Acts 9:24

Plot (epiboulh). Old word for a plan (boulh) against (epi) one. In the N.T. only in Acts ( 2 Corinthians 9:24 ; 2 Corinthians 20:3 2 Corinthians 20:19 ; 2 Corinthians 23:30 ). They watched (parethrounto). Imperfect middle indicative of parathrew, common verb in late Greek for watching beside (para) or insidiously or on the sly as in Luke 6:7 , they kept on watching by day and night to kill him. In 2 Corinthians 11:32 Paul says that the Ethnarch of Aretas "kept guard" (eprourei, imperfect active of prourew) to seize him. Probably the Jews obtained the consent of the Ethnarch and had him appoint some of them as guards or watchers at the gate of the city.