But do not thou yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him: and now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee.
Don't give in to what they're asking. There are over forty guys waiting to ambush Paul, and they've literally sworn an oath that they won't eat or drink anything until they kill him. They're just waiting for you to say yes so they can make their move.
Sometimes protecting someone means saying no to everyone else.
📚 Historical Context
In the Book of Acts, Paul is being held by Roman authorities in Jerusalem after his arrest for preaching the gospel, amid growing tensions between Jews and early Christians. A group of more than forty Jewish men have sworn a solemn oath not to eat or drink until they assassinate Paul, which reflects the extreme measures taken in Jewish culture to oppose perceived threats to their faith. This plot is uncovered by Paul's nephew, who alerts the Roman commander to prevent the ambush and ensure Paul's safety.
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