Acts 23:15Now therefore, you with the council inform the commanding officer that he should bring him down to you tomorrow, as though you were going to judge his case more exactly. We are ready to kill him before he comes near."
The setting
Jerusalem, ~57 AD. Dawn. Forty Jewish zealots meet in secret, plotting Paul's assassination. Modern-day Jerusalem, Israel.
The emotion here: cold hatred masked as religious duty
The original word
anairein (ἀναιρεῖν) — to take up, kill, execute with violent force
Why it matters
Roman law required that accused prisoners be brought before accusers for formal hearings
Read with care
What most readers miss in Acts 23:15
These weren't random thugs - they were religiously motivated assassins who took sacred vows
Common misconceptionPeople think this was spontaneous anger, but it was a calculated religious conspiracy with sacred vows - they believed killing Paul was serving God.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Acts 23:15
Bible Genome reading
Acts 23:15 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Acts 23:15 comes from the book of Acts, written during the early_church period. These words are attributed to conspirators. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is commanding. It belongs to the dialogue genre of biblical literature. Key themes include deception, manipulation. Notable phrases: inform the commanding officer. This verse contains a command.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does Acts 23:15 mean to you, today?
A short note. A question. A prayer. Saved privately to your Soul Garden, dated, and tied to this verse forever.
Speak your heart →Get 3 verses for "deciding"
Delivered to your inbox right now. Free.