Κράζοντες· ἄνδρες Ἰσραηλῖται, βοηθεῖτε· οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὁ κατὰ τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τοῦ τόπου τούτου πάντας πανταχοῦ διδάσκων· ἔτι τε καὶ Ἕλληνας εἰσήγαγεν εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν καὶ κεκοίνωκε τὸν ἅγιον τόπον τοῦτον· (Acts 21:28)
A Tumult of Accusation
Acts 21:28 records a dramatic escalation in Jerusalem: the Jewish crowd turns violently against Paul. But it’s not just shouting—it’s a forensically crafted slander. The Greek syntax reveals how accusations are built through participles, appositional phrases, and rhetorical exaggeration, all without a single relative pronoun.
Participial Framing: κράζοντες… διδάσκων
The verse opens with:
- κράζοντες – present active participle, nominative masculine plural of κράζω, “crying out.” It introduces the crowd’s appeal.
- διδάσκων – present active participle, masculine singular, attributively modifying ὁ ἄνθρωπος, “the man.”
Together, these participles frame the emotional urgency and accusatory posture of the moment.
Performative Vocative: Ἄνδρες Ἰσραηλῖται, βοηθεῖτε
The rallying cry is grammatically charged:
- ἄνδρες Ἰσραηλῖται – vocative plural: “Men of Israel!”
- βοηθεῖτε – present active imperative: “Help!”
This vocative + imperative formula evokes crisis rhetoric — not just a cry for assistance, but a mobilization of national identity.
Demonstrative Drama: οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος
- οὗτος – emphatic demonstrative: “This one!”
- ὁ ἄνθρωπος – the man.
The syntax mirrors judicial scenes: “This is the man!” is not just identification; it’s a declaration of guilt before trial.
Attributive Participle, Not Relative Clause
ὁ κατὰ τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τοῦ τόπου τούτου πάντας πανταχοῦ διδάσκων
This is not a relative clause (there’s no ὅς), but a string of genitive complements and accusatives governed by an attributive participle:
- ὁ… διδάσκων – “the one who teaches…”
- κατὰ τοῦ λαοῦ… – “against the people, the law, and this place”
- πάντας πανταχοῦ – “everyone, everywhere”
This is an attributive participial construction used for rapid characterization. It labels Paul as a universal subversive, not via grammar’s complexity, but its brevity and breadth.
Exaggeration as Strategy: πάντας πανταχοῦ διδάσκων
The combination of:
- πάντας – accusative plural: “everyone”
- πανταχοῦ – adverb: “everywhere”
is rhetorical hyperbole — a classic feature in mob accusations. It falsely paints Paul as omnipresent and pervasively dangerous.
The Climax: Ἕλληνας εἰσήγαγεν… κεκοίνωκε
- εἰσήγαγεν – aorist active: “he brought in”
- Ἕλληνας – Greeks; the presence of Gentiles is the core charge
- κεκοίνωκε – perfect active of κοινόω: “he has defiled”
- τὸν ἅγιον τόπον – “the holy place”
The perfect tense of κεκοίνωκε indicates ongoing pollution — not just a past act, but a lingering defilement. The crowd’s rhetoric leaves no room for restoration.
Table of Syntax and Intent
| Greek Phrase | Syntactic Role | Function | Interpretive Insight |
|---|---|---|---|
| κράζοντες | Participle (Circumstantial) | Sets scene of mob shouting | Establishes agitation and noise |
| οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος | Demonstrative + Copula | Accusatory declaration | Mimics courtroom language |
| ὁ… διδάσκων | Attributive participial phrase | Describes the accused | Compact but loaded indictment |
| πάντας πανταχοῦ | Accusative noun + adverb | Expands scope of accusation | Rhetorical exaggeration, not literal |
| κεκοίνωκε τὸν ἅγιον τόπον | Perfect verb + object | Declares ongoing defilement | Elevates charge to sacrilege |
The Grammar of Slander, the Syntax of Salvation
This verse teaches more than Greek—it reveals how language shapes law and theology. The crowd weaponizes participles, demonstratives, and rhetorical amplification to craft a charge that feels irrefutable.
Yet the true irony is this: Paul, accused of polluting the holy place, is actually the vessel of its fulfillment — drawing near not Gentile defilers, but cleansed worshipers in Christ. The lie mimics truth, but its grammar is twisted.
The gospel, by contrast, does not distort syntax — it transfigures it. From slander to proclamation, from accusation to atonement.
Grammar is never neutral. But neither is grace. This verse stands as a monument to both — and a warning that how we speak may reflect whom we serve.
