🌊WEB · Acts 28:4
What does Acts 28:4 mean?
"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 from the sea, yet Justice has not allowed to live.”"
— Acts 28:4 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
When we had escaped, then they learned that the island was called Malta.
The natives showed us uncommon kindness; for they kindled a fire, and received us all, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.
But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand.
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 from the sea, yet Justice has not allowed to live.”
However he shook off the creature into the fire, and wasn’t harmed.
But they expected that he would have swollen or fallen down dead suddenly, but when they watched for a long time and saw nothing bad happen to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.
Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us, and courteously entertained us for three days.
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