Acts 28:5

Acts 28:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.
• New International Version (NIV)But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.
• English Standard Version (ESV)He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm.

Context of Acts 28:5

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.” But 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. 7Nearby stood an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and entertained us hospitably for three days.

Acts 28:5 word by word

Ὁ μὲν οὖν τὸ θηρίον εἰς τὸ πῦρ ἔπαθεν οὐδὲν κακόν.Read the interlinear

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Butμένmen · on the other handG3303
• ·οὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• shookἀποτινάσσωapotinassō · to shake offG660
• creatureθηρίονthērion · wild animalG2342
• off intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• fireπῦρpur · fireG4442
• sufferedπάσχωpaschō pathō penthō · to sufferG3958
• noοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762
• ill effectsκακόςkakos · evil/harm: harmG2556

Cross-references for Acts 28:5

• Numbers 21:6So the LORD sent venomous snakes among the people, and many of the Israelites were bitten and died.
• Psalms 91:13You will tread on the lion and cobra; you will trample the young lion and serpent.
• 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.”
• 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.
• John 3:14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
• Romans 16:20The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
• Revelation 9:3And out of the smoke, locusts descended on the earth, and they were given power like that of the scorpions of the earth.

Commentaries on Acts 28:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Shook 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.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5And he shook off … - In this was remarkably fulfilled the promise of the Saviour Mark 16:18; “They shall take up serpents,” etc.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 28:5

• Melita (Malta)
• Minister, Christian
• Miracles
• Paul
• Serpent

In the dictionaries

• Attain
• Compass
• Concern
• Confidence
• Constrain
• Escape
• Foreship
• James
• Kindness
• Melita

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