Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Acts 22:23

"And as they cried out, and threw off their garments, and cast dust into the air," — Acts 22:23 (ASV)

The garrison commander, puzzled why they were rioting and probably unable to understand Paul’s Aramaic, decided to find out the truth of the matter by scourging Paul (see comment on Mk 15:15). His earlier friendliness toward Paul soured, and the brutal part of his nature and job came to the fore. By this time Paul had already received thirty-nine lashes at the hands of Jewish authorities five times and beatings with rods by the order of Roman magistrates three times (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:24–25; 11:25; 16:22–24). But this type of flogging was far more brutal than these others. Here Paul was at the brink of the kind of unjust punishment Christ endured when Pilate, in a travesty of justice, had him flogged after declaring him innocent (Mark 15:15; Jn 18:38– 19:1).