Acts 23:12

“And when it was day, etc.] As soon as it was light, very early in the morning: certain of the Jews banded together; these very likely were of the sect of the Sadducees, who had been exceedingly irritated and provoked by what Paul had said the day before in the council; these therefore gathered together, entered into a conspiracy to take away Paul’s life, and trailed in it, as one man: and bound themselves under a curse; or “anathematized themselves”; the Hebrew word µrj, which answers to “anathema”, is sometimes used for an oath, h[wbç ayh µrj, “Cherem” or “anathema” is “an oath” f1153, a vow made to be punished with an anathema if not kept; so these men swore to it, bound themselves with an…”

“bound themselves under a curse . . . that they would neither eat . . . fill they had killed Paul--Compare Sa2 3:35; Sa1 14:24.”

“Certain of the Jews - Some of the Jews. They were more than forty in number, Acts 23:13. Banded together - Made an agreement or compact. They conspired to kill him. And bound themselves under a curse - See the margin. The Greek is, “they anathematized themselves”; that is, they bound themselves by a solemn oath. They invoked a curse on themselves, or devoted themselves to destruction, if they did not do it. Lightfoot remarks, however, that they could be absolved from this vow by the rabbis if they were unable to execute it. Under various pretences they could easily be freed from such oaths, and it was common to take them; and if there was any difficulty in fulfilling them, they could easily…”

“Some of the Jews bound themselves - Such execrable vows were not uncommon among the Jews. And if they were prevented from accomplishing what they had vowed, it was an easy matter to obtain absolution from their rabbis. Acts 23:15”

“23:12-15 The plan to kill Paul was desperate, as a group of . . . more than forty took an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul (cp. 1 Sam 14:24-46; Matt 14:6-11; see also Deut 23:21-23; Matt 5:33-37; Jas 5:12).”

“certain: Act 23:21, Act 23:30, Act 25:3; Psa 2:1-3, Psa 64:2-6; Isa 8:9, Isa 8:10; Jer 11:19; Mat 26:4 bound: Kg1 19:2; Kg2 6:31; Mat 27:25; Mar 6:23-26 under a curse: or, with an oath of execration, Lev 27:29; Jos 6:26, Jos 7:1, Jos 7:15; Neh 10:29; Mat 26:74 \*Gr: Co1 16:22; Gal 3:13 that: Such execrable vows as these were not unusual among the Jews, who, from their perverted traditions, challenged to themselves a right of punishing without any legal process, those whom they considered transgressors of the law; and in some cases, as in the case of one who had forsaken the law of Moses, they thought they were justified in killing them. They therefore made no scruple of acquainting the chief…”