Acts 28:5
in Acts 28But Paul shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Howbeit he shook off the creature into the fire, and took no harm.
KJV
And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.
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This verse in Acts 28
Commentary
12 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And he shook off ... - In this was remarkably fulfilled the promise of the Saviour Mar 16:18; “They shall take up serpents,” etc.
This site's exposition
gathered a bundle of sticks
on Acts 28:3-6
When Paul gathered sticks, a viper fastened itself to his hand, and the islanders reasoned that this man is a murderer. When he suffered no ill effects, they swung round and said he was a god, a title Paul never claims.
This site's exposition
shook the creature off into the fire
Matthew Henry sees in Paul's calm shaking off of the viper the believer throwing off the temptations of Satan. John Wesley records a historian's report that no venomous serpent bred on Malta in his own day. The islanders of Paul's time expected this one to kill.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
And these also behold, that they may wonder the more. "And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm. Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god." They expected him, it says, to fall down dead: and again, having seen that nothing of the kind happened to him, they said, He is a god. Again, another excess on the part of these men.
But when he shook his hand, and flung off the beast, then they saw and were astonished. And the miracle did not take place suddenly, but the men went by the length of time, "after they had looked a great while," so plainly was there no deceit, no haste here.
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 …
And indeed he shook off the beast into the fire and suffered no harm. By the same fire that warms his own, he burns the beast, because by the same virtues both the saints make progress, and the wicked with their own author perish in …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
He carelessly shook off the viper into the fire, without any difficulty, calling for help, or any means used to loosen its hold; and it is probable that it was consumed in the fire. Thus, in the strength of the grace of Christ, believers shake off the temptations of Satan, with a holy resolution, saying, as Christ did, Get thee behind me, Satan;
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Having shaken off the venomous animal, he suffered no harm - The words of an eminent modern historian are, "No venomous kind of serpent now breeds in Malta, neither hurts if it be brought thither from another place. Children are seen there handling and playing even with scorpions;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
And he shook off the beast into the fire,.... Having held it a while, and as being master of it, and as not being afraid of it, though it was the ready way to provoke it to fasten on him again: and felt no harm; it having not bit him, nor infected him with its poison; and hereby was fulfilled what our Lord promised to his disciples, Mar 16:18;
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.
Shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm - This is a presumptive evidence that the viper did not bite St. Paul: it fastened on his hand, but had no power to injure him.
The words behind it
12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ὁ | ho | The [one] | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μὲν | men | indeed | G3303 → | 176 times |
| οὖν | oun | then | G3767 → | 497 times |
| ἀποτινάξας | apotinaxas | having shaken off | G660 → | |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θηρίον | therion | creature | G2342 → | 46 times |
| εἰς | eis | into | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πῦρ | pur | fire | G4442 → | 70 times |
| ἔπαθεν | epathen | he suffered | G3958 → | 42 times |
| οὐδὲν | ouden | no [thing] | G3762 → | 232 times |
| κακόν. | kakon | injurious. | G2556 → | 50 times |
ὉThe [one]
hoG3588 →19766 times
μὲνindeed
menG3303 →176 times
οὖνthen
ounG3767 →497 times
ἀποτινάξαςhaving shaken off
apotinaxasG660 →
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
θηρίονcreature
therionG2342 →46 times
εἰςinto
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
πῦρfire
purG4442 →70 times
ἔπαθενhe suffered
epathenG3958 →42 times
οὐδὲνno [thing]
oudenG3762 →232 times
κακόν.injurious.
kakonG2556 →50 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
Luke 10:19Behold, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you.
it leads to
- 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.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Romans 16:20
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 91:13
You will tread on the lion and cobra; you will trample the young lion and serpent.
- Revelation 11:5
If anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouths and devours their enemies. In this way, anyone who wants to harm them must be killed.
- Luke 21:17–18
And you will be hated by everyone because of My name.
- Mark 16:18
Through
Mark 16:18they 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.”
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.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- James 5:14–15
Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.
- Acts 28:3–6
Paul gathered a bundle of sticks, and as he laid them on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself to his hand.
- Luke 10:19
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies8
On this verse
On this chapter
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); Bede, Commentary on Acts; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; 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.