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 natives showed us extraordinary kindness; for because of the rain that had set in and because of the cold, they kindled a fire and received us all. 3But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand. When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, “Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.” 5However he shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm. 6But they were expecting that he was about to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had waited a long time and had seen nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and began to say that 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

• Whenὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• nativesβάρβαροςbarbaros · barbarianG915
• sawὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• the creatureθηρίονthērion · wild animalG2342
• hangingκρεμάωkremannumi · to hangG2910
• from his handχείρcheir · handG5495
• sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• to oneἀλλήλωνallēlōn · one anotherG240
• Undoubtedlyπάντωςpantōs · surelyG3843
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• is a murdererφονεύςphoneus · murdererG5406
• and though he has been savedδιασῴζωdiasōzō · to saveG1295
• from the seaθάλασσαthalassa · seaG2281
• justiceδίκηdikē · condemnationG1349
• has not allowedἐάωeaō · to allowG1439
• him to liveζάωzaō · to liveG2198

Cross-references for Acts 28:4

• Acts 28:2The natives showed us extraordinary kindness; for because of the rain that had set in and because of the cold, they kindled a fire and received us all.
• Acts 28:5However he shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm.
• Genesis 3:1Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”
• Isaiah 13:21But desert creatures will lie down there, And their houses will be full of owls; Ostriches also will live there, and shaggy goats will frolic there.
• Isaiah 43:20The beasts of the field will glorify Me, The jackals and the ostriches, Because I have given waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My chosen people.
• Zephaniah 2:15This is the exultant city Which dwells securely, Who says in her heart, “I am, and there is no one besides me.” How she has become a desolation, A resting place for beasts! Everyone who passes by her will hiss And wave his hand in contempt.
• Luke 13:2And Jesus said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate?
• John 7:24Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”
• John 9:1As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth.
• Genesis 4:8Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.
• Genesis 9:5Surely I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require it. And from every man, from every man’s brother I will require the life of man.
• Genesis 42:21Then they said to one another, “Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us.”
• Numbers 35:31Moreover, you shall not take ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death.
• Proverbs 28:17A man who is laden with the guilt of human blood Will be a fugitive until death; let no one support him.
• Isaiah 26:21For behold, the Lord is about to come out from His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; And the earth will reveal her bloodshed And will no longer cover her slain.
• Matthew 23:35so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the 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