Acts 23:3

KJV1611 – Modern English

Then Paul said to him, God shall strike you, you whitewashed wall! For do you sit to judge me according to the law, and command me to be struck contrary to the law?

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Τότε ὁ Παῦλος πρὸς αὐτὸν εἶπεν, Τύπτειν σε μέλλει ὁ Θεός, τοῖχε κεκονιαμένε: καὶ σὺ κάθῃ κρίνων με κατὰ τὸν νόμον, καὶ παρανομῶν κελεύεις με τύπτεσθαι;

Transliteration

Then the Paulos pros him eipen, Typtein you mellei the Theos, toiche kekoniamene: and you kathē krinōn me according-to the nomon, and paranomōn keleueis me typtesthai?

Grammar Details

• *Paulos*: nominative masculine singular - Paul
• *pros*: preposition + accusative - to/toward
• *eipen*: aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular - he said
• *Typtein*: present active infinitive - to strike
• *mellei*: present active indicative, 3rd person singular - is about to
• *Theos*: nominative masculine singular - God
• *toiche*: vocative masculine singular - wall
• *kekoniamene*: perfect passive participle, vocative masculine singular - having been whitewashed
• *kathē*: present middle indicative, 2nd person singular - you sit
• *krinōn*: present active participle, nominative masculine singular - judging
• *nomon*: accusative masculine singular - law
• *paranomōn*: present active participle, nominative masculine singular - acting contrary to law
• *keleueis*: present active indicative, 2nd person singular - you command
• *typtesthai*: present passive infinitive - to be struck

Word Meanings

• *mellei*: is about to/will/intends to
• *toiche kekoniamene*: whitewashed wall (metaphor for hypocrite)
• *kathē*: you sit/are seated (position of authority)
• *paranomōn*: breaking the law/acting illegally/violating law

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  Then Paul said to him, 'God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit there judging me according to the law, yet in violation of the law you order me to be struck?'

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  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?

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: and sittest thou to judge me according to the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  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?

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  Then sayde Paul to him: God smyte the thou payntyd wall. Sittest thou and iudgest me after the lawe: and commaundest me to be smytten contrary to the lawe?

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Then sayde Paul vnto him: God shal smyte the thou paynted wall. Syttest thou and iudgest me after the lawe, and commaundest me to be smytten cotrary to ye lawe?

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Then sayd Paul to him, God will smite thee, thou whited wall: for thou sittest to iudge me according to the Lawe, and transgressing the Lawe, commaundest thou me to be smitten?

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  Then sayde Paul vnto him: God shall smite thee thou paynted wall: For, sittest thou & iudgest me after the lawe, & comaundest me to be smitten contrary to the lawe?

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  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?

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to judge me according to the law, and command me to be struck contrary to the law?"

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  then Paul said unto him, `God is about to smite thee, thou whitewashed wall, and thou -- thou dost sit judging me according to the law, and, violating law, dost order me to be smitten!'

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: and sittest thou to judge me according to the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: and sittest thou to judge me according to the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  Then Paul said to him, God will give blows to you, you whitewashed wall: are you here to be my judge by law, and by your orders am I given blows against the law?

• World English Bible (2000)

  Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to judge me according to the law, and command me to be struck contrary to the law?"

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  Then Paul said to him,“God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit there judging me according to the law, and in violation of the law you order me to be struck?”

Referenced Verses

• John 7:51 : 51 Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?
• Deut 25:1-2 : 1 If there is a dispute between men, and they come to judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked. 2 And it shall be, if the wicked man deserves to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down and be beaten in his presence, according to his fault, by a number of strokes.
• Matt 23:27-28 : 27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
• Ps 58:1-2 : 1 Do you indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? Do you judge uprightly, O you sons of men? 2 Yes, in heart you work wickedness; you weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.
• Ps 82:1-2 : 1 God stands in the assembly of the mighty; He judges among the gods. 2 How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah.
• Ps 94:20 : 20 Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with you, which frames mischief by a law?
• Eccl 3:16 : 16 Moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.
• Amos 5:7 : 7 You who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,
• Mic 3:8-9 : 8 But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin. 9 Hear this, I pray you, you leaders of the house of Jacob, and rulers of the house of Israel, who abhor judgment, and pervert all equity. 10 They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity. 11 The leaders judge for reward, and the priests teach for hire, and the prophets divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? No harm can come upon us.
• John 18:24 : 24 Now Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
• Lev 19:15 : 15 You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: you shall not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty: but in righteousness you shall judge your neighbor.
• Lev 19:35 : 35 You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in measuring yard, in weight, or in measure.