New Living Translation
Acts 28:6
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.
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
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.” 5But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed. The 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. 8As it happened, Publius’s father was ill with fever and dysentery. Paul went in and prayed for him, and laying his hands on him, he healed him.
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 gave him a great ovation, shouting, “It’s the voice of a god, not of a man!”
- Acts 14:11When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in their local dialect, “These men are gods in human form!”
- Matthew 21:9Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise God in highest heaven!”
- Matthew 27:22Pilate responded, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” They shouted back, “Crucify him!”
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
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