Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 22:23

And as they cried out, and cast off [their] clothes, and threw dust into the air,

23. cast off their clothes ] i.e. the loose upper robe, which could easily be laid aside, and which in such an excitement would interfere with their movements. Compare the conduct of the crowd when our Lord rode into Jerusalem, and also the behaviour of Jehu’s friends, 2Ki 9:13.

and threw dust into the air ] Compare the action of Shimei, 2Sa 16:13, where the marginal rendering shews that the dust was thrown at David. Perhaps it may have been meant in the present case to be thrown at St Paul, who was above the crowd, at the top of the stairs. The attempt to reach him with what they threw was futile, but it shewed what they would fain have done. For a like action as a sign of grief cp. Job 2:12.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

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.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 23. 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.”

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Cast off their clothes; they that stoned the blasphemer cast off their upper garments, that they might be the readier to do that execution, and carry the heavier stones; as Act 7:58. They might also cast or rend them off, in sign of grief and detestation of Pauls (supposed) blasphemy.

Threw dust into the air; out of raging madness, having no stones at present in that place to throw at him; or stamping on the ground first with their feet, and taking thence the loosened earth, threw it up, to show that Paul had sinned against heaven, and provoked the God who dwells there; and that he was not worthy to tread on the earth, which, as well as they could, they took from him.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

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 Ac 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.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

As they cried out ( ). Genitive absolute with present active participle of , a rare word in the old Greek from (a cry). See on Mt 12:19. Two other genitive absolutes here, (throwing off, present active participle, frequent active variation of ) and (present active participle of , flinging). These present participles give a lively picture of the uncontrolled excitement of the mob in their spasm of wild rage.

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

1) “And as they cried out,” (Kaugazonton te auton) “And as they were repeatedly shouting to them,” to the Roman guardians of Paul.

2) “And cast off their clothes,” (kai hriptounton ta himatia) “And ripping and tearing off their clothes,” like lunatics in an insane mob, throwing off their loose outer clothes that would hinder them in stoning or beating Paul, if they could get to him.

3) “And threw dust into the air,” (kai koniorton ballonton eis ton aera) “And as they were throwing dust, dirt, and roots and grass into the air,” like pawing, raging bulls, like maniacs, with violent emotional and mental agitation, as Shimei did against David, 2Sa 16:13.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

(23) Cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air.The latter gesture would seem to have been a natural relief, as with other Oriental nations, to the violence of uncontrolled passion. It may be, however, that the handfuls of dust were aimed at the Apostle as a sign of loathing (comp. Notes on Act. 18:6; Mat. 10:14); and if we take the English version, the casting off their outer garments looked very much like preparing for the act of stoning, as in Act. 7:58. The verb may, however, mean only that they shook their garments, as St. Paul had done in Act. 18:6, and so the two gestures might be parts of the same act. On the whole, the latter view seems the more probable.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

23. Cast off their clothes In their insanity they forget that Paul is safe from their power in Roman hands, and throw off their clothes to inflict upon him the fate of Stephen.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

‘And as they cried out, and threw off their garments, and cast dust into the air, the chief captain commanded him to be brought into the fortress, bidding that he should be examined by scourging, that he might know for why they so shouted against him.’

So they not only cried out but threw off their cloaks, and hurled dust into the air, with the result that the chief captain, fearful of another riot, commanded Paul to be taken immediately inside the fortress. He could not understand what was causing the furore. So he commanded that Paul be examined by scourging.

Scourging was normal with ordinary people who were arrested, whether innocent or not. It was felt that the only way to get the truth out of them was by pain. Here was Paul, already bruised and bloodied from his beatings, and the intention was to rough him up a bit more, simply in order to try to get to the truth. Then if he proved innocent they could let him go. The parallel between Jesus’ treatment after His journey to Jerusalem, and Paul’s, continues, save that Paul is able to avoid the scourging. Scourging was a dreadful ‘punishment’ and would lay bare a man’s back. But possibly the centurion is meaning here something not quite so severe.

‘Cast dust into the air.’ Dust is regularly used symbolically. When the disciples were turned away from a city they were to cast off its dust from them. Possibly what the crowd are saying to Paul here is that Jerusalem rejects him. He can only come under judgment. This confirms Luke’s view that Jerusalem has rejected God by rejecting His servants.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Paul and the Roman Chief Captain In Act 22:23-29 we have the account of Paul defending his right to a fair trial as a Roman citizen before the Roman chief captain. This is the first statement that would eventually lead Paul to the high court in Rome as he appealed unto Caesar, the highest authority in the Roman judicial system.

Act 22:23 “and cast off their clothes” – Word Study on “cast off” There is a debate as to whether this Greek word is derived from or . Strong says the Greek word “cast off” is derived from (G4495) and means, “to toss up, to cast off.” BDAG also says it is derived from and means, “to throw off (clothing).” In contrast, Mouce says this word is derived from (G4494) and means, “to fan, blow, ventilate; to toss, agitate, e.g. the ocean by the wind.”

Comments There are two evenly divided views as to the meaning of the phrase “and cast off their clothes.” One view is the idea of throwing off garments ( or ) (see ASV, NIV).

ASV, “threw off their garments”

KJV, “casting off their clothes”

NIV, “throwing off their cloaks”

The other is the idea of tossing about, or tearing, their garments in rage ( ) (see Alford, EGT, LITV, Rotherham, RSV), and not casting them off in order to stone Paul, since he was in custody of the Roman soldiers.

Alford, “shaking their garments, as shaking off the dust, abominating such an expression and him who uttered it”

EGT, “tossing about their garments” [286]

[286] W. Robertson Nicoll, ed., The Expositor’s Greek Testament, vol. 2 (New York: George H. Doran Company, n.d.), 461.

LITV, “tearing their garments”

Rotherham, “tearing their mantles”

RSV, “waving their garments”

Act 22:24  The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.

Act 22:24 Comments – Some commentators suggest that the Roman commander did not understand Paul’s Hebrew speech. [287] The commander decided to take an action that would reveal to them the reason for this hostility.

[287] Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer, Critical and Exegetical Handbook to the Acts of the Apostles, second edition, trans. Paton J. Gloag, and William P. Dickson, ed. William Ormiston (New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1884), 420.

Act 22:25  And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?

Act 22:25 “And as they bound him with thongs” Word Study on “bound” – Strong says the Greek word “bound” ( ) (G4385) means, “to stretch, to protend, to tie prostrate (for scourging).” BDAG says it means, “to stretch out, to spread out a criminal who is to be flogged.” Mouce says it means, “to extend before, to stretch out.”

Comments The idea in Act 22:25 is that the Roman soldiers were stretching Paul out with ropes to a pillar or a post in order to scourge him. Paul’s bondage with thongs was prophesied in Act 21:11, “And when he was come unto us, he took Paul’s girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.”

Act 22:25 “Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned” Comments – It is possible that the death penalty was invoked upon anyone who falsely claimed Roman citizenship. Suetonius tells us of a decree by the Roman emperor Claudius (A.D. 41-54) that made such a statement, “He forbade men of foreign birth to use the Roman names so far as those of the clans were concerned. Those who usurped the privileges of Roman citizenship he executed in the Esquiline field.” ( The Lives of the Twelve Caesars, bk 5 “The Deified Claudius,” 25) [288]

[288] J. C. Rolfe, Suetonius, vol. 2, in The Loeb Classical Library, eds. T. E. Page, E. Capps, W. H. D. Rouse, L. A. Post, and E. H. Warmington (London: William Heinemann, 1959), 51.

Act 22:26  When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.

Act 22:27  Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.

Act 22:27 Comments – Paul was very likely dressed in traditional Jewish clothing, which would have been different than that of the Romans.

Act 22:28  And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.

Act 22:28 “And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom” Comments – The Roman historian Cassius (155-229 A.D.) tells us that Roman citizenship could be purchased, at first for a high price, then later for a cheap sum of money ( Roman History 60.17.4-5). [289]

[289] Cassius Dio writes, “A great many other persons unworthy of citizenship were also deprived of it, whereas lie granted citizenship to others quite indiscriminately, sometimes to individuals and sometimes to whole groups. For inasmuch as Romans had the advantage over foreigners in practically all respects, many sought the franchise by personal application to the emperor, and many bought it from Messalina and the imperial freedmen. For this reason, though the privilege was at first sold only for large sums, it later became so cheapened by the facility with which it could be obtained that it came to be a common saying, that a man could become a citizen by giving the right person some bits of broken glass.” ( Roman History 60.17.4-5) See Dio Cassius, Dio’s Roman History, vol. 7, trans. Earnest Cary, in The Loeb Classical Library, eds. T. E. Page, E. Capps, W. H. D. Rouse, L. A. Post, and E. H. Warmington (London: William Heinemann, 1955), 411.

Act 22:28 “And Paul said, But I was free born” – Comments – One commentator says that Paul was a Roman citizen probably because Tarsus was a Roman colony, and all those born in such a city were Roman citizens by birth. However, the Roman commander of the garrison did not associate Tarsus with Roman citizenship for Paul, so this must not have been given to all citizens of Tarsus. [290]

[290] Thomas Scott, The Holy Bible; Containing the Old and New Testaments, According to the Authorized Version: with Explanatory Notes, Practical Observations, and Copious Marginal References, vol. 5 (London: James Nisbet and Co., 1866), notes on Acts 22:22-30.

Act 22:29  Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures