Acts 28:4
in Acts 28When the islanders saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “Surely this man is a murderer. Although he was saved from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And when the barbarians saw the venomous creature hanging from his hand, they said one to another, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped from the sea, yet Justice hath not suffered to live.
KJV
And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.
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This verse in Acts 28
Commentary
11 notes on this verseThe venomous beast - Το θηριον, The venomous animal; for θηρια is a general name among the Greek writers for serpents, vipers, scorpions, wasps, and such like creatures. Though the viper fastened on Paul’s hand, it does not appear that it really bit him; but the Maltese supposed that it had, because they saw it fasten on his hand. Vengeance suffereth not to live - These heathens had a general knowledge of retributive justice; and they thought that the stinging of the serpent was a proof that Paul was a murderer. There is a passage in Bamidbar Rabba, fol.
This site's exposition
gathered a bundle of sticks
on Acts 28:3-6
Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks himself, apostle and prisoner alike doing the common work, when a viper came out of the heat and fastened on his hand. The islanders' verdict is swift and pagan in its logic, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live, the goddess Justice imagined as still hunting her prey; when Paul shook off the beast into the fire and felt no harm, they swing to the opposite extreme and said that he was a god. The bench reads the whole episode as Luke's quiet demonstration of Mark 16:18's promise and of Luke 10:19's authority over serpents, without Paul himself claiming either title the crowd hands him.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Then a viper "fastened on his hand. And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live." Well also was this permitted, that they should both see the thing and utter the thought, in order that, when the result ensued, there might be no disbelieving the miracle. Observe their good feeling towards the distressed, in saying this not aloud, but among themselves - observe also the natural judgment clearly expressed even among barbarians, and how they do not condemn without assigning a reason.
"No doubt," say they, "this man is a murderer." They do not simply pronounce their judgment, but say, "No doubt," that is, as any one may see, "and vengeance," say they, "suffereth him not to live." Why then, they held also the doctrine of a Providence, and these barbarians were far more philosophic than the philosophers, who allow not the benefit of a Providence to extend to things "below the moon:" whereas these barbarians suppose God to be present everywhere, and that although a guilty man may escape many a danger, he will not escape in the end. And they do not assail him forthwith, but for a time respect him on account of his misfortune: nor do they openly proclaim their surmise, but speak it "among themselves: a murderer;" for the bonds led them to suspect this.
The Medieval Church2 voices
When Paul was gathering brushwood, a viper bit his hand and caused him no harm, because the holy man was a practitioner of faith. Having sunk its fangs into the apostle's hand and finding no sinful wound in it, the viper immediately recoiled and threw …
"They said to one another." Look: natural judgment is full of truthfulness, and among the barbarians they do not simply condemn, but having conferred among themselves with a feeling of compassion.
The Reformation1 voice
So soon as the barbarians saw. This judgment was common in all ages, that those who were grievously punished had grievously offended. Neither was this persuasion conceived of nothing; but it came rather from a true feeling of godliness.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
It is with pleasure that we trace among these barbarians the force of conscience, and the belief of a particular providence: which some people of more learning have stupidly thought it philosophy to despise. But they erred in imagining, that calamities must always be interpreted as judgments.
And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
No doubt this man is a murderer--His chains, which they would see, might strengthen the impression. whom . . . vengeance suffereth not to live--They believed in a Supreme, Resistless, Avenging Eye and Hand, however vague their notions of where it resided.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The venomous beast - The English word “beast” we usually apply to an animal of larger size than a viper. But the original θηρίον thērion is applicable to animals of any kind, and was especially applied by Greek writers to serpents. See Schleusner. No doubt - The fact that the viper had fastened on him; and that, as they supposed, he must now certainly die, was the proof from which they inferred his guilt. Is a murderer - Why they thought he was a murderer rather than guilty of some other crime is not known. It might have been: (1) Because they inferred that he must have been guilty of some very atrocious crime, and as murder was the highest crime that man could commit, they inferred that he had been guilty of this. Or, (2) More probably, they had an opinion that when divine vengeance overtook a man, he would be punished in a manner similar to the offence; and as murder is committed usually with the hand, and as the viper had fastened on the hand of Paul, they inferred that he had been guilty of taking life. It was supposed among the ancients that persons were often punished by divine vengeance in that part of the body which had been the instrument of the sin. Whom, though he hath escaped the sea - They supposed that vengeance and justice would still follow the guilty; that, though he might escape one form of punishment, yet he would be exposed to another. And this, to a certain extent, is true. These barbarians reasoned from great original principles, written on the hearts of all people by nature, that there is a God of justice, and that the guilty will be punished. They reasoned incorrectly, as many do, only because that they supposed that every calamity is a judgment for some particular sin. People often draw this conclusion, and suppose that suffering is to be traced to some particular crime, and to be regarded as a direct judgment from heaven. […]
The words behind it
31 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ὡς | hos | When | G5613 → | 500 times |
| δὲ | de | then | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| εἶδον | eidon | saw | G1492 → | 374 times |
| οἱ | hoi | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| βάρβαροι | barbaroi | natives | G915 → | |
| κρεμάμενον | kremamenon | hanging | G2910 → | 7 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θηρίον | therion | beast | G2342 → | 46 times |
| ἐκ | ek | from | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τῆς | tes | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| χειρὸς | cheiros | hand | G5495 → | 175 times |
| αὐτοῦ, | autou | of him, | G846 → | 5565 times |
| πρὸς | pros | to | G4314 → | 700 times |
| ἀλλήλους | allelous | one another | G240 → | 100 times |
| ἔλεγον· | elegon | they were saying: | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| πάντως | pantos | By all means | G3843 → | |
| φονεύς | phoneus | a murderer | G5406 → | 7 times |
| ἐστιν | estin | is | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἄνθρωπος | anthropos | man | G444 → | 549 times |
| οὗτος, | houtos | this, | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| ὃν | hon | whom | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| διασωθέντα | diasothenta | having been saved | G1295 → | 8 times |
| ἐκ | ek | from | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τῆς | tes | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θαλάσσης | thalasses | sea | G2281 → | 90 times |
| ἡ | he | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δίκη | dike | Justice | G1349 → | |
| ζῆν | zen | to live | G2198 → | 139 times |
| οὐκ | ouk | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| εἴασεν.¶ | eiasen | has permitted. | G1439 → | 11 times |
ὩςWhen
hosG5613 →500 times
δὲthen
deG1161 →2765 times
εἶδονsaw
eidonG1492 →374 times
οἱthe
hoiG3588 →19766 times
βάρβαροιnatives
barbaroiG915 →
κρεμάμενονhanging
kremamenonG2910 →7 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
θηρίονbeast
therionG2342 →46 times
ἐκfrom
ekG1537 →911 times
τῆςthe
tesG3588 →19766 times
χειρὸςhand
cheirosG5495 →175 times
αὐτοῦ,of him,
autouG846 →5565 times
πρὸςto
prosG4314 →700 times
ἀλλήλουςone another
allelousG240 →100 times
ἔλεγον·they were saying:
elegonG3004 →1325 times
πάντωςBy all means
pantosG3843 →
φονεύςa murderer
phoneusG5406 →7 times
ἐστινis
estinG1510 →2333 times
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
ἄνθρωποςman
anthroposG444 →549 times
οὗτος,this,
houtosG3778 →1381 times
ὃνwhom
honG3739 →1405 times
διασωθένταhaving been saved
diasothentaG1295 →8 times
ἐκfrom
ekG1537 →911 times
τῆςthe
tesG3588 →19766 times
θαλάσσηςsea
thalassesG2281 →90 times
ἡ<the>
heG3588 →19766 times
δίκηJustice
dikeG1349 →
ζῆνto live
zenG2198 →139 times
οὐκnot
oukG3756 →1664 times
εἴασεν.¶has permitted.
eiasenG1439 →11 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Acts 28:5But Paul shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.
it leads to
- Luke 10:19
Behold, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you.
- Mark 16:18
they will pick up snakes with their hands, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not harm them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be made well.”
- Psalms 91:13
You will tread on the lion and cobra; you will trample the young lion and serpent.
- Luke 10:19
Through
John 7:24Stop judging by outward appearances, and start judging justly.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 11:3–4
And He will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what His eyes see, and He will not decide by what His ears hear,
- James 2:9
But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
- John 8:15
You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.
- Proverbs 17:15
Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous—both are detestable to the LORD.
- Isaiah 11:3–4
Through
Luke 13:2To this He replied, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered this fate?
it leads to
- John 9:2
and His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
- John 9:2
Where this verse is studied
About Acts
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 54; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.