Acts 28:1-16 BSB

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 28:5

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 ; read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 28:6

Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen ,.... With the venomous bite of the viper; swelling is one of the symptoms following the bite of this creature; and if the bite does not issue in death, yet the swelling continues inflamed for some time. The symptoms following the bite of a viper are said to be F18 Chambers's Cyclopaedia, ut supra. (the word "Viper") an acute pain in the place wounded; swelling, first red, afterwards livid, spreading by degrees; great faintness; a quick,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 28:7

In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island ,.... Or "the first man of the island"; so the governor of Melita used to be called, as appears by an inscription mentioned by Bochart, wherein a Roman knight is called πρωτος μελιταιων , "the first of the Melitians"; for this island was under the Roman government, and the very name of this chief man shows it: it was first in the hands of the Africans, when Dido built Carthage, which was eight or nine hundred years before... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 28:8

And it came to pass that the father of Publius ,.... So that Publius was not an old man, though of so much dignity and wealth: the Arabic version, contrary to all copies, and other versions, reads, "the son of Publius": lay sick of a fever ; or fevers, of different sorts, a complication of them, which sometimes is the case; unless this was an intermitting fever, and the several fits of it are intended; or rather the plural number is put for the singular, to denote the vehemence of it,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 28:9

So when this was done ,.... This miracle was wrought, and the fame of it spread over the island: others also which had diseases in the island came : from all parts of it, to the apostle: and were healed ; of whatsoever diseases they were afflicted with. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 28:10

Who also honoured us with many honours ,.... Not with divine honours, with religious adorations, as if they had been so many deities; for these they would not have received, nor have recorded them, to the commendation of the inhabitants; but civil honours, expressions of respect and gratitude; and particularly gifts and presents, large and valuable, in which sense the phrase is used by Jewish writers; so upon those words in Judges 13:17 . "What is thy name, that when the sayings come to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 28:11

And after three months we departed ,.... From Melita; here they stayed the three winter months, which were unseasonable for navigation; but now the spring coming on, and the weather agreeable, they left the island, and sailed in a ship of Alexandria ; See Gill on Acts 27:6 ; which had wintered in the isle ; perhaps all the said three months, for the same reason: whose sign was Castor and Pollux ; or Dioscuri, that is, the sons of Jupiter; for Castor and Pollux were his sons, by... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 28:12

And landing at Syracuse ,.... A famous city in the isle of Sicily, now called Saragossa: it is placed by Ptolomy F3 Geogr. l. 3. c. 4. on the east side of the island, in the Adriatic sea; it was 180 furlongs, or two and twenty miles and a half in circuit, and formerly had a marble haven and triple wall, and as many towers; the founder of it was Archias, a Corinthian; Pliny says F4 Nat. Hist. l. 2. c. 62. , that it is never so cloudy weather, but the sun is seen in it, at one time... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 28:13

And from thence we fetched a compass ,.... About the isle of Sicily, from Syracuse to Pachinus, the promontory of the island: and came to Rhegium ; a city in Calabria, called by Ptolomy F11 Geograph. l. 3. c. 1. Regium Julium; it was built, as Solinus F12 Polyhistor. c. 8. says, by the Chalcidensians, and was formerly a city of the Brutians F13 Mela, l. 2. c. 11. ; it is now called Reggio: it is said F14 Philo quod mundus, &c.; p. 963. & de mundo, p. 1171.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 28:14

Where we found brethren ,.... Christians; which is not to be wondered at, since it was a port much frequented, and where many came and went, of different countries and nations; particularly there were many Jews here, to whom the Gospel was first preached, and to some of them it was the power of God unto salvation in many places, and doubtless was so here: Josephus F3 Antiqu. l. 17. c. 14. sect. 1. speaks of Jews in this place, who were deceived by a false Alexander, who pretended to be... read more

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 28:5

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 28:6

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 28:7

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 28:8

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 28:9

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 28:10

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 28:11

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 28:12

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 28:13

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 28:14

Group of Brands