Acts 28 4

Acts 28:4 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.

Acts 28:4 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."

Acts 28:4 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."

Acts 28:4 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."

Acts 28:4 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."

Acts 28 verses

Acts 28 4 Meaning

Acts 28:4 describes the immediate reaction of the indigenous people of Malta upon seeing a venomous snake cling to the apostle Paul's hand. Based on their worldview, they concluded that Paul, though he had just survived a shipwreck, must be a murderer for whom divine vengeance was pursuing and would not allow to live. This verse sets up a dramatic contrast between pagan superstition and the reality of God's sovereign protection and purpose.

Acts 28 4 Context

Acts chapter 28 opens with the account of Paul and the shipwrecked company arriving safely on the island of Malta after their perilous journey. The native islanders showed them "unusual kindness," building a fire to warm them from the cold and rain. Paul, always a servant, was gathering brushwood when a viper, likely driven out by the heat of the fire, bit his hand and clung to him. Verse 4 details the islanders' immediate, fear-driven, and culturally-informed reaction to this incident, interpreting it as divine judgment for some perceived hidden sin, specifically murder, despite Paul's miraculous escape from the sea. This reaction sets the stage for the powerful demonstration of God's power through Paul, which profoundly impacts the islanders' beliefs.

Acts 28 4 Word analysis

• And when the barbarians (βάρβαροι - barbaroi):

  • Word: barbaroi originally meant non-Greek speakers, or those whose language sounded like "bar-bar" to Greeks. It didn't inherently carry a pejorative meaning of "savage" or "uncivilized" in all contexts, though it often implied cultural foreignness. Luke's use here highlights the cultural and linguistic barrier between the islanders and the Roman/Greek-speaking shipwrecked company. It emphasizes their different worldview and religious understanding.
  • Significance: It distinguishes the islanders' perspective as outside the typical Hellenistic or Jewish understanding that Luke's primary audience might possess. It sets up a clash of worldviews regarding divine justice.

• saw the venomous beast (τὸ θηρίον - to thērion):

  • Word: thērion broadly means a wild animal, beast, or dangerous creature. In this context, coupled with "venomous," it specifically refers to a viper. The detail "venomous" (echidna, implied or explicitly mentioned in some manuscripts' broader context of v. 3) immediately conveys danger and potentially death.
  • Significance: The visibility and perceived deadliness of the creature are crucial for the islanders' immediate and strong reaction. They likely recognized it as a species known to be fatal.

• hang on his hand (ἐκ τῆς χειρός αὐτοῦ - ek tēs cheiros autou):

  • Word: kathēmmenon (καθημμένον) from the previous verse means "clinging" or "hanging." ek tēs cheiros autou means "from his hand" or "on his hand."
  • Significance: This detail implies the snake's grip was visible and perhaps quite tenacious, not a quick bite and release, further heightening the dramatic visual and the perceived inevitability of death. It also sets up a stark contrast when Paul shakes it off unharmed.

• they said among themselves (ἔλεγον πρὸς ἀλλήλους - elegon pros allēlous):

  • Significance: This indicates a collective, shared interpretation, born out of common cultural beliefs. Their immediate agreement signifies a deep-seated communal understanding of such events.

• No doubt (πάντως - pantōs):

  • Word: An adverb meaning "certainly," "by all means," "absolutely."
  • Significance: This adverb conveys absolute conviction on the part of the islanders. They were completely certain of their interpretation, leaving no room for other possibilities.

• this man is a murderer (φονεύς - phoneus):

  • Word: phoneus means "murderer."
  • Significance: This is a severe accusation, identifying a specific, grave crime. In their moral framework, murder would invite severe divine retribution. This quick judgment is ironic given Paul's actual status as a follower of Christ.

• whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance (ἡ Δίκη - hē Dikē) suffereth not to live:

  • Word group: hē Dikē (Dikē is personified, often capitalized in scholarship).
  • Dikē Significance: In Greco-Roman thought, Dikē (Justice) was a goddess, or at least a powerful abstract personified concept of divine justice or retribution that tracked and punished the guilty. The islanders believed Paul's escape from the sea was temporary; Dikē had merely delayed his punishment, catching up to him on land in the form of a snakebite. This demonstrates their pagan worldview, where fate and a personified justice govern events, contrasting sharply with the Christian understanding of God's active, providential control over all circumstances. This statement directly foreshadows a polemic – a theological argument – against the notion of impersonal, punitive "vengeance" being the ultimate force in the world, soon to be proven false by God's action through Paul.
  • Significance of the full phrase: It powerfully encapsulates the islanders' belief system: severe misfortune is a direct, inescapable consequence of equally severe, hidden sin. Their logic dictates that a divine, impersonal force (Dikē) has intervened to correct an apparent imbalance (escaping death by sea) by delivering a new form of death.

Acts 28 4 Bonus section

The islanders' quick leap to the conclusion of "murderer" could stem from local folklore regarding particular kinds of venomous snake bites as specific divine judgments, perhaps against crimes of blood. The personification of Dikē was well-established in the Hellenistic world, embodying an impersonal, unyielding principle of justice that demanded a life for a life or proportional retribution. This belief starkly contrasts with the biblical understanding of a personal, loving, yet righteous God who permits suffering for various reasons—not always punitive—and who extends grace. While some debate exists on whether Malta had venomous snakes historically, the narrative strongly presents the animal as deadly in the perception of the islanders, making their conclusion plausible within their cultural context. Paul's eventual actions (shaking off the snake and remaining unharmed) not only defied their interpretation of Dikē but likely caused them to shift their initial judgment from "murderer" to potentially "a god," highlighting their mercurial understanding of divinity (as seen later in Acts 14 with Barnabas and Paul in Lystra).

Acts 28 4 Commentary

Acts 28:4 presents a vivid scene of human judgment shaped by a pagan worldview. The Maltex islanders, witnessing Paul bitten by a snake immediately after surviving a shipwreck, conclude with certainty that he is a murderer being pursued by personified Justice (Dikē). This assumption, common in ancient cultures and even among some religious communities today (e.g., Job's friends), directly links suffering or misfortune to a specific, hidden sin. It completely misunderstands the nature of divine justice and overlooks God's sovereign hand in all events. Paul's calm, unharmed reaction, and subsequent ministry, serve as a profound rebuttal to their misinterpretation, showcasing God's protection for His chosen instrument and the power of the Gospel to overturn superstitious beliefs and reveal true divine providence. It's a reminder that not all suffering is direct punishment, and God often uses seemingly negative circumstances for a greater purpose.