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Acts 23:5

“And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’””

Acts 23:5 · direct translation from the Greek
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With the Greek beneath

5

Quotation · Exodus 22:28

Go to Exodus 22:28

Paul quotes the second half of Exodus 22:28 on learning that he had insulted the high priest.

Formula: γέγραπται γὰρ ὅτι “for it is written” (Acts 23:5)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: ἔφη τε ὁ Παῦλος Οὐκ ᾔδειν ἀδελφοί ὅτι ἐστὶν ἀρχιερεύς γέγραπται γὰρ ὅτι Ἄρχοντα τοῦ λαοῦ σου οὐκ ἐρεῖς κακῶς

Hebrew (Masoretic text): אֱלֹהִים לֹא תְקַלֵּל וְנָשִׂיא בְעַמְּךָ לֹא תָאֹר

Septuagint (Exodus 22:28 in the Septuagint numbering): Θεοὺς οὐ κακολογήσεις, καὶ ἄρχοντας τοῦ λαοῦ σου οὐ κακῶς ἐρεῖς.

In the Septuagint verse that most resembles it, at most 3 consecutive words match the Greek of the NT. The transcription has reading errors, so a match may not show.

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Acts 23:5, word by word

PaulΠαῦλοςPaulos

Paul

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

Where else “Paulos” appears
saidἔφηephē

say

Say.

Where else “ephē” appears
knowᾔδεινēidein

know

To hold a fact as certain, to be aware of it.

Where else “ēidein” appears
brothersἀδελφοίadelphoi

fellow countryman

A neighbor, someone of the same people.

Where else “adelphoi” appears
he wasἐστὶνestin

be

To be: says who or what something is.

Where else “estin” appears
the high priestἀρχιερεύςarchiereus

high priest

The chief of the priests; Jesus is that forever.

Where else “archiereus” appears
it is writtenγέγραπταιgegraptai

it is written

So the Bible says; a passage is quoted.

Where else “gegraptai” appears
speakἐρεῖςereis

say

To express something in words to others.

Where else “ereis” appears
evilκακῶςkakōs

speak wrongly

To do or say something improperly.

Where else “kakōs” appears
of a rulerἌρχονταArchonta

ruler

Someone in command: a ruler, a judge or the one presiding over a synagogue.

Where else “Archonta” appears
people.’λαοῦlaou

people

A people, above all Israel, God's people.

Where else “laou” appears

Translation note

Exodus 22:28.

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Exodus 22:28

Paul quotes the second half of Exodus 22:28 on learning that he had insulted the high priest.

See them side by side

Acts 23:5

5And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

Exodus 22:28

28You shall not treat Elohim with contempt, nor curse a chief among your people.

The context

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

5 · This verse (above)

6And Paul, knowing that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. Concerning the hope and the resurrection of the dead I am being judged.”

Read all of Acts 23

To study Acts 23 in a group

  1. 1. What it says

    What does the Lord say to Paul the night after his appearance before the council? (v. 11)

  2. 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. 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