But when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood is on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
Parallel translations
- WEB When 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!”
- KJV 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.
- BSB But 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.”
- NKJV But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
- NLT But when they opposed and insulted him, Paul shook the dust from his clothes and said, “Your blood is upon your own heads—I am innocent. From now on I will go preach to the Gentiles.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
When the Jews opposed and reviled him, Paul symbolically shook out his garments and turned to the Gentiles, declaring himself innocent of their fate.
Overview
Shaking out his clothes echoed Jesus' instruction to shake off the dust against those who reject the message (Luke 9:5; Acts 13:51). Paul's words recall Ezekiel's watchman, who is guiltless once he has warned the people (Ezek. 33:1-9). This marks another turning to the Gentiles, yet not a final rejection of the Jews, for Paul keeps preaching to them in city after city.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 34
- Ezek 33:4then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet, and doesn’t take warning, if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be on his own head.
- 2 Sam 1:16David said to him, “Your blood be on your head; for your mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have slain Yahweh’s anointed.’”
- Ezek 33:8–9When I tell the wicked, O wicked man, you shall surely die, and you don’t speak to warn the wicked from his way; that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at your hand.
- Ezek 18:13has lent on interest, and has taken increase; shall he then live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominations. He shall surely die. His blood shall be on him.
- Acts 13:51But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came to Iconium.
- Neh 5:13Also I shook out my lap, and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house, and from his labor, that doesn’t perform this promise; even be he shaken out, and emptied like this.” All the assembly said, “Amen,” and praised Yahweh. The people did according to this promise.
- 1 Pet 4:4They think it is strange that you don’t run with them into the same excess of riot, blaspheming:
- Acts 13:45–47But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul, and blasphemed.
- 1 Pet 4:14If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed; because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. On their part he is blasphemed, but on your part he is glorified.
- 1 Th 2:14–16For you, brothers, became imitators of the assemblies of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus; for you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews;
- Luke 9:5As many as don’t receive you, when you depart from that city, shake off even the dust from your feet for a testimony against them.”
- Luke 10:10–11But into whatever city you enter, and they don’t receive you, go out into its streets and say,
- Acts 28:28“Be it known therefore to you, that the salvation of God is sent to the nations, and they will listen.”
- Matt 27:25All the people answered, “May his blood be on us, and on our children!”
- Rom 3:29Or is God the God of Jews only? Isn’t he the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,
- 2 Tim 2:25in gentleness correcting those who oppose him: perhaps God may give them repentance leading to a full knowledge of the truth,
- Ezek 3:18–19When I tell the wicked, ‘You will surely die;’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but I will require his blood at your hand.
- Matt 22:10Those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together as many as they found, both bad and good. The wedding was filled with guests.
- Matt 10:14Whoever doesn’t receive you, nor hear your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake off the dust from your feet.
- Acts 20:26–27Therefore I testify to you today that I am clean from the blood of all men,
- Rom 10:12–13For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich to all who call on him.
- Acts 19:9–10But when some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.
- Acts 26:20but declared first to them of Damascus, at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
- Jas 2:6–7But you have dishonored the poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you, and personally drag you before the courts?
- Acts 26:11Punishing them often in all the synagogues, I tried to make them blaspheme. Being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.
- Luke 22:65They spoke many other things against him, insulting him.
- Matt 21:43“Therefore I tell you, God’s Kingdom will be taken away from you, and will be given to a nation producing its fruit.
- Matt 8:11I tell you that many will come from the east and the west, and will sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven,
- Lev 20:9“‘For everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death: he has cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.
- Lev 20:11–12“‘The man who lies with his father’s wife has uncovered his father’s nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
- Rom 11:11–15I ask then, did they stumble that they might fall? May it never be! But by their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy.
- Rom 9:25–26As he says also in Hosea, “I will call them ‘my people,’ which were not my people; and her ‘beloved,’ who was not beloved.”
- 1 Tim 5:22Lay hands hastily on no one, neither be a participant in other men’s sins. Keep yourself pure.
- Rom 9:30–33What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who didn’t follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith;
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.
How Acts 18:6 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.