Acts 28:4

Verse

When 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.”

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

Bible in Basic English

And when the people saw it hanging on his hand, they said to one another, Without doubt this man has put someone to death, and though he has got safely away from the sea, God will not let him go on living.

Douay-Rheims 1899

And when the barbarians saw the beast hanging on his hand, they said one to another: Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, who though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance doth not suffer him to live.

Free Bible Version

When the people there saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer. Even though he escaped death from the sea, Justice won't let him live.”

Geneva Bible 1599

Nowe when ye Barbarians saw the worme hang on his hand, they said among themselues, This man surely is a murtherer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet Vengeance hath not suffered to liue.

King James (Authorized) Version

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.

Plain English Version

The people saw it hanging from Paul’s hand, and they knew that it was a cheeky snake, so they said to each other, “I reckon that prisoner murdered somebody. He was lucky in the sea, and he didn’t drown, but the god that punishes people will not let him stay alive. That snake will kill him dead.”

Translation for Translators

The islanders knew that the snake was poisonous, so when they saw it hanging from Paul’s hand, they said to each other, “Probably this man has murdered someone. Although he has escaped from being drowned, the god ◄who pays people back/who punishes people► for their [MTY] sins will cause him to die.”

Unlocked Literal Bible

When the native people saw the animal hanging from his hand, they said one to another, “This man certainly is a murderer who escaped from the sea, yet justice does not permit him to live.”

Noah Webster Bible

And when the barbarians saw the animal 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.

World English Bible

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 from the sea, yet Justice has not allowed to live.”

Young's Literal Translation

And when the foreigners saw the beast hanging from his hand, they said unto one another, 'Certainly this man is a murderer, whom, having been saved out of the sea, the justice did not suffer to live;'

Context

Ashore on Malta

³Paul 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. ⁴When 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.”⁵But Paul shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.

Summary

In Acts 28:4, we see an extraordinary event where the Apostle Paul is bitten by a venomous snake on the island of Malta. Despite the danger, Paul remains unharmed, showcasing God's miraculous protection over His faithful servant. This incident serves as a powerful demonstration of God's sovereignty and the fulfillment of Jesus' promise in Mark 16:18 that believers will be unharmed by deadly things. It also serves to confirm Paul's authority as a messenger of God, leading many on the island to believe in the power of the Gospel.

Commentary

Adam Clarke
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

The 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. 239, that casts some light on this place. "Although the Sanhedrin is ceased, yet are not the four deaths ceased. For he that deserves stoning either falls from his house, or a wild beast tears and devours him. He that deserves burning either falls into the fire, or a serpent bites him. He that deserves cutting of with the sword is either betrayed into the power of a heathen kingdom, or the robbers break in upon him. He that deserves strangling is either suffocated in the water, or dies of a quinsy." See Lightfoot. As these people were heathens, it is not likely that they had any correct notion of the justice of the true God; and therefore it is most probable that they used the word δικη, not to express the quality or attribute of any being, but the goddess Dik, or vindictive Justice, herself, who is represented as punishing the iniquities of men. Hesiod makes a goddess of what the Maltese called Δικη, or Justice: - Η δε τε παρθενος εϚι ΔΙΚΗ, Διος εκγεγαυια, Κυδνη τ' αιδοιη τε θεοις, οἱ Ολυμπον εχουσιν· Και ρ' ὁποτ' αν τις μιν βλαπτῃ σκολιως ονοταζων. Αυτικα παρ Διΐ πατρι καθεζομενη Κρονιωνι Γηρυετ' ανθρωπων αδικον νοον· Hesiod. Opera, ver. 254. Justice, unspotted maid, derived from Jove, Renown'd and reverenced by the gods above: When mortals violate her sacred laws, When judges hear the bribe and not the cause, Close by her parent god, behold her stand, And urge the punishment their sins demand. Coke.

John Gill Bible Commentary

And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast,.... The viper is called "Therion", a beast, it being of the viviparous kind; and hence comes "Theriaca", or "Venice treacle", the foundation of which composition is vipers' flesh; and it is called venomous, because it is of all serpents the most venomous: this when the country people saw hang on his hand, having wrapped itself about it, they said among themselves, no doubt this man is a murderer: they might see he was a prisoner by his chain, or might learn it from some of the company, and therefore took it for granted he had been guilty of some crime; and by the viper's fastening on him, they concluded it was murder he was guilty of; for the same notion might obtain among them, as among the Jews, that a murderer that could not be legally convicted, was sometimes punished this way. "Says R. Simeon ben Shetach (l), may I never see the consolation, if I did not see one run after his friend into a desert place; and I ran after him, and I saw the sword in his hand, and the blood dropping, and he that was slain panting; and I said to him, O wicked man, who has slain this? either I or thou; but what shall I do? for thy blood is not delivered into my hand; "for the law says, by the mouth of two or three witnesses he shall surely die" (#De 17:6): may he that knows the thoughts take vengeance on that man that slew his friend; they say, they did not remove from thence, , "till a serpent came", and bit him, and he died.'' So the Jews observe, that when the execution of capital punishments was taken away from them, yet such who deserved them were punished by God in a way equivalent to them: so for instance, if a man committed a crime, for which he deserved to be burnt, either he fell into the fire, or , "a serpent bit him" (m); or if he deserved to be strangled, either he was drowned in a river, or died of a quinsy. There is a kind of an asp which the Egyptians call "Thermuthis", which they reckon sacred, and worship: this they say will not hurt good men, but destroys the wicked; and if so, says the historian, then "vengeance", or justice has honoured this creature, to be so sharp sighted as to discern the good from the bad; and they say, Isis sends it to the most wicked (n). Agreeably to which these men reason, whom though he hath escaped the sea: has not been drowned there, when shipwrecked, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. The Greek word "Dice" rendered "vengeance", is the name of a goddess among the Heathens, said to be the daughter of Jupiter and Themis (o). She is represented as sitting by her father Jupiter; and when anyone does injury to another, informs him of it (p). She is painted sorrowful, and with a contracted forehead, a grave countenance, and a rough aspect, to strike terror in unrighteous persons, and give confidence to righteous ones (q), agreeably to her name, which signifies "justice". This deity the barbarians supposed pursued Paul; and though she let him escape the sea, she will not suffer him to live any longer; for they looked upon the viper's fastening on him, as to be sent by her, so to be immediate death to him. (l) T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 37. 2. & Shebuot, fol. 34. 1. (m) Bemidbar Rabba, fol. 214. 2. & T. Bab. Sanhedrin, ib. & Sota, fol. 8. 2. (n) Aelian de Animal l. 10. c. 31. (o) Apollodarus de Deorurn Origon. l. 1. p. 6. Phurnutus de Natura Deorum, p. 80. (p) Hesiod Opera, &c. v. 254, 255. (q) Chrysippus apud Geilium, l. 14. c. 4.

Acts 28:4

Ashore on Malta

Scripture
Sermons
Commentary

Berean Standard Bible

When 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.”

American Standard Version (1901)

Bible in Basic English

Douay-Rheims 1899

And when the barbarians saw the beast hanging on his hand, they said one to another: Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, who though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance doth not suffer him to live.

Free Bible Version

When the people there saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer. Even though he escaped death from the sea, Justice won't let him live.”

Geneva Bible 1599

Nowe when ye Barbarians saw the worme hang on his hand, they said among themselues, This man surely is a murtherer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet Vengeance hath not suffered to liue.

King James (Authorized) Version

Plain English Version

Translation for Translators

Unlocked Literal Bible

When the native people saw the animal hanging from his hand, they said one to another, “This man certainly is a murderer who escaped from the sea, yet justice does not permit him to live.”

Noah Webster Bible

And when the barbarians saw the animal 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.

World English Bible

Young's Literal Translation

Adam Clarke
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Acts 28:4

Verse

Context

Ashore on Malta

Summary

Commentary

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Acts 28:4

Ashore on Malta

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary