Acts 22:23

23 They shook their fists. They filled the air with curses.

Acts 22:23 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 22:23

And as they cried out
In this furious manner:

and cast off their clothes;
either like madmen, that knew not what they did, or in order to stone him; see ( Acts 7:57 Acts 7:58 ) .

and threw dust into the air
either with their hands, or by striking the earth, and scraping it with their feet, through indignation and wrath, like persons possessed, or mad.

Acts 22:23 In-Context

21 "But he said, 'Don't argue. Go. I'm sending you on a long journey to outsider Gentiles.'"

22 The people in the crowd had listened attentively up to this point, but now they broke loose, shouting out, "Kill him! He's an insect! Stomp on him!"

23 They shook their fists. They filled the air with curses.

24 That's when the captain intervened and ordered Paul taken into the barracks. By now the captain was thoroughly exasperated. He decided to interrogate Paul under torture in order to get to the bottom of this, to find out what he had done that provoked this outraged violence.

25 As they spread-eagled him with thongs, getting him ready for the whip, Paul said to the centurion standing there, "Is this legal: torturing a Roman citizen without a fair trial?"