Acts 23:2

2 But the cohen hagadol, Hananyah, ordered those standing near him to strike him on the mouth.

Acts 23:2 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 23:2

And the high priest Ananias
This could not be the same with Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas, but rather Ananus his son; though this is more generally thought to be Ananias the son of Nebedaeus, whom Josephus F13 speaks of. There is one R. Ananias, the sagan of the priests, often spoken of in the Jewish writings F14, who lived about these times, and was killed at the destruction of Jerusalem; and in the times of King Agrippa, there was one Chanina, or Ananias the priest, who was a Sadducee F15; and from the number of Sadducees in this sanhedrim, who very likely were the creatures of the high priest, one would be tempted to think he might be the same with this: who

commanded them that stood by him:
that is, by Paul, who were nearest to him, some of the members of the sanhedrim; unless they should be thought to be some of the high priest's officers, or servants, as in ( John 18:22 ) though if they were, one would think they would be so called: these he ordered

to smite him on the mouth:
or give him a slap on the face, by way of contempt, and as if he had spoken what ought not to be said, and in order to silence him; the reason of which might be, either because Paul did not directly address him, and give him such flattering titles as he expected, or because he set out with such declarations of his innocence, and spotless behaviour, and with so much courage and boldness.


FOOTNOTES:

F13 Antiqu. l. 18. c. 2. sect. 1. & l. 20. c. 8. sect. 1.
F14 Misna Shekalim, c. 4. sect. 4. & 6. 1. & Pesachim, c. 1. sect. 6. T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 8. 1. & 21. 2. & Juchasin, fol. 24. 2.
F15 Juchasin, fol. 142. 2.

Acts 23:2 In-Context

1 Sha'ul looked straight at them and said, "Brothers, I have been discharging my obligations to God with a perfectly clear conscience, right up until today."
2 But the cohen hagadol, Hananyah, ordered those standing near him to strike him on the mouth.
3 Then Sha'ul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Will you sit there judging me according to the Torah, yet in violation of the Torah order me to be struck?"
4 The men nearby said, "This is the cohen hagadol of God that you're insulting!
5 Sha'ul said, "I didn't know, brothers, that he was the cohen hagadol; for it says in the Torah, 'You are not to speak disparagingly of a ruler of your people.'"
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.