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

3As Paul gathered an armful of sticks and was laying them on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, bit him on the hand. 4The 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.” But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed. 6The people waited for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw that he wasn’t harmed, they changed their minds and decided he was a god. 7Near the shore where we landed was an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and treated us kindly for three days.

Acts 28:5 word by word

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• ·μένmen · on the other handG3303
• he shook offἀποτινάσσωapotinassō · to shake offG660
• the beastθηρίονthērion · wild animalG2342
• intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• the fireπῦρpur · fireG4442
• and feltπάσχωpaschō pathō penthō · to sufferG3958
• noοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762
• harmκακόςkakos · evil/harm: harmG2556

Cross-references for Acts 28:5

• Numbers 21:6So the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died.
• Psalms 91:13You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!
• Mark 16:18They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”
• Luke 10:19Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you.
• John 3:14And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole 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. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
• Revelation 9:3Then locusts came from the smoke and descended on the earth, and they were given power to sting like scorpions.

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