Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Acts 23:3

"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?" — Acts 23:3 (ASV)

Indignant at the affront, Paul lashed out at Ananias and accused him of breaking the Jewish law, which safeguarded the rights of defendants and presumed them innocent until proved guilty. Paul was not yet charged with a crime, let alone tried and found guilty. Anyone who behaved as Ananias did, Paul knew, was bound to come under God’s judgment. Paul’s words were more prophetic than he realized, for Ananias’s final days were lived as a hunted animal and ended at the hands of his own people. Paul’s retort to Ananias’ order seems quite out of character for a follower of the one who “when they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats” (1 Peter 2:23). Paul momentarily lost his composure —as evidently Ananias hoped he would—and put himself at a disadvantage before the council. We cannot excuse this sudden burst of anger, though we must not view it self-righteously. We are made of the same stuff as Paul, and his provocation was greater than most of us will ever face. Paul himself realized his wrong and quickly acknowledged it.