Acts 28:1
New International Version
Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta.

New Living Translation
Once we were safe on shore, we learned that we were on the island of Malta.

English Standard Version
After we were brought safely through, we then learned that the island was called Malta.

Berean Standard Bible
Once we were safely ashore, we learned that the island was called Malta.

Berean Literal Bible
And having been saved, we then found out that the island is called Malta.

King James Bible
And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita.

New King James Version
Now when they had escaped, they then found out that the island was called Malta.

New American Standard Bible
When they had been brought safely through, then we found out that the island was called Malta.

NASB 1995
When they had been brought safely through, then we found out that the island was called Malta.

NASB 1977
And when they had been brought safely through, then we found out that the island was called Malta.

Legacy Standard Bible
And when they had been brought safely through to shore, then we learned that the island was called Malta.

Amplified Bible
After we were safe [on land], we found out that the island was called Malta.

Christian Standard Bible
Once safely ashore, we then learned that the island was called Malta.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Once ashore, we then learned that the island was called Malta.

American Standard Version
And when we were escaped, then we knew that the island was called Melita.

Contemporary English Version
When we came ashore, we learned that the island was called Malta.

English Revised Version
And when we were escaped, then we knew that the island was called Melita.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When we were safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta.

Good News Translation
When we were safely ashore, we learned that the island was called Malta.

International Standard Version
When we were safely on shore, we learned that the island was called Malta.

Majority Standard Bible
Once we were safely ashore, we learned that the island was called Malta.

NET Bible
After we had safely reached shore, we learned that the island was called Malta.

New Heart English Bible
When we had escaped, then we learned that the island was called Malta.

Webster's Bible Translation
And when they had escaped, then they knew that the isle was called Melita.

Weymouth New Testament
Our lives having been thus preserved, we discovered that the island was called Malta.

World English Bible
When we had escaped, then they learned that the island was called Malta.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And having been saved, then they knew that the island is called Malta,

Berean Literal Bible
And having been saved, we then found out that the island is called Malta.

Young's Literal Translation
And having been saved, then they knew that the island is called Melita,

Smith's Literal Translation
And having been saved, then they knew that the island is called Melita.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
AND when we had escaped, then we knew that the island was called Melita. But the barbarians shewed us no small courtesy.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And after we had escaped, we then realized that the island was called Malta. Yet truly, the natives offered us no small amount of humane treatment.

New American Bible
Once we had reached safety we learned that the island was called Malta.

New Revised Standard Version
After we had reached safety, we then learned that the island was called Malta.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
AFTERWARDS they learned that the island was called Mel’i-ta.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And after this we learned that this island was called Melita.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And when they had saved themselves, they then learned that the island was called Melita.

Godbey New Testament
And having been saved, we recognized that the island is called Melita.

Haweis New Testament
AND being safe landed, we then understood that the island was called Melita.

Mace New Testament
Having thus escap'd, we found we were upon the isle of Malta:

Weymouth New Testament
Our lives having been thus preserved, we discovered that the island was called Malta.

Worrell New Testament
And, having safely escaped, we then ascertained that the island was called Melita.

Worsley New Testament
And when they were safe on shore, they understood, that the island was called Melita.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Ashore on Malta
1Once we were safely ashore, we learned that the island was called Malta. 2The islanders showed us extraordinary kindness. They kindled a fire and welcomed all of us because it was raining and cold.…

Cross References
Acts 27:26
However, we must run aground on some island.”

Acts 27:39-44
When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they sighted a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. / Cutting away the anchors, they left them in the sea as they loosened the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. / But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was being broken up by the pounding of the waves. ...

Acts 27:22-25
But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because you will not experience any loss of life, but only of the ship. / For just last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me / and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And look, God has granted you the lives of all who sail with you.’ ...

Acts 27:10-11
“Men, I can see that our voyage will be filled with disaster and great loss, not only to ship and cargo, but to our own lives as well.” / But contrary to Paul’s advice, the centurion was persuaded by the pilot and by the owner of the ship.

Acts 27:31-32
But Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men remain with the ship, you cannot be saved.” / So the soldiers cut the ropes to the lifeboat and set it adrift.

Acts 27:13-15
When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had their opportunity. So they weighed anchor and sailed along, hugging the coast of Crete. / But it was not long before a cyclone called the Northeaster swept down across the island. / Unable to head into the wind, the ship was caught up. So we gave way and let ourselves be driven along.

Acts 27:18-20
We were tossed so violently that the next day the men began to jettison the cargo. / On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. / When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the great storm continued to batter us, we abandoned all hope of being saved.

Acts 27:33-36
Right up to daybreak, Paul kept urging them all to eat: “Today is your fourteenth day in constant suspense, without taking any food. / So for your own preservation, I urge you to eat something, because not a single hair of your head will be lost.” / After he had said this, Paul took bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. ...

Acts 27:3
The next day we landed at Sidon, and Julius treated Paul with consideration, allowing him to visit his friends and receive their care.

Acts 27:9
By now much time had passed, and the voyage had already become dangerous because it was after the Fast. So Paul advised them,

Acts 27:1-2
When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment. / We boarded an Adramyttian ship about to sail for ports along the coast of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.

Jonah 1:15-17
Then they picked up Jonah and cast him into the sea, and the raging sea grew calm. / Then the men feared the LORD greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to Him. / Now the LORD had appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the fish.

Genesis 8:4
On the seventeenth day of the seventh month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.

Genesis 6:17-18
And behold, I will bring floodwaters upon the earth to destroy every creature under the heavens that has the breath of life. Everything on the earth will perish. / But I will establish My covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you.

Genesis 7:23
And every living thing on the face of the earth was destroyed—man and livestock, crawling creatures and birds of the air; they were blotted out from the earth, and only Noah and those with him in the ark remained.


Treasury of Scripture

And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita.

the island.

Acts 27:26,44
Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island…

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Acts 28
1. Paul, after his shipwreck, is kindly entertained on Malta.
5. The snake on his hand hurts him not.
8. He heals many diseases in the island.
11. They depart toward Rome.
17. He declares to the Jews the cause of his coming.
24. After his preaching some were persuaded, and some believed not.
30. Yet he preaches there two years.














Once we were safely ashore
This phrase marks a significant transition from the perilous journey at sea to a moment of divine deliverance. The Greek word for "safely" (διασωθέντες, diasothentes) implies being saved or rescued, emphasizing God's providential care over Paul and his companions. The journey to safety is a testament to God's faithfulness, echoing the broader biblical narrative of God as a deliverer. Historically, shipwrecks were common in the ancient Mediterranean, and survival was often attributed to divine intervention. This moment serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty and protection over His people, even in the most dire circumstances.

we learned
The Greek word used here is ἐπέγνωμεν (epegnōmen), which means to come to know or recognize. This suggests a process of discovery and understanding, highlighting the human experience of learning and adapting to new situations. In the context of Acts, it reflects the openness of Paul and his companions to God's unfolding plan, even in unfamiliar territory. This openness to learning is a model for believers, encouraging them to seek understanding and wisdom in every situation.

that the island was called Malta
Malta, known in ancient times as Melita, is strategically located in the Mediterranean Sea. The island's name is derived from the Phoenician word "Malat," meaning refuge, which is fitting given the context of the shipwreck. Archaeological evidence supports Malta's historical significance as a maritime hub, with its harbors providing shelter for ancient seafarers. Scripturally, Malta becomes a place of refuge and ministry for Paul, where he performs miracles and shares the Gospel. This highlights the theme of God's mission transcending geographical boundaries, using unexpected places and circumstances to further His kingdom. Malta's role in Acts 28 underscores the idea that God's purposes are often fulfilled in the most unlikely settings, encouraging believers to trust in His plan regardless of their current location or situation.

XXVIII.

(1) Then they knew that the island was called Melita.--There is no ground for questioning the current belief that this was the modern Malta, It was the only island known as Melita by the Greeks and Romans. The gale, which had been blowing for fourteen days since the ship left Crete, would drive her in that direction. The local features of St. Paul's Bay agree closely, as has been seen, with the narrative in the Acts. There has from a very early date been a local tradition in favour of the belief. The Bay bears St. Paul's name. A cave is pointed out as having given him shelter. There has, however, been a rival claimant. In the Gulf of Venice, off the coast of Illyria, there is a small "island, Meleta (now Meleda), which has been identified by some writers with the scene of St. Paul's shipwreck. The view is first mentioned by Constantino Porphyrogenitus, a Greek writer of the tenth century, and was revived in the last century by Padre Georgi, an ecclesiastic of the island. There is, however, not a shadow of evidence in its favour, beyond the similarity (riot identity) of name, and the mention of Adria in Acts 27:27. It has been shown, however, that that term was used with far too wide a range to be decisive on such a question; and against the view there are the facts (1) that it would almost have required a miracle to get the ship, with a north-east gale blowing strongly, up to the Illyrian coast of the Gulf of Venice; (2) that a ship would not naturally have wintered on that coast on its way from Alexandria to Puteoli (Acts 28:11); (3) that there has been no local tradition in its favour, as at Malta. The island of Malta was originally a Phoenician colony. It came under the power of Carthage in B.C. 402, and was ceded to Rome in B.C. 242. Its temple, dedicated to Juno, was rich enough to be an object of plunder to Verres, the Praetor of Sicily (Cic. In Verr. vv. 46).

Verse 1. - We for they, A.V. and T.R. (twice). Was called. It reads as if it was the answer to their question to the natives, "What is this island called?" Melita. That Melita is the island of Malta, and not Meleda off the coast of Dalmatia, is demonstrated in Smith's ' Voyage and Shipwreck of St. Paul,' and it is not worth while here to consider the arguments in favor of Meleda. Melita appears to be a Phoenician name, from the root in Hebrew מָלַט, to escape (Bochart, 'Canaan,' 1:26), meaning, therefore, a "refuge," a harbor of refuge so called from sailors often running into Valetta during a gale; or possibly from מֶלֶ, clay, in Italian malta, from the clay which forms the bottom of the sea as you approach Malta, and which makes the anchorage so safe. It was originally colonized by Phoenicians, whether from Tyre or Carthage cannot be pronounced with certainty, though we know it was a Carthaginian possession at the time of the first Punic War. It fell into the hands of the Romans B.C. 218, and at the time of St. Paul's shipwreck was annexed to the province of Sicily. The population, however, was Phoenician or Punic, and probably knew little Greek or Latin. The name of a fountain in St. Paul's Bay, Ayn tal Razzul, "The Apostle's Fountain," is said (Smith, p. 24) to be Phoenician. But this is extremely doubtful. It is far more probably, not to say certainly, the corrupt Africano-Arabic dialect of the island, as I venture to affirm on the high authority of Professor Wright. Gesenius is also distinctly of opinion that there are no remains of Phoenician in the Maltese, and that all the words in the Maltese language which have been thought to be Phoenician are really Arabic. Four genuine Phoenician inscriptions have, however, been found in the island ('Monument. Phoenic,' pars prima, pp. 90-111,252, and 341).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
[Once]
Καὶ (Kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

we were safely ashore,
διασωθέντες (diasōthentes)
Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1295: From dia and sozo; to save thoroughly, i.e. to cure, preserve, rescue, etc.

we learned
ἐπέγνωμεν (epegnōmen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1921: From epi and ginosko; to know upon some mark, i.e. Recognize; by implication, to become fully acquainted with, to acknowledge.

that
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

the
(hē)
Article - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

island
νῆσος (nēsos)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3520: An island. Probably from the base of naus; an island.

was called
καλεῖται (kaleitai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2564: (a) I call, summon, invite, (b) I call, name. Akin to the base of keleuo; to 'call'.

Malta.
Μελίτη (Melitē)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3194: Melita, now Malta. Of uncertain origin; Melita, an island in the Mediterranean.


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NT Apostles: Acts 28:1 When we had escaped then they learned (Acts of the Apostles Ac)
Acts 27:44
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