Acts 23:15

αὔριον omitted with אABCE. Not represented in Vulg.

15. νῦν οὖν ὑμεῖς … σὺν τῷ συνεδρίῳ, now therefore do ye with the council signify, &c. ἐμφανίζω in this sense of giving notice or information is frequent in LXX. Cf. Esther 2:22, καὶ αὐτὴ ἐνεφάνισε τῷ βασιλεῖ τὰ τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς. See also 2Ma 3:7; 2Ma 11:29. The chief priests and elders, of the Sadducees’ party, were to use their influence in the council, that a request might proceed from the whole body of the Sanhedrin, for Paul to be again brought before them by the chief captain. From what we read of the Sadducees in the N.T. and Josephus, it is easy to believe that they would be in a majority.

καταγάγη αὐτόν, that he bring him down, i.e. from the tower of Antonia to the place where the Sanhedrin held its meetings. See above on Acts 23:10.

ὡς μέλλοντας διαγινώσκειν�, as though ye would judge of his case more exactly. They would profess a desire to know the whole right and wrong in the matter.

ἕτοιμοί ἐσμεν τοῦ�, we are ready to kill him. So that the suspicion of complicity in the crime would not fall upon the chief priests and elders. Their intention would appear to have been to give St Paul a fair hearing, and the murder would seem to be the work of some fanatics unconnected with the council.

For ἕτοιμος followed by the genitival infinitive, cf. LXX. 1 Samuel 13:21, καὶ ἦν ὁ τρυγητὸς ἔτοιμος τοῦ θερίζειν and 1Ma 13:37, ἕτοιμοί ἐσμεν τοῦ ποιεῖν ὑμῖν εἰρήνην. Also 2 Chronicles 6:2, &c.