Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Acts 23:5

"And Paul said, I knew not, brethren, that he was high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of a ruler of thy people." — Acts 23:5 (ASV)

At regular meetings of the Sanhedrin, the high priest presided and would have been identifiable for that reason. But this was not a regular meeting, and the high priest may not have occupied his usual place or worn his robes of office. Also, since Paul had visited Jerusalem only sporadically during the past twenty years, and since the high priest’s office had passed from one to another within certain priestly families (cf. comment on Jn 18:12–14), Paul presumably did now know who the high priest was in A. D. 58. Nor, in fact, would he have known any of the current high priestly claimants by sight. All he could do when told he was speaking to the high priest was apologize—though more to the office than to the man—and acknowledge by citing Scripture (Exodus 22:28) that, while he did not accept the view that the OT law provided the supreme direction for life (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:15; 9:20–21), he had no intention of being guided by Christ and his Spirit to act contrary to the law or do less than the law commanded.