Albert Barnes Commentary Acts 23:2

"And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth." — Acts 23:2 (ASV)

And the High Priest Ananias. This Ananias was undoubtedly the son of Nebedinus (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book 20, Chapter 5, Section 3), who was high priest when Quadratus, who preceded Felix, was president of Syria.

He was sent bound to Rome by Quadratus, at the same time as Ananias, the prefect of the temple, so that they might give an account of their conduct to Claudius Caesar (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book 20, Chapter 6, Section 2). However, as a result of the intercession of Agrippa the Younger, they were dismissed and returned to Jerusalem.

Ananias, however, was not restored to the office of high priest. When Felix was governor of Judea, this office was filled by Jonathan, who succeeded Ananias (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book 20, Chapter 10). Jonathan was slain in the temple itself, by the instigation of Felix, by assassins who had been hired for the purpose. This murder is thus described by Josephus (Antiquities of the Jews, Book 20, Chapter 8, Section 5):

"Felix bore an ill-will to Jonathan, the high priest, because he frequently gave him admonitions about governing the Jewish affairs better than he did, lest complaints should be made against him, since he had procured of Caesar the appointment of Felix as procurator of Judea. Accordingly, Felix contrived a method by which he might get rid of Jonathan, whose admonitions had become troublesome to him. Felix persuaded one of Jonathan's most faithful friends, of the name Doras, to bring the robbers upon him, and to put him to death."

This was done in Jerusalem. The robbers came into the city as if to worship God, and with daggers, which they had concealed under their garments, they put him to death. After the death of Jonathan, the office of high priest remained vacant, until King Agrippa appointed Ismael, the son of Fabi, to the office (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book 20, Chapter 8, Section 8).

It was during this interval, while the office of high priest was vacant, that the events recorded here took place. Ananias was then at Jerusalem. Since the office of high priest was vacant, and he was the last person who had held the office, it was natural that he should discharge its duties—probably by common consent—at least to the extent of presiding in the Sanhedrin.

Paul would undoubtedly have been aware of these facts. Therefore, what he said in Acts 23:5 was strictly true and is one piece of evidence that Luke's history accords precisely with the particular circumstances that existed then. When Luke here calls Ananias "the high priest," he evidently does not intend to affirm that he was actually such, but to use the word as the Jews did: as applicable to one who had held that office and who, on that occasion, when the office was vacant, performed its duties.

To smite him on the mouth—to stop him from speaking and to express their indignation at what he had said. The anger of Ananias was aroused because Paul affirmed that all he had done had been with a good conscience. Their feelings had been provoked to the utmost; they regarded him as certainly guilty, they deemed him to be an apostate, and they could not bear it that he, with such coolness and firmness, declared that all his conduct had been under the direction of a good conscience. The injustice of Ananias's command is apparent to all. A similar instance of violence occurred at the trial of the Saviour (John 18:22).