Acts 22:23
in Acts 22As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And as they cried out, and threw off their garments, and cast dust into the air,
KJV
And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air,
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This verse in Acts 22
Commentary
8 notes on this verseAs they were shouting, throwing off their cloaks, and throwing dust into the air. In the Lord's passion, the priest alone leaping from the throne tears his garments, because then the old priesthood was to be changed to the new. But now, because after the …
This site's exposition
Away with such a fellow
on Acts 22:22-23
They gave him audience unto this word, and no further, then lifted up their voices, Away with such a fellow from the earth, for it is not fit that he should live, the same cry that had driven Paul to that stairway a chapter earlier answered now with a demand for his death outright. Casting off their clothes and throwing dust into the air are gestures of extreme horror and indignation in Jewish custom, a crowd expressing revulsion at what it hears as blasphemy against the law and the temple. The riot that Paul’s Hebrew speech had briefly calmed breaks out again in full force.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"And as they cried out and threw off their garments," etc. As the Jews made an uproar and threw dust up into the sky, the tribune commanded Paul to be brought into the castle. While they whipped him to learn the cause of the uproar …
"And shaking out their clothes," it says, "they threw dust into the air," to make insurrection more fierce, because they wished to frighten the governor. And observe; they do not say what the charge was, as in fact they had nothing to allege, but only think to strike terror by their shouting. "The tribune commanded," etc. and yet he ought to have learnt from the accusers, "wherefore they cried so against him." Whereas both the tribune ought to have examined whether these things were so-yes, and the Jews themselves too-or, if they were not so, to have ordered him to be scourged, he "bade examine him by scourging, that he might know for what cause they so clamored against him." And yet he ought to have learnt from those clamorers, and to have asked whether they laid hold upon aught of the things spoken: instead of that, without more ado he indulges his arbitrary will and pleasure, and acts with a view to gratify them: for he did not look to this, how he should do a righteous thing, but only how he might stop their rage unrighteous as it was.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And as they cried out,.... In this furious manner: and cast off their clothes; either like madmen, that knew not what they did, or in order to stone him; see Act 7:57. and threw dust into the air either with their hands, or by striking the earth, and scraping it with their feet, through indignation and wrath, like persons possessed, or mad.
); as men whose reason was quite lost in passion, they cried out like roaring lions or raging bears, and howled like the evening wolves; they cast off their clothes with fury and violence, as much as to say that thus they would tear him if they could but come at him.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Cast off their clothes - Their outer garments. Probably they did it now intending to stone him, Act 7:58. And threw dust into the air - As expressive of them abhorrence and indignation. This was a striking exhibition of rage and malice. Paul was guarded by Roman soldiers so that they could not injure him; and their only way of expressing their wrath was by menaces and threats, and by these tokens of furious indignation. Thus, Shimei expressed his indignation against David by cursing him, throwing stones at him, and casting dust, 2Sa 16:13.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Cast off their clothes - Bishop Pearce supposes that shaking their upper garments is all that is meant here; and that it was an ancient custom for men to do so when highly pleased or greatly irritated; but it is likely that some of them were now actually throwing off their clothes, in order to prepare to stone Paul. Threw dust into the air - In sign of contempt, and by way of execration. Shimei acted so, in order to express his contempt of David, 2Sa 16:13, where it is said, he cursed him as he went, and threw stones at him; or, as the margin, he dusted him with dust. Their throwing dust in the air was also expressive of extraordinary rage and vindictive malice. The apostle, being guarded by the Roman soldiers, was out of the power of the mob; and their throwing dust in the air not only showed their rage, but also their vexation that they could not get the apostle into their power. It is still used as a token of hostility and defiance. M. Denon, (Travels in Egypt, vol. iii. p. 98), on coming down the Nile to Cairo, stopped at the ancient city of Antinoe, to examine its ruins. “Being desirous of obtaining a view of the whole of these ruins, we ascended a little hill, and soon perceived the inhabitants of the modern village assembling behind an opposite eminence: scarcely had we come over against them than, supposing our intentions to be hostile, they called out for assistance, and threw dust into the air, in token of defiance. The alarm spread, and they began firing upon us.”
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| κραυγαζόντων | kraugazonton | While shouting out | G2905 → | |
| τε | te | then | G5037 → | 213 times |
| αὐτῶν | auton | they | G846 → | 5565 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ῥιπτούντων | rhiptounton | casting off | G4496 → | 8 times |
| τὰ | ta | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἱμάτια | himatia | garments | G2440 → | 60 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| κονιορτὸν | koniorton | dust | G2868 → | |
| βαλλόντων | ballonton | throwing | G906 → | 121 times |
| εἰς | eis | into | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀέρα | aera | air | G109 → |
κραυγαζόντωνWhile shouting out
kraugazontonG2905 →
τεthen
teG5037 →213 times
αὐτῶνthey
autonG846 →5565 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ῥιπτούντωνcasting off
rhiptountonG4496 →8 times
τὰthe
taG3588 →19766 times
ἱμάτιαgarments
himatiaG2440 →60 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
κονιορτὸνdust
koniortonG2868 →
βαλλόντωνthrowing
ballontonG906 →121 times
εἰςinto
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἀέραair
aeraG109 →
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 7:53you who received the law ordained by angels, yet have not kept it.”
it leads to
- Hebrews 2:2
For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every transgression and disobedience received its just punishment,
- Galatians 3:19
Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the seed to whom the promise referred. It was administered through angels by a mediator.
- Acts 7:38
He was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. And he received living words to pass on to us.
- John 7:19
Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps it. Why are you trying to kill Me?”
- Hebrews 2:2
Through
Ecclesiastes 10:3Even as the fool walks along the road, his sense is lacking, and he shows everyone that he is a fool.
it leads to
- Proverbs 18:2
A fool does not delight in understanding, but only in airing his opinions.
- Proverbs 13:16
Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool displays his folly.
- Proverbs 18:2
Through
Acts 7:58They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
it leads to
- Acts 22:20
And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’
- Acts 8:1
And Saul was there, giving approval to Stephen’s death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
- Acts 22:20
Where this verse is studied
About Acts
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Acts; Cassiodorus, Complexiones on the Acts of the Apostles; J. A. Alexander, Acts of the Apostles Explained; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 48; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Lightfoot, Horae Hebraicae et Talmudicae and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.