New Living Translation
Acts 23:3
3But 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 23:3 in other versions
- King James Version (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?
- New International Version (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!”
- English Standard Version (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?"
- New King James Version (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?”
Context of Acts 23:3
1Gazing intently at the high council, Paul began: “Brothers, I have always lived before God with a clear conscience!” 2Instantly Ananias the high priest commanded those close to Paul to slap him on the mouth. 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?” 4Those standing near Paul said to him, “Do you dare to insult God’s high priest?” 5“I’m sorry, brothers. I didn’t realize he was the high priest,” Paul replied, “for the Scriptures say, ‘You must not speak evil of any of your rulers.’”
Read all of Acts 23Acts 23:3 word by word
τότε ὁ Παῦλος πρὸς αὐτὸν εἶπεν· τύπτειν σε μέλλει ὁ θεός, τοῖχε κεκονιαμένε· καὶ σὺ κάθῃ κρίνων με κατὰ τὸν νόμον, καὶ παρανομῶν κελεύεις με τύπτεσθαι;Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thenτότεtote · thenG5119
- saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- Paulὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- PaulΠαῦλοςPaulos · PaulG3972
- untoπρόςpros · to/withG4314
- himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- shallμέλλωmellō · to ensueG3195
- smiteτύπτωtuptō · to strikeG5180
- theeσύsu · youG4771
- whitedκονιάωkoniaō · to whitewashG2867
- wallτοῖχοςtoichos · wallG5109
- forκαίkai · andG2532
- sittestκάθημαιkathēmai · to sitG2521
- to judgeκρίνωkrinō · to judgeG2919
- meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- afterκατάkata · according toG2596
- the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
- commandestκελεύωkeleuō · to orderG2753
- contrary to the lawπαρανομέωparanomeō · to break the lawG3891
Cross-references for Acts 23:3
- Matthew 23:27“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity.
- Leviticus 19:35“Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight, or volume.
- Psalms 58:1Justice—do you rulers know the meaning of the word? Do you judge the people fairly?
- Psalms 82:1God presides over heaven’s court; he pronounces judgment on the heavenly beings:
- Psalms 94:20Can unjust leaders claim that God is on their side— leaders whose decrees permit injustice?
- Ecclesiastes 3:16I also noticed that under the sun there is evil in the courtroom. Yes, even the courts of law are corrupt!
- Amos 5:7You twist justice, making it a bitter pill for the oppressed. You treat the righteous like dirt.
- Micah 3:8But as for me, I am filled with power— with the Spirit of the Lord. I am filled with justice and strength to boldly declare Israel’s sin and rebellion.
- Deuteronomy 25:1“Suppose two people take a dispute to court, and the judges declare that one is right and the other is wrong.
- John 7:51“Is it legal to convict a man before he is given a hearing?” he asked.
- John 18:24Then Annas bound Jesus and sent him to Caiaphas, the high priest.
Commentaries on Acts 23:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3God shall smite thee, thou whited wall - Thou hypocrite! who sittest on the seat of judgment, pretending to hear and seriously weigh the defense of an accused person, who must in justice and equity be presumed to be innocent till he is proved to be guilty; and, instead of acting according to the law, commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law, which always has the person of the prisoner under its protection; nor ever suffers any penalty to be…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3God shall smite thee - God shall punish thee. God is just; and he will not suffer such a manifest violation of all the laws of a fair trial to pass unavenged. This was a remarkably bold and fearless declaration. Paul was surrounded by enemies. They were seeking his life. He must have known that such declarations would only excite their wrath and make them more thirsty for his blood. That he could thus address the president of the council was not only…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3you whitewashed wall: Compare Ezekiel 13:10–17; Matthew 23:27.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3-43-4. God shall smite thee--as indeed He did; for he was killed by an assassin during the Jewish war [Josephus, Wars of the Jews, 2.17.9]. thou whited wall--that is, hypocrite (Mt 23:27). This epithet, however correctly describing the man, must not be defended as addressed to a judge, though the remonstrance which follows--"for sittest thou," &c.--ought to have put him to shame.Read the comment
Topics related to Acts 23:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Acts 23
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
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