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.
• 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.”
• New Living Translation (NLT)The people of the island saw it hanging from his hand and said to each other, “A murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped the sea, justice will not permit him to live.”

Context of Acts 28:4

2The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. 3Paul 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. 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.” 5But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. 6The 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.

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andδέde · thenG1161
• whenὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• the barbariansὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the barbariansβάρβαροςbarbaros · barbarianG915
• sawὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• theθηρίονthērion · wild animalG2342
• hangκρεμάωkremannumi · to hangG2910
• onἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• handχείρcheir · handG5495
• they saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• amongπρόςpros · to/withG4314
• themselvesἀλλήλωνallēlōn · one anotherG240
• No doubtπάντωςpantōs · surelyG3843
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• a murdererφονεύςphoneus · murdererG5406
• whomὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• he hath escapedδιασῴζωdiasōzō · to saveG1295
• the seaθάλασσαthalassa · seaG2281
• yet vengeanceδίκηdikē · condemnationG1349
• sufferethἐάωeaō · to allowG1439
• notοὐou · noG3756
• to liveζάωzaō · to liveG2198

Cross-references for Acts 28:4

• Acts 28:2The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold.
• Acts 28:5But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.
• Genesis 3:1Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. 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 there, jackals will fill her houses; there the owls will dwell, and there the wild goats will leap about.
• Isaiah 43:20The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen,
• Zephaniah 2:15This is the city of revelry that lived in safety. She said to herself, “I am the one! And there is none besides me.” What a ruin she has become, a lair for wild beasts! All who pass by her scoff and shake their fists.
• Luke 13:2Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?
• John 7:24Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”
• John 9:1As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth.
• Genesis 4:8Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
• Genesis 9:5And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being.
• Genesis 42:21They said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress has come on us.”
• Numbers 35:31“ ‘Do not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer, who deserves to die. They are to be put to death.
• Proverbs 28:17Anyone tormented by the guilt of murder will seek refuge in the grave; let no one hold them back.
• Isaiah 26:21See, the Lord is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will disclose the blood shed on it; the earth will conceal its slain no longer.
• Matthew 23:35And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, 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