Acts 23 3

Acts 23:3 kjv

Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?

Acts 23:3 nkjv

Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?"

Acts 23:3 niv

Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!"

Acts 23:3 esv

Then Paul said to him, "God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?"

Acts 23:3 nlt

But Paul said to him, "God will slap you, you corrupt hypocrite! What kind of judge are you to break the law yourself by ordering me struck like that?"

Acts 23 verses

Acts 23 3 Meaning

Paul, subjected to an unlawful command, confronts the high priest Ananias with a stark declaration of divine judgment. He labels Ananias a "whitewashed wall," exposing his hypocrisy: outwardly claiming adherence to the Law as a judge, while inwardly violating it by ordering Paul to be struck before a verdict, an act contrary to Jewish legal procedure and the spirit of justice. Paul's words prophesy God's retribution for Ananias's perversion of justice.

Acts 23 3 Context

Chapter 23 begins with Paul standing before the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish court, at the command of the Roman commander Claudius Lysias. This follows the events of Chapter 22, where Paul, having been accused by the Jews in the temple, was saved from being flogged by revealing his Roman citizenship. He now attempts to present his defense. As Paul begins by stating he has lived "in all good conscience before God," the high priest Ananias, without allowing Paul to finish or providing any legal justification, commands an attendant to strike Paul on the mouth. This act was highly illegal and disrespectful, as an accused person was presumed innocent and had the right to speak in their defense without physical assault during a trial. Paul's words in verse 3 are his immediate, fiery reaction to this grave perversion of justice by the very person meant to uphold the Law. Historically, Ananias ben Nebedeus was a corrupt and avaricious high priest (circa 47-59 AD) known for seizing tithes, bribing Roman officials, and resorting to violence, making him a symbol of the priestly establishment's decay.

Acts 23 3 Word analysis

• Then Paul said to him: This shows Paul's direct, unhesitating response. It's a spontaneous outburst rooted in deep conviction and indignation at injustice, typical of a passionate individual but also indicative of prophetic fervor.
• "God strike you" (τύπτειν σε μέλλει ὁ Θεός - typtein se mellei ho Theos):
  • τύπτειν (typtein): infinitive, "to strike" or "to beat." It indicates a future, certain action, rather than a mere wish or curse. Paul is not merely cursing Ananias but prophetically declaring divine judgment.
  • μέλλει (mellei): third person singular, present active indicative of μέλλω, indicating certainty or imminence, "is about to," "is going to." It conveys the certainty of a future event.
  • ὁ Θεός (ho Theos): "God." This emphasizes that the judgment is from God, not from Paul personally seeking vengeance. Paul invokes God as the ultimate arbiter of justice. This isn't Paul taking the law into his own hands, but speaking forth God's ultimate justice.
• "you whitewashed wall!" (Τοῖχε κεκονιαμένε - Toiche kekoniameńe):
  • Τοῖχε (Toiche): Vocative of τοῖχος (toichos), "wall."
  • κεκονιαμένε (kekoniameńe): Perfect passive participle, vocative, "having been whitewashed." This is a powerful, scathing metaphor, similar to Jesus' rebuke of the Pharisees in Matt 23:27 ("whitewashed tombs"). It signifies hypocrisy: an outward show of cleanliness or righteousness covering inward decay, corruption, or impurity. Whitewash (plaster, lime wash) was used to make surfaces appear clean and strong, but it merely concealed the structural weaknesses or imperfections beneath. In Judaism, it was also used to mark tombs to prevent ceremonial defilement by those passing by. The metaphor implies Ananias is ceremonially "clean" on the outside, but dead and defiled within.
• "Are you sitting there to judge me according to the Law, yet you yourself violate the Law by commanding that I be struck?" (Καὶ σὺ κάθησαι κρίνων με κατὰ τὸν νόμον, καὶ παρανομῶν κελεύεις με τύπτεσθαι;):
  • Καὶ σὺ κάθησαι κρίνων με κατὰ τὸν νόμον (Kai sy kathēsai krinōn me kata ton nomon): "And you sit judging me according to the Law." Paul highlights Ananias's designated role and the standard by which he purports to operate—the Torah. Ananias occupied the seat of judgment, representing God's law.
  • παρανομῶν (paranomōn): Present active participle of παρανομέω (paranomeō), "to act unlawfully," "to break the law." This term is critical; it precisely describes Ananias's actions as a transgression against the very Law he claims to uphold. It emphasizes the profound contradiction and moral corruption. Jewish law forbade striking an accused person during trial, particularly before they had been found guilty (Deut 25:1-2; cf. John 18:22-23).
  • κελεύεις με τύπτεσθαι (keleueis me typteśthai): "you command me to be struck." The passive infinitive "to be struck" highlights Paul as the victim of the unlawful command. This rhetorical question serves as a potent accusation of gross hypocrisy and perversion of justice.

Acts 23 3 Bonus section

• The striking of an accused person on the mouth during a trial was considered a profound indignity and was generally illegal under Jewish jurisprudence, which emphasized fair trial and the right to speak.
• Paul, being a Pharisee, understood the Jewish law well and recognized Ananias's violation instantly. His initial ignorance of Ananias being the High Priest, as revealed in verse 5, shows the speed and heat of his reaction, potentially obscuring who issued the command, or perhaps due to his poor eyesight.
• The term "whitewashed wall" also alludes to the temporary nature of a covering; a whitewashed wall may look good, but the plaster is prone to chipping and revealing the rottenness underneath. Ananias's authority and apparent piety would not endure.
• This verse illustrates a paradox of speaking truth to power: while one must respectfully submit to God-ordained authority (Rom 13:1-2), there is also a place for courageous, prophetic confrontation when authority flagrantly abuses its position and perverts justice against God's Law. Paul's act serves as a boundary marker for Christian interaction with unjust religious or secular powers.

Acts 23 3 Commentary

Paul's utterance in Acts 23:3 is a flashpoint of righteous indignation against blatant injustice perpetrated by a religious leader. It is a moment where human emotion, divine prophecy, and legal principles intersect. His condemnation of Ananias as a "whitewashed wall" echoes similar denunciations from Jesus, identifying a deep-seated spiritual and moral hypocrisy. Ananias, by ordering Paul to be struck, violated both the letter and spirit of the Mosaic Law, which he was sworn to administer. This was not a mere angry retort but a prophetic declaration of God's coming judgment on one who defiled the sacred office of High Priest. While Paul later apologizes for disrespecting the high priest when he realizes his identity (Acts 23:5), the initial prophetic statement remained valid. History records that Ananias met a violent end at the hands of Jewish assassins during the Jewish-Roman war, a chilling fulfillment of Paul's words. The episode serves as a powerful reminder that outward piety without inward righteousness is abhorrent to God and that He is the ultimate upholder of justice, even when human courts fail.