God’s Word Translation
Acts 28:6
6The people were waiting for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But after they had waited a long time and saw nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.
Acts 28:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.
- English Standard Version (ESV)They were waiting for him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw no misfortune come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.
- New King James Version (NKJV)However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.
Context of Acts 28:6
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. The people were waiting for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But after they had waited a long time and saw nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god. 7A man named Publius, who was the governor of the island, had property around the area. He welcomed us and treated us kindly, and for three days we were his guests. 8His father happened to be sick in bed. He was suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went to him, prayed, placed his hands on him, and made him well.
Read all of Acts 28Acts 28:6 word by word
οἱ δὲ προσεδόκων αὐτὸν μέλλειν πίμπρασθαι ἢ καταπίπτειν ἄφνω νεκρόν· ἐπὶ πολὺ δὲ αὐτῶν προσδοκώντων καὶ θεωρούντων μηδὲν ἄτοπον εἰς αὐτὸν γινόμενον μεταβαλόμενοι ἔλεγον αὐτὸν εἶναι θεόν.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Howbeitδέde · thenG1161
- they lookedπροσδοκάωprosdokaō · to look forG4328
- when heαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- shouldμέλλωmellō · to ensueG3195
- have swollenπίμπρημιpimprēmi · to swell upG4092
- orἤē · orG2228
- fallen downκαταπίπτωkatapiptō · to fall downG2667
- deadνεκρόςnekros · deadG3498
- suddenlyἄφνωaphnō · suddenlyG869
- ·ἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
- a great whileπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- sawθεωρέωtheōreō · to see/experienceG2334
- noμηδείςmēdeis mēdemia mēden · nothingG3367
- harmἄτοποςatopos · wrongG824
- comeγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
- toεἰςeis · towardG1519
- they changed their mindsμεταβάλλωmetaballō · to change mindG3328
- and said thatλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- wasεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- a godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
Cross-references for Acts 28:6
- Acts 12:22The people started shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!”
- Acts 14:11The crowds who saw what Paul had done shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come to us, and they look human.”
- Matthew 21:9The crowd that went ahead of him and that followed him was shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
- Matthew 27:22Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with Jesus, who is called Christ?” “He should be crucified!” they all said.
Commentaries on Acts 28:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6When he should have swollen - , When he should have been inflamed: by means of an acrid poison introduced into the blood, it is soon coagulated; and, in consequence, the extremities of the vessels become obstructed, strong inflammation takes place, and all the parts become most painfully swollen. Lucan, ix. v. 791, gives a terrible account of this effect of the bite of a serpent: - - illi rubor igneus ora Succendit, tenditque cutem, pereunte figura…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6When he should have swollen - When they expected that he would have swollen from the bite of the viper. The poison of the viper is rapid, and they expected that he would die soon. The word rendered “swollen” ́ pimprasthaimeans properly “to burn; to be inflamed,” and then “to be swollen from inflammation.” This was what they expected here, that the poison would produce a violent inflammation. Or fallen down dead suddenly - As is sometimes the case from the…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 28:6
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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