Acts 28:5

And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Benson Commentary

Acts 28:5-6. And he shook off, &c. — Greek, αποτιναξας το θηριον, having shaken off the venomous animal into the fire, (the power of Christ interposing to preserve him,) he felt no harm — Received no injury, and took no further notice of what had happened. Howbeit, they looked when he should have swollen — The islanders, knowing that the bite of a viper was wont to occasion a sudden and painful death, expected the venom left in Paul’s flesh would have caused a burning and swelling, and that he would instantly have fallen down dead. But Christ now fulfilled in Paul the promise made to his disciples, they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them. But after they had looked a great while — Expecting every moment the pernicious effects of the venom to appear, to their astonishment they saw no harm come to him — God hereby intended to make him remarkable among this barbarous people, and so to prepare the way for their receiving the doctrine of salvation from his lips: they changed their minds, and said that he was a god — Some deity, descended in a human form; supposing that no less power than that of a god could ward off so extreme a danger. Such is the stability of human reason! A little before he was a murderer; and presently he is a god! Just like the people of Lystra; one hour sacrificing to this same apostle, and the next stoning him. Nay, but there is a medium: he is neither a murderer nor a god, but a man of God. But natural men never run into greater mistakes than in judging of the children of God. Grotius, Whitby, and some others, think that these Melitese took Paul for Hercules, Αλεξικακος, (the driver away of evil,) who was worshipped in this island, and was, according to Ptolemy, one of the gods of the Phenicians.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

28:1-10 God can make strangers to be friends; friends in distress. Those who are despised for homely manners, are often more friendly than the more polished; and the conduct of heathens, or persons called barbarians, condemns many in civilized nations, professing to be Christians. The people thought that Paul was a murderer, and that the viper was sent by Divine justice, to be the avenger of blood. They knew that there is a God who governs the world, so that things do not come to pass by chance, no, not the smallest event, but all by Divine direction; and that evil pursues sinners; that there are good works which God will reward, and wicked works which he will punish. Also, that murder is a dreadful crime, one which shall not long go unpunished. But they thought all wicked people were punished in this life. Though some are made examples in this world, to prove that there is a God and a Providence, yet many are left unpunished, to prove that there is a judgment to come. They also thought all who were remarkably afflicted in this life were wicked people. Divine revelation sets this matter in a true light. Good men often are greatly afflicted in this life, for the trial and increase of their faith and patience. Observe Paul's deliverance from the danger. And thus in the strength of the grace of Christ, believers shake off the temptations of Satan, with holy resolution. When we despise the censures and reproaches of men, and look upon them with holy contempt, having the testimony of our consciences for us, then, like Paul, we shake off the viper into the fire. It does us no harm, except we are kept by it from our duty. God hereby made Paul remarkable among these people, and so made way for the receiving of the gospel. The Lord raises up friends for his people in every place whither he leads them, and makes them blessings to those in affliction.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And he shook off ... - In this was remarkably fulfilled the promise of the Saviour Mark 16:18; "They shall take up serpents," etc.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

5. shook off the beast and felt no harm—See Mr 16:18.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

As Daniel in the lion’s den. God is the God of nature, and the most natural properties are restrained when he pleases, and cannot be exerted without his concurrence. Thus the promises our blessed Saviour made, in Mark 16:18 Luke 10:19, were fulfilled according to the letter.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And he shook off the beast into the fire,.... Having held it a while, and as being master of it, and as not being afraid of it, though it was the ready way to provoke it to fasten on him again:

and felt no harm; it having not bit him, nor infected him with its poison; and hereby was fulfilled what our Lord promised to his disciples, Mark 16:18;

Geneva Study Bible

And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Acts 28:5. ἀποτ.: only in Luke, Luke 9:5, in parallel in Matt. and Mark, ἐκτ., cf. Lamentations 2:7, and in classical Greek, Eur., Bacch., 253.—ἔπαθεν οὐδὲν κακόν, cf. Mark 16:18, Luke 10:19.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

5. And [R. V. Howbeit] he shook off the beast] The rendering of the particles by the R. V. is to be preferred. The verb is the same which is used (Luke 9:5) of shaking off dust from the feet. The idea conveyed is that Paul was quite composed in what he did, and that the beast was no cause of alarm to him.

Bengel's Gnomen

Acts 28:5. Ἀποτινάξας, having shaken off) Quintinus Hæduus, in the book concerning the Melitensian war, as quoted in Flacius, observes in this passage, “No poisonous kind of serpent either is born in Melita, or hurts any there, when introduced from elsewhere. The natives of that isle are, as it were, a terror to serpents. Scorpions, a deadly animal elsewhere, are seen harmless in the hands of children in sport. I have seen a person who ate them; which, they say, is due to Paul, when bitten, having shaken off the viper hanging to his finger without hurt. If this be true, subjoins Illyricus, we must no doubt suppose that it is the peculiar blessing of GOD, who, as it were, left an eternal memorial of the Gospel having been preached there, and so many miracles performed; even as the Scripture often testifies that GOD makes lands cither worse or better on account of the sins of men, or even, on the other hand, on account of His own extraordinary compassion. Even as evident experience testifies that the soil and clime itself of Germany, and of all the northern regions, are far milder, and more salubrious and fertile, than they were formerly before the birth of Christ, as is clear from writers worthy of credit,” etc.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 5. - Howbeit for and, A.V.; look for felt, A.V. Acts 28:5

Vincent's Word Studies

The beast (τὸ θηρίον)

Luke uses the word in the same way as the medical writers, who employed it to denote venomous serpents, and particularly the viper; so much so that an antidote, made chiefly from the flesh of vipers, was termed θηριακή. A curious bit of etymological history attaches to this latter word. From it came the Latin theriaca, of which our treacle (molasses) is a corruption. Treacle, therefore, is originally a preparation of viper's flesh, and was used later of any antidote. Thus Coverdale's translation of Jeremiah 8:22 has, "There is no more treacle in Gilead." Gurnall ("Christian in Complete Armor") says: "The saints' experiences help them to a sovereign treacle made of the scorpion's own flesh (which they through Christ have slain), and that hath a virtue above all other to expel the venom of Satan's temptations from the heart." So Jeremy Taylor' "We kill the viper and make treacle of him."