Acts 22:23

As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The text describes a hostile crowd reacting to Paul’s defense speech. They are acting toward Paul at the moment his statement about his former zeal and current mission provokes their violent objection.

The words — The Greek participle κραυγαζόντων (kraugazontōn) literally means "while shouting out," and ῥιπτόντων (rhiptontōn) means "casting off." These terms capture the crowd’s simultaneous vocal protest and physical gesture of discarding their garments.

The thread — The passage connects to other biblical moments of public outcry and reckless behavior, such as the crowd’s reaction in Acts 22:22 and the fool’s public display in Ecclesiastes 10:3. It also follows the verbal accusation pattern found in Acts 7:53.

Why it lands — The verse records a physical manifestation of collective rejection that demands immediate intervention. It asks the reader to recognize how quickly verbal disagreement can escalate into disorderly action requiring authoritative control.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

κραυγαζόντωνkraugazontōnWhile shouting out τεtethen αὐτῶνautōnthey καὶkaiand ῥιπτούντωνrhiptountōncasting off τὰtathe ἱμάτιαhimatiagarments καὶkaiand κονιορτὸνkoniortondust βαλλόντωνballontōnthrowing εἰςeisinto τὸνtonthe ἀέραaeraair

King James Version

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

Cross-references

2 Samuel 16:13 So David and his men proceeded along the road as Shimei went along the ridge of the hill opposite him. As Shimei went, he yelled curses, threw stones, and flung dust at David.
Ecclesiastes 10:3 Even as the fool walks along the road, his sense is lacking, and he shows everyone that he is a fool.
Acts 7:53 you who received the law ordained by angels, yet have not kept it.”
Acts 7:58 They 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.
Acts 26:11 I frequently had them punished in the synagogues, and I tried to make them blaspheme. In my raging fury against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.