called me over and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you." 19 The commander took his hand, led him aside, and asked, "What is it you want to tell me?" 20 Paul's nephew told him, "Some Jews are going to ask you to bring Paul before the high council tomorrow, pretending they want to get some more information. 21 But don't do it! There are more than forty men hiding along the way ready to ambush him. They have vowed not to eat or drink anything until they have killed him. They are ready now, just waiting for your consent."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

when: Job 5:13, Proverbs 21:30, Lamentations 3:37, 1 Corinthians 3:19

he went: 2 Samuel 17:17

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 19:2 - Jonathan 1 Samuel 23:9 - David Proverbs 24:15 - Lay Jeremiah 36:19 - General Jeremiah 37:20 - lest Acts 21:34 - into Acts 23:30 - it was Acts 26:22 - obtained

Cross-References

Genesis 23:15
"My lord, please listen to me. The land is worth 400 pieces of silver, but what is that between friends? Go ahead and bury your dead."
Genesis 43:21
But as we were returning home, we stopped for the night and opened our sacks. Then we discovered that each man's money—the exact amount paid—was in the top of his sack! Here it is; we have brought it back with us.
Exodus 30:13
Each person who is counted must give a small piece of silver as a sacred offering to the Lord . (This payment is half a shekel, based on the sanctuary shekel, which equals twenty gerahs.)
Job 28:15
It cannot be bought with gold. It cannot be purchased with silver.
Jeremiah 32:9
So I bought the field at Anathoth, paying Hanamel seventeen pieces of silver for it.
Ezekiel 45:12
The standard unit for weight will be the silver shekel. One shekel will consist of twenty gerahs, and sixty shekels will be equal to one mina.
Zechariah 11:12
And I said to them, "If you like, give me my wages, whatever I am worth; but only if you want to." So they counted out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.
Matthew 7:12
"Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.
Romans 13:8
Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God's law.
Philippians 4:8
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait,.... Paul might have a sister living in Jerusalem; or this her son might be there on account of his studies; he might be a pupil to one of the doctors, by which means he might come at this secret, that such a number of men were in ambush, in order to take away his uncle's life: wherefore having got intelligence of it,

he went and entered into the castle; the Alexandrian copy reads, "the synagogue"; but Paul was not there, but in the castle of Antonia; the Ethiopic version renders it, "the prison"; though it is plain that he was not very closely confined, it was easy to have access to him; the reason might be, not only because he was a Roman, but because he was uncondemned, nor was any charge proved against him:

and told Paul; what he had heard, that such a number of men had entered into a conspiracy to take away his life, and lay in wait for him; and this was an instance both of duty and affection to his uncle, and worthy of imitation, whether it proceeded from natural relation, or from religion, or both.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Paul’s sister’s son - This is all that we know of the family of Paul. Nor do we know for what purpose he was at Jerusalem. It is possible that Paul might have a sister residing there; though, as Paul himself had been sent there formerly for his education, it seems more probable that this young man was sent there for the same purpose.

Entered into the castle - Paul had the privileges of a Roman citizen, and as no well-founded charge had been laid against him, it is probable that he was not very closely confined, and that his friends might have free access to him.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 23:16. Paul's sister's son — This is all we know of Paul's family. And we know not how this young man got to Jerusalem; the family, no doubt, still resided at Tarsus.


 
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