Acts 18 · Verse 6

Acts 18:6

And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.
Acts 18:6, King James Version

Acts 18:6 in other translations

BSBBut when they opposed and insulted him, he shook out his garments and told them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
WEBWhen they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook out his clothing and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on, I will go to the Gentiles!”
ASVAnd when they opposed themselves and blasphemed, he shook out his raiment and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.
YLTand on their resisting and speaking evil, having shaken his garments, he said unto them, ‘Your blood is upon your head--I am clean; henceforth to the nations I will go on.'
DARBYBut as they opposed and spoke injuriously, he shook his clothes, and said to them, Your blood be upon your own head: I am pure; from henceforth I will go to the nations.
BBEAnd when they put themselves against him, and said evil words, he said, shaking his clothing, Your blood be on your heads, I am clean: from now I will go to the Gentiles.
WebsterAnd when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said to them, Your blood be upon your own heads: I am clean: from henceforth I will go to the Gentiles.

What does Acts 18:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 18:5-6

5-6. And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia--that is, from Thessalonica, whither Silas had probably accompanied Timothy when sent back from Athens (see on Ac 17:15). Paul was pressed in the spirit--rather (according to what is certainly the true reading) "was pressed with the word"; expressing not only his zeal and assiduity in preaching it, but some inward pressure which at this time he experienced…

Read the full comment on Acts 18:5-6 →

Barnes' Notes
Verse 6. And when they opposed themselves. To him and his message.

And blasphemed. Acts 13:4.

He shook his raiment. As an expressive act of shaking off the guilt of their condemnation. Comp. Acts 13:45. He shook his raiment to show that he was resolved henceforward to have nothing to do with them; perhaps, also, to express the fact that God would soon shake them off, or reject them. (Doddridge.)

Your blood, etc. The guilt of your destruction is your own. You only are the cause of the destruction that is coming upon you. Mt 27:25.

I am clean. I am not to blame for your destruction. I have done my duty. The gospel had been fairly offered, and deliberately rejected; and Paul was not to blame for their ruin, which he saw was coming upon them.

I will go, etc. See Acts 13:46.

(c) "opposed themselves" 2Ti 2:25 (d) "shook his raiment" Neh 5:13 (e) "Your blood be" Eze 28:4

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 6 When they opposed - Αντιτασσομενων, Systematically opposing, putting themselves in warlike order against him: so the word implies. And blasphemed - This is precisely the way in which they still act. They have no arguments against Jesus being the Messiah; but, having made a covenant with unbelief, as soon as they are pressed on this point, they rail and blaspheme. - See the Tela ignea Satanae, by Wagenseil. He shook his raiment - This was an action similar to that of shaking the dust of the feet; see on Mat 10:14 (note). See a parallel act, and its signification, in Neh 5:13 : Also I Shook My Lap, and said, So shall God Shake every man From His House and From his Labor; even thus shall he be Shaken Out and Emptied. St. Paul's act on this occasion seems to have been the same with this of Nehemiah, and with the same signification; and it is likely that he was led by a Divine impulse to do it - thus signifying the shaking and emptying out of this disobedient people, which took place about sixteen years afterwards. Your blood be upon your own heads - That is, ye alone are the cause of the destruction that is coming upon yourselves and upon your country. I am clean - Καθαρος εγω, I am pure or innocent of your death and ruin. I have proposed to you the Gospel of Jesus Christ - the only means by which ye can be saved, and ye have utterly rejected it. I shall labor no more with you; and, from henceforth, shall confine my labors to the Gentiles. St. Paul must refer to the Jews and Gentiles of Corinth particularly; for he preached to the Jews occasionally in other places; see Act 19:8, Act 19:9; and several were brought to the knowledge of the truth. But it seems as if the Jews from this time systematically opposed the Gospel of Christ; and yet, general tenders of this salvation were made to them wherever the apostles came; and when they rejected them, the word was sent to the Gentiles; see Act 19:8, Act 19:9. Pure from blood, or pure from guilt, is commonly expressed by καθαρος; thus Heliodorus, lib. i. p. 49: Εις δευρο διετελεσα καθαραν εμαυτην απο σης ὁμιλιας φυλαττουσα, Until now I have lived, preserving myself pure: and Alciphron, lib. i. epist. 7, ad. fin.: Ουδε μιαναι λυθρῳ τας χειρας, ἁς ἡ θαλαττα εκ παιδος εις δευρο καθαρας αδικηματων εφυλαξε, Nor to stain with pollution the hands which a seafaring life has kept from a child until now pure from iniquity.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Acts 18:1-6

Though Paul was entitled to support from the churches he planted, and from the people to whom he preached, yet he worked at his calling. An honest trade, by which a man may get his bread, is not to be looked upon with contempt by any. It was the custom of the Jews to bring up their children to some trade, though they gave them learning or estates. Paul was careful to prevent prejudices, even the most unreasonable…

Read the full comment on Acts 18:1-6 →

Acts 18:6 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἈντιτασσομένωνAntitassomenōnWhen are opposingG498
δὲdehoweverG1161
αὐτῶνautōntheyG846
καὶkaiandG2532
βλασφημούντων,blasphēmountōndenigrating [him],G987
ἐκτιναξάμενοςektinaxamenoshaving shaken outG1621
τὰtatheG3588
ἱμάτιαhimatiagarmentsG2440
εἶπενeipenhe saidG2036
πρὸςprostoG4314
αὐτούς·autousthem;G846
τὸtoTheG3588
αἷμαhaimabloodG129
ὑμῶνhumōnof YouG4771
ἐπὶepi[be] uponG1909
τὴνtēntheG3588
κεφαλὴνkephalēnheadG2776
ὑμῶν,humōnof you,G4771
καθαρὸςkatharoscleanG2513
ἐγώ·egōI myself [am];G1473
ἀπὸapoFromG575
τοῦtou<the>G3588
νῦνnunnow onG3568
εἰςeistoG1519
τὰtatheG3588
ἔθνηethnēGentilesG1484
πορεύσομαι.¶poreusomaiI will go.G4198

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Acts 18:6

  • Ezekiel 33:4

    Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.

  • 2 Samuel 1:16

    And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the Lord’s anointed.

  • Ezekiel 33:8-9

    When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

  • Ezekiel 18:13

    Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.

  • Nehemiah 5:13

    Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied. And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised the Lord. And the people did according to this promise.

  • Acts 13:51

    But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium.

  • 1 Peter 4:4

    Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:

  • Luke 10:10-11

    But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

  • Acts 13:45-47

    But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

  • Luke 9:5

    And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.

  • 1 Peter 4:14

    If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

  • 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16

    For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews: Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
they.
13:45; 19:9; 26:11; Lu 22:65; 1Th 2:14-16; 2Ti 2:25; Jas 2:6,7
1Pe 4:4,14
he shook.
13:51; Ne 5:13; Mt 10:14; Lu 9:5; 10:10,11
Your.
20:26,27; Le 20:9,11,12; 2Sa 1:16; Eze 3:18,19; 18:13; 33:4,8,9
1Ti 5:22
from.
13:46,47; 19:9,10; 26:20; 28:28; Mt 8:11; 21:43; 22:10; Ro 3:29
Ro 9:25,26,30-33; 10:12,13; 11:11-15

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Acts 18:5

    And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.

  • Acts 18:6

    And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.

  • Acts 18:7

    And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man’s house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue.

Read all of Acts 18

Acts 18:6 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Mas contradiciendo y blasfemando ellos, les dijo, sacudiendo sus vestidos: Vuestra sangre sea sobre vuestra cabeza; yo, limpio; desde ahora me iré á los Gentiles.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et comme ils s’opposaient et blasphémaient, il secoua ses vêtements et leur dit: Que votre sang soit sur votre tête! Moi, je suis net: désormais je m’en irai vers les nations.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Als sie aber widerstrebten und lästerten, schüttelte er die Kleider aus und sprach zu ihnen: Euer Blut komme auf euren Kopf! Ich bin rein; von jetzt an werde ich zu den Nationen gehen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Contradicentibus autem eis, et blasphemantibus, excutiens vestimenta sua, dixit ad eos: Sanguis vester super caput vestrum: mundus ego: ex hoc ad gentes vadam.