In the biblical context, conspiracies often refer to secret plans or plots devised by individuals or groups to achieve a particular end, usually one that is deceitful or harmful. The Bible provides several accounts of conspiracies, highlighting the moral and spiritual implications of such actions.

Old Testament Examples

1. Joseph's Brothers: One of the earliest examples of a conspiracy is found in the account of Joseph. His brothers conspired against him out of jealousy, plotting to kill him before ultimately selling him into slavery. Genesis 37:18-20 states, "Now Joseph’s brothers saw him in the distance, and before he arrived, they plotted to kill him. 'Here comes that dreamer!' they said to one another. 'Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal devoured him. Then we will see what becomes of his dreams!'"

2. Absalom's Rebellion: Absalom, King David's son, conspired to overthrow his father and seize the throne of Israel. He gained the support of many Israelites by presenting himself as a more just and accessible leader. 2 Samuel 15:12 records, "While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from his hometown of Giloh. So the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept increasing."

3. The Plot Against Daniel: In the book of Daniel, a conspiracy is formed by the administrators and satraps against Daniel, motivated by envy of his favor with King Darius. They trick the king into signing a decree that ultimately leads to Daniel being thrown into the lions' den. Daniel 6:4-5 notes, "Thus the administrators and satraps sought a charge against Daniel regarding the kingdom. But they could find no charge or corruption, because he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him. Finally these men said, 'We will never find any charge against this Daniel unless it is against the law of his God.'"

New Testament Examples

1. The Plot Against Jesus: The most significant conspiracy in the New Testament is the plot to arrest and crucify Jesus Christ. The chief priests and elders conspired with Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus. Matthew 26:3-4 states, "At that time the chief priests and 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."

2. The Conspiracy Against Paul: The Apostle Paul faced numerous conspiracies during his ministry. One notable plot involved more than forty Jews who vowed not to eat or drink until they had killed him. Acts 23:12-13 recounts, "When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. More than forty of them were involved in this plot."

Moral and Spiritual Implications

The Bible consistently portrays conspiracies as actions rooted in sin, such as jealousy, ambition, and deceit. They are often associated with a lack of trust in God's sovereignty and justice. The outcomes of these conspiracies, as depicted in Scripture, serve as a reminder of God's ultimate authority and the futility of human schemes against His will. Proverbs 19:21 affirms, "Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail."

Warnings Against Conspiracies

Scripture warns believers against engaging in or succumbing to conspiracies. Isaiah 8:12-13 advises, "Do not call conspiracy everything these people regard as conspiracy. Do not fear what they fear; do not live in dread. The LORD of Hosts is the One you shall regard as holy. Only He should be feared; only He should be dreaded." This passage encourages trust in God rather than fear of human plots.

In summary, the Bible's treatment of conspiracies underscores the importance of integrity, trust in God, and the recognition of His ultimate control over human affairs.Matthew 27:1
When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:
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Acts 23:12-15
And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
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Mark 3:6
And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.
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Matthew 26:4
And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtlety, and kill him.
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Matthew 21:38-41
But when the farmers saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.
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Matthew 12:14
Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.
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Jeremiah 18:18
Then said they, Come and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.
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Jeremiah 11:19
But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.
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Daniel 6:4-17
Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; for as much as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.
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2 Kings 21:23
And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and slew the king in his own house.
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(n.) Plural of Conspiracy.7407. rokes -- perhaps conspiracy
... 7406, 7407. rokes. 7408 . perhaps conspiracy. Transliteration: rokes
Phonetic Spelling: (ro'-kes) Short Definition: conspiracies. ...
/hebrew/7407.htm - 6k

Celsus Then Continues: "The Jews Accordingly, and These Clearly ...
... whom he says: "We give the same account as do the Jews, and deduce the same genealogy
from him as they do." However, as regards "the conspiracies of brothers ...
/.../origen/origen against celsus/chapter lix celsus then continues .htm

Epistle xxxix. To the People, Concerning Five Schismatic ...
... alike with discipline and with mercy;"against this our counsel they have rebelled,
and all priestly authority and power is destroyed by factious conspiracies ...
/.../cyprian/the epistles of cyprian/epistle xxxix to the people.htm

2 Cor. I. 1, 4
... that we might comfort others also, do not blame us that we came not; for in this
was our whole time spent, in providing against the conspiracies, the violence ...
/.../homilies on the epistles of paul to the corinthians/homily i 2 cor i.htm

How Caius was Slain by Cherea.
... 3. Now there were three several conspiracies made in order to take off Caius,
and each of these three were conducted by excellent persons. ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 1 how caius was.htm

Documents Connected with the Council of Tyre.
... all the orthodox, how that for the sake of the madness of Arius, and his impious
doctrine, they direct their assaults, they form conspiracies against all. ...
/.../chapter vi documents connected with the.htm

Ancestry, Birth, Education, Environment: 1513(?)-1546
... They persisted in the conspiracies and rebellions of the earlier years of James
6.; they smouldered through the later part of his time; they broke into far ...
/.../lang/john knox and the reformation/chapter i ancestry birth education.htm

The Era of Persecution
... Thence come conspiracies and secret leagues which are in the highest degree opposed
to monarchy." Julius Paulus laid down as a fundamental principle in Roman ...
/.../brittain/women of early christianity/iii the era of persecution.htm

Hosea
... Moral law is set at defiance, and society, from one end to the other, is in confusion,
iv.1, 2, vii.1. The court is corrupt, conspiracies are rife, kings are ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/hosea.htm

Translated from the Greek.
... if we observe how powerful the word has become in a very few years, notwithstanding
that against those who acknowledged Christianity conspiracies were formed ...
/.../origen/origen de principiis/translated from the greek.htm

The Second Petition Is, Thy Kingdom Come. ...
... guides them aright by the agency of his Spirit, and confirms them in perseverance;
while, on the other hand, he frustrates the impious conspiracies of his ...
/.../of prayer--a perpetual exercise of faith/chapter 42 the second petition.htm

Conspiracies (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) Plural of Conspiracy. Multi-Version Concordance
Conspiracies (1 Occurrence). Psalms 31:20 Thou keepest ...
/c/conspiracies.htm - 6k

Conspicuous (11 Occurrences)

/c/conspicuous.htm - 10k

Conspiracy (17 Occurrences)

/c/conspiracy.htm - 12k

Keepest (16 Occurrences)
... Psalms 31:20 Thou keepest them concealed in the secret of thy presence from the
conspiracies of man; thou hidest them in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. ...
/k/keepest.htm - 11k

Jeroboam (96 Occurrences)
... Influenced by the words of the prophet Ahijah, he began to form conspiracies with
the view of becoming king of the ten tribes; but these having been discovered ...
/j/jeroboam.htm - 62k

Concealed (36 Occurrences)
... Psalms 31:20 Thou keepest them concealed in the secret of thy presence from the
conspiracies of man; thou hidest them in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. ...
/c/concealed.htm - 16k

Hidest (9 Occurrences)
... Psalms 31:20 Thou keepest them concealed in the secret of thy presence from the
conspiracies of man; thou hidest them in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. ...
/h/hidest.htm - 8k

Herod (45 Occurrences)
... by the people, but robbed it of its treasures (Ant., XVI, vii, 1). The last days
of Herod were embittered by endless court intrigues and conspiracies, by an ...
/h/herod.htm - 57k

Numbers (136 Occurrences)
... (iv) If the two conspiracies, ecclesiastical (among the princes) and civil (among
the laymen), arose contemporaneously, and the conspirators made common cause ...
/n/numbers.htm - 71k

Prophets (270 Occurrences)
... He has even been charged with wicked conspiracies against the dynasty of Omri and
the king of Syria (2 Kings 8; 2 Kings 9). His conduct in connection with ...
/p/prophets.htm - 69k

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