Acts 18:6
in Acts 18But when they opposed and insulted him, he shook out his garments and told them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And when they opposed themselves and blasphemed, he shook out his raiment and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.
KJV
And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.
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This verse in Acts 18
Commentary
14 notes on this verse"Your blood be on your own heads." These words are obscure, but I think they mean this: Whoever does not believe in Christ, who is life, seems to kill himself by passing from life to death and shedding, as it were, his own blood through …
This site's exposition
devoted himself fully to the word
on Acts 18:5-6
When the Jews opposed and insulted Paul, he turned to the Gentiles, the second of three such turns with 13:46 and 28:28. Yet he enters the synagogue at Ephesus at 18:19 and writes Romans 9 to 11 between them.
This site's exposition
he shook out his garments
Shaking out the garments was a public sign that the speaker carried away none of his hearers' guilt. Nehemiah shook out his robe against oath breakers at Nehemiah 5:13, and Paul and Barnabas shook dust off their feet at 13:51. The gesture closed his work in that synagogue.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
What then does Paul? He separates from them, and in a very awful manner: and though he does not now say, "It was need that the word should be spoken unto you," yet he darkly intimates it to them: "and when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles." For wherefore having left that house did he come to live hard by the synagogue? was it not for this? For it was not that he saw any danger here. But therefore it is that Paul having testified to them--not teaches now, but testifies--"having shaken his garments," to terrify them not by word only but by action, "said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads": he speaks the more vehemently as having already persuaded many. "I," says he, "am clean." Then we also are accountable for the blood of those entrusted to us, if we neglect them. "From this time forth I will go to the Gentiles." So that also when he says, "Henceforth let no man trouble me," he says it to terrify. For not so much did the punishment terrify, as this stung them.
"Your blood be on your own head." This is what Paul says, casting off his garments, so that one should fear not only the word but the deed as well. Therefore, having said this more strongly, "Your blood be on your own head," he departs …
The Medieval Church1 voice
"Having shaken out his garments, he said to them," in order to frighten them not by word only, but also by deed. "Your blood be upon your own heads." An obscure saying. I think Paul is saying: "Everyone who falls away from Christ, Who is …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
He shook his raiment - To signify he would from that time refrain from them: and to intimate, that God would soon shake them off as unworthy to be numbered among his people. I am pure - None can say this but he that has born a full testimony against sin.
(1.) He had done his part, and was clean from the blood of their souls; he had, like a faithful watchman, given them warning, and thereby had delivered his soul, though he could not prevail to deliver theirs. He had tried all methods to work upon them, but all in vain, so that if they perish in their unbelief their blood is not to be required at his hands; here, and ch. xx.
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
While he steadily adhered to the laws and rules of equity, he might despise their contempts; but, if it be meant (as I think it is) that he concerned not himself for the abuses done to good men, it carries his indifference too far, and gives us but an ill character of him. Here is wickedness done in the place of judgment (which Solomon complains of, Eccl. iii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And when they opposed themselves,....
Many of the Jews, and indeed the most of them, persisted in their contradiction to the gospel of Christ, and would not yield to the strongest reasonings nor the most winning persuasions; they opposed themselves and blasphemed; they set themselves in battle array (so the word signifies) against the gospel; they joined hand in hand to stop the progress of it.
The great success of his ministry there, and the encouragement Christ gave him in a vision to continue his labours there, in hopes of further success,
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
When they opposed - Αντιτασσομενων, Systematically opposing, putting themselves in warlike order against him: so the word implies. And blasphemed - This is precisely the way in which they still act. They have no arguments against Jesus being the Messiah; but, having made a covenant with unbelief, as soon as they are pressed on this point, they rail and blaspheme. - See the Tela ignea Satanae, by Wagenseil. He shook his raiment - This was an action similar to that of shaking the dust of the feet; see on Mat 10:14 (note).
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And when they opposed themselves - To him and his message. And blasphemed - See the notes on Act 13:45. He shook his raiment - As an expressive act of shaking off the guilt of their condemnation. Compare Act 13:45. He shook his raiment to show that he was resolved henceforward to have nothing to do with them; perhaps, also, to express the fact that God would soon slake them off, or reject them (Doddridge). Your blood ... - The guilt of your destruction is your own. You only are the cause of the destruction that is coming upon you. See the notes on Mat 27:25. I am clean - I am not to blame for your destruction. I have done my duty. The gospel had been fairly offered and deliberately rejected; and Paul was not to blame for their ruin, which he saw was coming upon them. I will go ... - See Act 13:46.
The words behind it
27 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ἀντιτασσομένων | antitassomenon | When are opposing | G498 → | |
| δὲ | de | however | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| αὐτῶν | auton | they | G846 → | 5565 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| βλασφημούντων, | blasphemounton | denigrating [him], | G987 → | 34 times |
| ἐκτιναξάμενος | ektinaxamenos | having shaken out | G1621 → | |
| τὰ | ta | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἱμάτια | himatia | garments | G2440 → | 60 times |
| εἶπεν | eipen | he said | G2036 → | 925 times |
| πρὸς | pros | to | G4314 → | 700 times |
| αὐτούς· | autous | them; | G846 → | 5565 times |
| τὸ | to | The | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| αἷμα | haima | blood | G129 → | 97 times |
| ὑμῶν | humon | of You | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ἐπὶ | epi | [be] upon | G1909 → | 883 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| κεφαλὴν | kephalen | head | G2776 → | 75 times |
| ὑμῶν, | humon | of you, | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| καθαρὸς | katharos | clean | G2513 → | |
| ἐγώ· | ego | I myself [am]; | G1473 → | 839 times |
| ἀπὸ | apo | From | G575 → | 640 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| νῦν | nun | now on | G3568 → | 145 times |
| εἰς | eis | to | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὰ | ta | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἔθνη | ethne | Gentiles | G1484 → | 161 times |
| πορεύσομαι.¶ | poreusomai | I will go. | G4198 → | 147 times |
ἈντιτασσομένωνWhen are opposing
antitassomenonG498 →
δὲhowever
deG1161 →2765 times
αὐτῶνthey
autonG846 →5565 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
βλασφημούντων,denigrating [him],
blasphemountonG987 →34 times
ἐκτιναξάμενοςhaving shaken out
ektinaxamenosG1621 →
τὰthe
taG3588 →19766 times
ἱμάτιαgarments
himatiaG2440 →60 times
εἶπενhe said
eipenG2036 →925 times
πρὸςto
prosG4314 →700 times
αὐτούς·them;
autousG846 →5565 times
τὸThe
toG3588 →19766 times
αἷμαblood
haimaG129 →97 times
ὑμῶνof You
humonG4771 →2973 times
ἐπὶ[be] upon
epiG1909 →883 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
κεφαλὴνhead
kephalenG2776 →75 times
ὑμῶν,of you,
humonG4771 →2973 times
καθαρὸςclean
katharosG2513 →
ἐγώ·I myself [am];
egoG1473 →839 times
ἀπὸFrom
apoG575 →640 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
νῦνnow on
nunG3568 →145 times
εἰςto
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὰthe
taG3588 →19766 times
ἔθνηGentiles
ethneG1484 →161 times
πορεύσομαι.¶I will go.
poreusomaiG4198 →147 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Acts 13:51So they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium.
it leads to
- Matthew 10:14
And if anyone will not welcome you or heed your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.
- Luke 9:5
If anyone does not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that town, as a testimony against them.”
- Acts 14:21
They preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,
- Matthew 10:14
Through
2 Samuel 1:16For David had said to the Amalekite, “Your blood be on your own head because your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I killed the LORD’s anointed.’”
it leads to
- Leviticus 20:9
If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father or mother; his blood shall be upon him.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 27:25
All the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”
- Luke 19:22
His master replied, ‘You wicked servant, I will judge you by your own words. So you knew that I am a harsh man, withdrawing what I did not deposit and reaping what I did…
- Leviticus 20:9
Through
Ezekiel 33:4Then if anyone hears the sound of the horn but fails to heed the warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 18:13
He engages in usury and takes excess interest. Will this son live? He will not! Since he has committed all these abominations, he will surely die; his blood will be on his own head.
- Ezekiel 33:9
But if you warn the wicked man to turn from his way, and he does not turn from it, he will die in his iniquity, but you will have saved your life.
- Ezekiel 18:13
Where this verse is studied
About Acts
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on Acts; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ammonius of Alexandria, CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 18.6; J. A. Alexander, The Acts of the Apostles Explained; Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary upon the Acts of the Apostles; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 39; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.