Acts 23:3

“Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, whitewashed wall; and are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and breaking the law you order me to be struck?””
Acts 23:3 · direct translation from the Greek

Study it in the app

With the Greek beneath

ThenτότεPaulὁ Παῦλοςsaidεἶπενtoπρὸςhim,αὐτὸν“Godὁ θεόςis goingμέλλειto strikeΤύπτεινyou,σεwhitewashedκεκονιαμένεwall;τοῖχεandκαὶare youσὺsittingκάθῃto judgeκρίνωνmeμεaccording toκατὰthe law,τὸν νόμονandκαὶbreaking the lawπαρανομῶνyou orderκελεύειςmeμεto be struck?”τύπτεσθαι

Theme · Ezekiel 13:10-15

Go to Ezekiel 13:10-15

Both texts speak of a whitewashed wall: in Ezekiel 13:10-15, the one the false prophets build; in Acts 23:3, Paul to the high priest.

The same term appears in both passages.

τοῖχεtoicheG5109חַיִץjayitsH2434“wall”

Acts 23:3, word by word

Thenτότεtote

then

Then, at that time.

Where else “tote” appears

PaulΠαῦλοςPaulos

Paul

Paul: the Roman name of the apostle Saul; also Sergius Paulus, proconsul of Cyprus.

Where else “Paulos” appears

saidεἶπενeipen

say

To express something in words to others.

Where else “eipen” appears

“Godθεόςtheos

God

The Creator and Lord of all, the one God of Israel.

Where else “theos” appears

is goingμέλλειmellei

be about to

Something on the point of happening.

Where else “mellei” appears

to strikeΤύπτεινTyptein

strike

Strike, beat.

Where else “Typtein” appears

whitewashedκεκονιαμένεkekoniamene

whitewash

Whitewash, cover with lime.

Where else “kekoniamene” appears

wallτοῖχεtoiche

wall

Wall.

Where else “toiche” appears

sittingκάθῃkathēi

sit

To be seated somewhere, or riding on an animal.

Where else “kathēi” appears

to judgeκρίνωνkrinōn

judge

To hear a case and give sentence, as God will do with the world.

Where else “krinōn” appears

the lawνόμονnomon

law

The instructions God gave Israel through Moses; also, the whole of Scripture.

Where else “nomon” appears

breaking the lawπαρανομῶνparanomōn

break the law

Act against the Law, break the law.

Where else “paranomōn” appears

you orderκελεύειςkeleueis

order, command

Order, command, give the word for something to be done.

Where else “keleueis” appears

Translation note

“Whitewashed wall”: an image of what appears on the outside to be what it is not on the inside; compare Matthew 23:27 and Ezekiel 13:10-15.

The context

2And the high priest Ananias ordered those who stood by him to strike his mouth.

3 · This verse (above)

4And those who stood by said, “Do you insult the high priest of God?”

Read all of Acts 23

To study Acts 23 in a group

1. What it says
What does the Lord say to Paul the night after his appearance before the council? (v. 11)
2. What it means
Paul's nephew learns of a plot and reports it. What does the commander do with that information? (vv. 12-24)
3. How I live it
Paul was encouraged at a moment of great tension (v. 11). Who encouraged you when you needed it, and how can you do that for someone else?

How to use it