Acts 28:4 - People's Commentary (NT)

Acts 28:4

2 And the ^anatives showed us unusual kindness; for they kindled a fire and made us all welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold.

3 But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

4 So when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live.”

5 But he shook off the creature into the fire and ^asuffered no harm.

6 However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and ^asaid that he was a god.

7 In that region there was an estate of the¹ leading citizen of the island, whose name was Publius, who received us and entertained us courteously for three days.

Commentaries:

People's Commentary (NT)

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Acts 28:4-6

Acts 28:4-6 The [venomous] beast. It is said that there are now no venomous serpents in Malta, but this is due to the enormous increase of the population and their extinction. The same fact has occurred in many places. This man is a murderer. The people pronounced it a judgment. Though he had escaped the sea, divine justice would not let him escape. They waited to see his hand swell, and him to fall dead, but when he shook it off in the fire and experienced no harm they changed their minds and in their superstition called him "a god" (Acts 28:6). We are hear reminded of the sudden revulsion of feeling among the Lycaonians (Acts 14:18).

Other People's Commentary (NT) entries containing Acts 28:4:

Acts 28:4-6

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Acts 28:5 >>

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