Acts 18:6

Verse Acts 18:6. 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; Matthew 10:14. See a parallel act, and its signification, in Nehemiah 5:13: Also I SHOOK MY LAP, and said, So shall God SHAKE every man FROM HIS HOUSE and FROM his LABOUR; 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 labour no more with you; and, from henceforth, shall confine my labours 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 Acts 19:8; Acts 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 Acts 19:8; Acts 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.