In the biblical context, conspirators are individuals or groups who secretly plot to achieve a particular goal, often through deceitful or unlawful means. The Bible provides several accounts of conspiracies, highlighting the moral and spiritual implications of such actions.

Old Testament Examples

1. Absalom's Conspiracy: One of the most notable conspiracies in the Old Testament is that of Absalom, the son of King David. Absalom conspired to overthrow his father and seize the throne of Israel. He "stole the hearts of the men of Israel" (2 Samuel 15:6) by presenting himself as a more accessible and just leader. Absalom's conspiracy ultimately led to a civil war, resulting in his death and a period of turmoil for David's kingdom (2 Samuel 15-18).

2. The Conspiracy Against Naboth: King Ahab and Queen Jezebel conspired to take possession of Naboth's vineyard. Jezebel orchestrated a plot by hiring false witnesses to accuse Naboth of blasphemy, leading to his execution (1 Kings 21:1-16). This act of conspiracy was condemned by the prophet Elijah, who pronounced divine judgment upon Ahab and his household (1 Kings 21:17-24).

3. The Assassination of King Joash: In 2 Kings 12:20, conspirators assassinated King Joash of Judah. The text states, "His servants conspired against him and killed him at Beth Millo, on the road that goes down to Silla" (2 Kings 12:20). This event underscores the political instability and the prevalence of conspiracies in the monarchic period of Israel and Judah.

New Testament Examples

1. The Plot Against Jesus: The religious leaders of Israel conspired to arrest and kill Jesus. The Gospel of Matthew records, "Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the courtyard of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they conspired to arrest Jesus covertly and kill Him" (Matthew 26:3-4). This conspiracy led to the crucifixion of Jesus, which, according to Christian belief, was part of God's redemptive plan for humanity.

2. The Conspiracy Against Paul: In Acts 23, more than forty Jews formed a conspiracy to kill the Apostle Paul. They bound themselves with an oath, saying they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed him (Acts 23:12-13). However, their plot was uncovered, and Paul was safely transferred to Caesarea under Roman protection (Acts 23:16-35).

Moral and Spiritual Implications

The Bible consistently portrays conspiracies as acts of treachery and rebellion against God's established order. Conspirators often rely on deceit, manipulation, and violence to achieve their ends, which are contrary to the principles of truth, justice, and righteousness upheld in Scripture. The accounts of conspiracies serve as warnings against the destructive nature of such plots and the ultimate futility of opposing God's sovereign will.

Divine Justice and Sovereignty

Despite the presence of conspiracies, the Bible affirms God's sovereignty and justice. In many instances, conspiracies are thwarted, and divine justice prevails. For example, Absalom's rebellion ends in failure, and the conspirators against Paul are unable to carry out their plan. These narratives reinforce the belief that God is in control and that His purposes will ultimately be fulfilled, regardless of human schemes.7194. qashar -- to bind, league together, conspire
... root Definition to bind, league together, conspire NASB Word Usage bind (9), bound
(2), carried (1), conspirators (2), conspired (19), joined together (1 ...
/hebrew/7194.htm - 6k

Episcopal Conspirators
... BOOK IV CHAPTER XLV EPISCOPAL CONSPIRATORS. Slander the stylus, Treason plied
the knife; And, preaching peace, Religion practised strife. ...
/.../chapter xlv episcopal conspirators.htm

The Provinces.
... Intaphernes. Intaphernes was one of the seven conspirators who combined
to depose the magian and place Darius on the throne. By ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/darius the great/chapter v the provinces.htm

A Plot Detected
... The forty conspirators must have been 'ready,' not only to kill Paul, but to die
in the attempt, for the distance from the castle to the council-chamber was ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture the acts/a plot detected.htm

Smerdis the Magian.
... Measures of the magi."An assembly of the people."Decision of Prexaspes."His speech
from the tower."Death of Prexaspes."The conspirators."The omen ...
/.../abbott/darius the great/chapter iii smerdis the magian.htm

The Accession of Darius.
... Darius's horse neigh."Probable truth or falsehood of this account."Ancient
statesmen."Their character and position."The conspirators governed, in their ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/darius the great/chapter iv the accession of.htm

Truth and Reality Pertain to Christians Alone the Heathen ...
... fellowship, unite your salutations, [759] mingle your embraces, sanguinary with
the sanguinary, incestuous with the incestuous, conspirators with conspirators ...
/.../tertullian/ad nationes/chapter xx truth and reality pertain.htm

The Invasion of Greece and the Battle of Marathon.
... It was accordingly brought to them. The mother put it into the hands of one of the
conspirators, and the babe looked up into his face and smiled. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/darius the great/chapter xi the invasion of.htm

Again the Council of the Covenant was in Session. ...
... Here was a band of conspirators meeting in the darkness and speaking in
disguised voices. ... The conspirators were drawn up in line. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bacheller/vergilius/chapter 20 again the council.htm

How Ten Men of the Citizens [Of Jerusalem] Made a Conspiracy ...
... Now there was a certain blind man among those conspirators who had thus sworn to
one another, on account of the indignation he had against what he heard to ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 8 how ten men.htm

How the Senators Determined to Restore the Democracy; but the ...
... Yet did this action appear to some of the conspirators to be too cruel, as to this
using such severity to a woman, because Caius did more indulge his own ill ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 2 how the senators.htm

Conspirators (2 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Conspirators (2 Occurrences). 2 Samuel 15:31 Someone
told David, saying, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators...
/c/conspirators.htm - 7k

Conspire (18 Occurrences)

/c/conspire.htm - 11k

Conspiracy (17 Occurrences)

/c/conspiracy.htm - 12k

Jehozabad (4 Occurrences)
... (2.) The son of Shomer, one of the two conspirators who put king Jehoash to death
in Millo in Jerusalem (2 Kings 12:21). (3.) 2 Chronicles 17:18. Int. ...
/j/jehozabad.htm - 8k

Foolishness (30 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 15:31 Someone told David, saying, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators
with Absalom." David said, "Yahweh, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into ...
/f/foolishness.htm - 15k

Teresh (2 Occurrences)
... The plot was detected by Mordecai, and the conspirators were put to death
(Esther 2:21; 6:2). Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. TERESH. ...
/t/teresh.htm - 8k

Eleazar (74 Occurrences)
... To Eleazar fell the duty of beating out for an altar covering the censers of Korah
and his fellow-conspirators who had attempted to seize the priesthood ...
/e/eleazar.htm - 39k

Peleth (2 Occurrences)
... Swiftness. (1.) A Reubenite whose son was one of the conspirators against Moses
and Aaron (Numbers 16:1). (2.) One of the sons of Jonathan (1 Chronicles 2:33). ...
/p/peleth.htm - 7k

Amon (20 Occurrences)
... was the initial act of a revolution the latter was immediately suppressed by "the
people of the land," who put to death the conspirators and placed Amon's eight ...
/a/amon.htm - 18k

Ahith'ophel (15 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 15:31 And one told David, saying: 'Ahithophel is among the conspirators
with Absalom.' And David said: 'O LORD, I pray Thee, turn the counsel of ...
/a/ahith'ophel.htm - 10k

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