Acts 23:3

Jewish law considered a person innocent until proved guilty, but Ananias had punished Paul before he had been charged much less tried and found guilty. Paul reacted indignantly and uttered a prophecy of Ananias’ judgment that God fulfilled later. A whitewashed wall is one that was frequently inferior on the inside but looked good outwardly (cf. Ezekiel 13:10-16; Matthew 23:27). Paul’s reaction was extreme, but as he proceeded to explain, it resulted from misunderstanding.