Acts 28:3

Acts 28:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.
• New International Version (NIV)Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand.
• English Standard Version (ESV)When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

Context of Acts 28:3

1When we were safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. 2The people who lived on the island were unusually kind to us. They made a fire and welcomed all of us around it because of the rain and the cold. Paul gathered a bundle of brushwood and put it on the fire. The heat forced a poisonous snake out of the brushwood. The snake bit Paul’s hand and wouldn’t let go. 4When the people who lived on the island saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer! He may have escaped from the sea, but justice won’t let him live.” 5Paul shook the snake into the fire and wasn’t harmed.

Acts 28:3 word by word

συστρέψαντος δὲ τοῦ Παύλου φρυγάνων τι πλῆθος καὶ ἐπιθέντος ἐπὶ τὴν πυρὰν ἔχιδνα ἀπὸ τῆς θέρμης ἐξελθοῦσα καθῆψεν τῆς χειρὸς αὐτοῦ.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andδέde · thenG1161
• when Paulὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• when PaulΠαῦλοςPaulos · PaulG3972
• had gatheredσυστρέφωsustrephō · to gatherG4962
• a bundleπλῆθοςplēthos · multitudeG4128
• of sticksφρύγανονphruganon · brushwoodG5434
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• laidἐπιτίθημιepitithēmi · to put/lay onG2007
• onἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• the fireπυράpura · fireG4443
• there cameἐξέρχομαιexerchomai · to go outG1831
• a viperἔχιδναechidna · snakeG2191
• out ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• the heatθέρμηthermē · heatG2329
• and fastened onκαθάπτωkathaptō · to attachG2510
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• handχείρcheir · handG5495

Cross-references for Acts 28:3

• Job 20:16The godless person sucks the poison of snakes. A viper’s fang kills him.
• Isaiah 30:6This is the divine revelation about the animals in the Negev. “My people travel through lands where they experience distress and hardship. Lions and lionesses live there. Vipers and poisonous snakes live there. They carry their riches on the backs of young donkeys and their treasures on the humps of camels to a nation that can’t help them.
• Isaiah 41:24You are nothing! You can’t do anything! Whoever chooses you is disgusting.
• Isaiah 59:5They hatch viper eggs and weave spiderwebs. Those who eat their eggs will die. When an egg is crushed, a poisonous snake is hatched.
• Matthew 3:7But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to be baptized, he said to them, “You poisonous snakes! Who showed you how to flee from God’s coming anger?
• Matthew 12:34You poisonous snakes! How can you evil people say anything good? Your mouth says what comes from inside you.
• Matthew 23:33“You snakes! You poisonous snakes! How can you escape being condemned to hell?
• Acts 28:4When the people who lived on the island saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer! He may have escaped from the sea, but justice won’t let him live.”
• Amos 5:19It is like a person who flees from a lion only to be attacked by a bear. It is like a person who goes home and puts his hand on the wall only to be bitten by a snake.
• 2 Corinthians 6:9as unknown although we are well-known, as dying although, as you see, we go on living. We are punished, but we are not killed.
• 2 Corinthians 11:23Are they Christ’s servants? It’s insane to say it, but I’m a far better one. I’ve done much more work, been in prison many more times, been beaten more severely, and have faced death more often.

Commentaries on Acts 28:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3There came a viper out of the heat - We may naturally suppose that there had been fuel laid before on the fire, and that the viper was in this fuel, and that it had been revived by the heat; and, when St. Paul laid his bundle on the fire, the viper was then in a state to lay hold on his hand.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Had gathered a bundle of sticks - For the purpose of making a fire. There came a viper - A poisonous serpent. See the notes on Matthew 3:7. The viper was doubtless in the bundle of sticks or limbs of trees which Paul had gathered, but was concealed, and was torpid. But when the bundle was laid on the fire, the viper became warmed by the heat, and came out and fastened on the hand of Paul. And fastened on his hand - ͂ kathēpsenThis word properly means to…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. 33. when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks--"a quantity of dry sticks." The vigorous activity of Paul's character is observable in this comparatively trifling action [Webster and Wilkinson]. and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat--Having laid itself up among the sticks on the approach of the cold winter season, it had suddenly recovered from its torpor by the heat. and fastened--its fangs. on his hand--Vipers dart at their enemies…Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 28:3

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

In the dictionaries

• Paul
• Paul, Saul
• Attain
• 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