ACT 23:1-11

Paul before the Sanhedrin

1Looking intently at the council, Paul said: "Brothers, I have lived as a citizen with a fully good conscience before God up to this day." [23:2] The high priest Ananias ordered those standing near him to strike his mouth. [23:3] Then Paul said to him: "God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit to judge me according to the Law, and yet in violation of the Law you order me to be struck?" [23:4] Those standing nearby said: "Are you insulting God's high priest?" [23:5] Paul said: "I did not know, brothers, that he is the high priest — for it is written: 'You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.' " [23:6] But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council: "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees — it is concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead that I am being judged!" [23:7] When he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the crowd was divided. [23:8] For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. [23:9] A great uproar arose. Some of the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and argued fiercely: "We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?" [23:10] When the dissension grew violent, the commander, fearing Paul would be torn to pieces by them, ordered the soldiers to go down and take him by force from their midst and bring him into the barracks. [23:11] The following night the Lord stood by him and said: "Take courage — for as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so it is necessary for you to testify also in Rome."

In the world it was spoken into

In Acts 23:1-11, Paul stands before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council in Jerusalem, a body deeply embedded in Second-Temple Jewish legal and religious authority. The high priest Ananias, a figure of significant political and religious power, commands Paul to be struck on the mouth, a gesture of public humiliation and silencing. Paul’s response, calling Ananias a 'whitewashed wall,' draws on a metaphor familiar in Jewish discourse, evoking Ezekiel 13:10-16, where whitewashing symbolizes hypocrisy—outward piety masking inner corruption. Paul’s claim to have lived 'in all good conscience' reflects his understanding of citizenship not merely as a civic duty but as a life aligned with God’s will. The Sanhedrin’s reaction reveals the tensions between Jewish factions—Pharisees and Sadducees—over resurrection, a core theological dispute. Paul’s strategic invocation of this division shifts the focus from his trial to their internal conflict. The scene underscores the volatile intersection of religious authority, honor-shame dynamics, and theological debate in 1st-century Judaism.

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How other translations render this

ACT 23:1

KJV: And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.
BSB: Paul looked directly at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have conducted myself before God in all good conscience to this day.”
Koinōnos: Looking intently at the council, Paul said: "Brothers, I have lived as a citizen with a fully good conscience before God up to this day.

ACT 23:2

KJV: And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth.
BSB: At this, the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.
Koinōnos: The high priest Ananias ordered those standing near him to strike his mouth.

ACT 23:3

KJV: Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?
BSB: Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit here to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck.”
Koinōnos: Then Paul said to him: "God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit to judge me according to the Law, and yet in violation of the Law you order me to be struck?

ACT 23:4

KJV: And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God’s high priest?
BSB: But those standing nearby said, “How dare you insult the high priest of God!”
Koinōnos: Those standing nearby said: "Are you insulting God's high priest?

ACT 23:5

KJV: Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.
BSB: “Brothers,” Paul replied, “I was not aware that he was the high priest, for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’”
Koinōnos: Paul said: "I did not know, brothers, that he is the high priest — for it is written: 'You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.'

ACT 23:6

KJV: But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.
BSB: Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. It is because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.”
Koinōnos: But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council: "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees — it is concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead that I am being judged!

ACT 23:7

KJV: And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided.
BSB: As soon as he had said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.
Koinōnos: When he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the crowd was divided.

ACT 23:8

KJV: For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.
BSB: For the Sadducees say that there is neither a resurrection nor angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.
Koinōnos: For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.

ACT 23:9

KJV: And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees’ part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.
BSB: A great clamor arose, and some scribes from the party of the Pharisees got up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”
Koinōnos: A great uproar arose. Some of the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and argued fiercely: "We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?

ACT 23:10

KJV: And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle.
BSB: The dispute grew so violent that the commander was afraid they would tear Paul to pieces. He ordered the soldiers to go down and remove him by force and bring him into the barracks.
Koinōnos: When the dissension grew violent, the commander, fearing Paul would be torn to pieces by them, ordered the soldiers to go down and take him by force from their midst and bring him into the barracks.

ACT 23:11

KJV: And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.
BSB: The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so also you must testify in Rome.”
Koinōnos: The following night the Lord stood by him and said: "Take courage — for as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so it is necessary for you to testify also in Rome.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

ACT 23:1

have lived as a citizen:The word translated 'have lived as a citizen' refers to conducting oneself according to the laws and customs of a community, implying a life lived with integrity and adherence to civic duties.

ACT 23:3

whitewashed!:The term 'whitewashed' refers to covering something with a superficial coating, often to conceal flaws or an unpleasant interior, suggesting hypocrisy or outward appearance masking inner corruption.

ACT 23:7

a dissension:The word translated 'a dissension' often implies a standing apart or a division that can escalate into an uprising or rebellion, indicating a more severe conflict than a simple disagreement.

ACT 23:10

may be torn to pieces:The phrase 'may be torn to pieces' uses a word that vividly describes being pulled apart or rent asunder, emphasizing a violent and destructive separation.