Acts 28:4

Acts 28:4 in other versions

• King James Version (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.
• New International Version (NIV)When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)When the native people saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, "No doubt this man is a murderer. Though he has escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live."
• New King James Version (NKJV)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.”

Context of Acts 28:4

2The islanders showed us extraordinary kindness. They kindled a fire and welcomed all of us because it was raining and cold. 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. 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.” 5But Paul shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. 6The islanders were expecting him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

Acts 28:4 word by word

Ὡς δὲ εἶδον οἱ βάρβαροι κρεμάμενον τὸ θηρίον ἐκ τῆς χειρὸς αὐτοῦ, πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἔλεγον· πάντως φονεύς ἐστιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος, ὃν διασωθέντα ἐκ τῆς θαλάσσης ἡ δίκη ζῆν οὐκ εἴασεν.¶Read the interlinear

• ·δέde · thenG1161
• Whenὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• theὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• islandersβάρβαροςbarbaros · barbarianG915
• sawὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• creatureθηρίονthērion · wild animalG2342
• hangingκρεμάωkremannumi · to hangG2910
• fromἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• handχείρcheir · handG5495
• they saidεἶπονepō · to sayG2036
• toπρόςpros · to/withG4314
• one anotherἀλλήλωνallēlōn · one anotherG240
• Surelyπάντωςpantōs · surelyG3843
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• a murdererφονεύςphoneus · murdererG5406
• ·ὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• was savedδιασῴζωdiasōzō · to saveG1295
• seaθάλασσαthalassa · seaG2281
• Justiceδίκηdikē · condemnationG1349
• has notοὐou · noG3756
• allowedἐάωeaō · to allowG1439
• to liveζάωzaō · to liveG2198

Cross-references for Acts 28:4

• Acts 28:2The islanders showed us extraordinary kindness. They kindled a fire and welcomed all of us because it was raining and cold.
• Acts 28:5But Paul shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.
• Genesis 3:1Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field that the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’”
• Isaiah 13:21But desert creatures will lie down there, and howling creatures will fill her houses. Ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will leap about.
• Isaiah 43:20The beasts of the field will honor Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I provide water in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My chosen people.
• Zephaniah 2:15This carefree city that dwells securely, that thinks to herself: “I am it, and there is none besides me,” what a ruin she has become, a resting place for beasts. Everyone who passes by her hisses and shakes his fist.
• Luke 13:2To this He replied, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered this way?
• John 7:24Stop judging by outward appearances, and start judging justly.”
• John 9:1Now as Jesus was passing by, He saw a man blind from birth,
• Genesis 4:8Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.
• Genesis 9:5And surely I will require the life of any man or beast by whose hand your lifeblood is shed. I will demand an accounting from anyone who takes the life of his fellow man:
• Genesis 42:21Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.”
• Numbers 35:31You are not to accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who deserves to die; he must surely be put to death.
• Proverbs 28:17A man burdened by bloodguilt will flee into the Pit; let no one support him.
• Isaiah 26:21For behold, the LORD is coming out of His dwelling to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will reveal her bloodshed and will no longer conceal her slain.
• Matthew 23:35And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

Commentaries on Acts 28:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4The venomous beast - , The venomous animal; for 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…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4The venomous beast - The English word “beast” we usually apply to an animal of larger size than a viper. But the original ́ thērionis 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…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-6The people of Malta believed that justice was a personal power or a god who punished criminals. When nothing bad happened to Paul, they changed their minds. They saw that he was not harmed by the snake. So they thought he had power over snakes and said that he must be a god (compare 14:11–12). But this was not true. Paul did not have special power in himself. Instead, his survival showed that God was protecting him (compare Mark 16:17–18).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-64-6. 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.Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 28:4

• Barbarian
• Melita (Malta)
• Minister, Christian
• Paul

In the dictionaries

• the sea, the Great Sea, the western sea
• Attain
• Barbarian
• Compass
• Concern
• Confidence
• Constrain
• Escape
• Foreship
• James

Commentaries on Acts 28

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings