The word translated plan in this verse and the word translated planned in the following verse are from two different stems, though there are indications that they are used as synonyms. In each case the meaning may be that of “a plot” or “a conspiracy.”

The verb rendered took a vow is a very strong term, signifying that one has placed himself under God’s curse if he does not achieve what he vows he will do. Immediately following the word “vow” in Greek is the participle “saying.” However, in the context this is merely a marker of indirect discourse, and so most translators have tried to follow the most natural way of introducing indirect discourse into the context. The intensity of the vow is indicated by the fact that the men had sworn neither to eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. The rabbis made it possible for persons to release themselves from such vows, and so it is quite improbable that these persons either starved to death or died of thirst. In a number of languages vow is rendered as “made a promise to God,” “made a strong promise to God,” or “made a promise to God with a threat to themselves.”

In a number of languages the content of the vow may be most appropriately expressed as direct discourse—for example, “made a promise calling God to witness, and they said, We will not eat or drink anything until we have killed Paul.”

In order to express the concept of until some languages require a change in order—for example, “first we will kill Paul and only then will we eat and drink anything.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .