diff --git a/docopt.coffee b/docopt.coffee
index fde90f4..ff746a8 100644
--- a/docopt.coffee
+++ b/docopt.coffee
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ parse_pattern = (source, options) ->
                          DocoptLanguageError
     result = parse_expr tokens, options
     if tokens.current() is not null
-        raise tokens.error 'unexpected ending: ' + tokens.join ' '
+        throw tokens.error 'unexpected ending: ' + tokens.join ' '
     new Required result
 
 
@@ -380,7 +380,7 @@ parse_atom = (tokens, options) ->
 
         result = [new Required parse_expr tokens, options]
         if tokens.shift() != ')'
-            raise tokens.error "Unmatched '('"
+            throw tokens.error "Unmatched '('"
         result
     else if token is '['
         tokens.shift()
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ parse_atom = (tokens, options) ->
         else
             result = [new Optional parse_expr tokens, options]
         if tokens.shift() != ']'
-            raise tokens.error "Unmatched '['"
+            throw tokens.error "Unmatched '['"
         result
     else if token[0..1] is '--'
         if token is '--'
diff --git a/docopt.js b/docopt.js
index fdd0585..1e26fb7 100644
--- a/docopt.js
+++ b/docopt.js
@@ -699,7 +699,7 @@
     tokens = new TokenStream(source.replace(/([\[\]\(\)\|]|\.\.\.)/g, ' $1 '), DocoptLanguageError);
     result = parse_expr(tokens, options);
     if (tokens.current() === !null) {
-      raise(tokens.error('unexpected ending: ' + tokens.join(' ')));
+      throw tokens.error('unexpected ending: ' + tokens.join(' '));
     }
     return new Required(result);
   };
@@ -745,7 +745,7 @@
       tokens.shift();
       result = [new Required(parse_expr(tokens, options))];
       if (tokens.shift() !== ')') {
-        raise(tokens.error("Unmatched '('"));
+        throw tokens.error("Unmatched '('");
       }
       return result;
     } else if (token === '[') {
@@ -757,7 +757,7 @@
         result = [new Optional(parse_expr(tokens, options))];
       }
       if (tokens.shift() !== ']') {
-        raise(tokens.error("Unmatched '['"));
+        throw tokens.error("Unmatched '['");
       }
       return result;
     } else if (token.slice(0, 2) === '--') {