28 2 The Barbarians’ courtesy towards Paul and his company. 3 A viper on Paul’s hand: 6 He shaketh it off without harm: 8 Publius  9 and others are by him healed. 11 They depart from Malta, 16 and come to Rome. 17 Paul openeth to the Jews, 20 the cause of his coming: 22 He preacheth Jesus 30 two years.

And when they were come safe, then they knew that the Isle was called [a]Malta.

And the Barbarians showed us no little kindness, for they kindled a fire, and received us everyone, because of the present shower, and because of the cold.

[b]And when Paul had gathered a number of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and leaped on his hand.

[c]Now when the Barbarians saw the worm hang on his hand, they said among themselves, This man surely is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet [d]Vengeance hath not suffered to live.

But he shook off the worm into the fire, and felt no harm.

Howbeit they waited when he should have [e]swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: [f]but after they had looked a great while, and saw no inconvenience come to him, they changed their minds, and said, That he was a God.

[g]In the same quarters, the chief man of the Isle (whose name was Publius) had possessions: the same received us, and lodged us three days courteously.

And so it was, that the father of Publius lay sick of the fever, and of a bloody flix: to whom Paul entered in, and when he prayed, he laid his hands on him, and healed him.

[h]When this then was done, others also in the Isle, which had diseases, came to him, and were healed,

10 [i]Which also did us great honor: and when we departed, they laded us with things necessary.

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 28:1 That is it which at this day we call Malta.
  2. Acts 28:3 The godly are sure to have danger upon danger, but they have always a glorious issue.
  3. Acts 28:4 Although adversity be the punishment of sin, yet seeing that God in punishing of men doth not always respect sin, they judge rashly, which either do not wait for the end, or do judge and esteem of men according to prosperity or adversity.
  4. Acts 28:4 Right and reason.
  5. Acts 28:6 The Greek word signifieth, to be inflamed, or to swell: moreover Dioscorides in book 6, chap. 38, witnesseth, that the biting of a viper causeth a swelling of the body, and so saith Nicander, in his remedies against poisons.
  6. Acts 28:6 There is nothing more unconstant, every way, than they which are ignorant of true religion.
  7. Acts 28:7 It never yet repented any man, that received the servant of God, were he never so miserable and poor.
  8. Acts 28:9 Although Paul were a captive, yet the virtue of God was not captive.
  9. Acts 28:10 God doeth well to strangers for his children’s sake.

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