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Acts 28:3

Paul

1 Once we were safely ashore, we learned that the island was called Malta.

2 The islanders showed us extraordinary kindness. They kindled a fire and welcomed all of us because it was raining and cold.

Paul gathered a bundle of sticks, and as he laid them on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself to his hand.

4 When the islanders saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “Surely this man is a murderer. Although he was saved from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.”

5 But Paul shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.

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Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
Paul gathered a bundle of sticks, and as he laid them on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself to his hand.
KJV
And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.
WEB
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.
ASV
But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out by reason of the heat, and fastened on his hand.
DARBY
And Paul having gathered a [certain] quantity of sticks together in a bundle and laid [it] on the fire, a viper coming out from the heat seized his hand.
BLB
Now [on] Paul having gathered a multitude of sticks and having laid [them] on the fire, a viper, having come out from the heat, fastened [itself] on his hand.
ÅB
Men da Paulus sanket sammen en hop tørre kvister og kastet dem på ilden, krøp en orm ut på grunn av heten og bet seg fast i hans hånd.
OTB
Paulus samlet en bunt med kvister og la dem på bålet, og en hoggorm, drevet ut av varmen, bet seg fast i hånden hans.
B1930
Men da Paulus sanket sammen en hop tørre kvister og kastet dem på ilden, krøp en orm ut på grunn av heten og bet sig fast i hans hånd.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Matthew 23:33

    You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell?

    Read in context

  • Matthew 12:34

    You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.

    Read in context

  • Acts 28:4

    When the islanders saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “Surely this man is a murderer. Although he was saved from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.”

    Read in context

  • 2 Corinthians 11:23

    Are they servants of Christ? I am speaking like I am out of my mind, but I am so much more: in harder labor, in more imprisonments, in worse beatings, in frequent danger of death.

    Read in context

  • Matthew 3:7

    But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his place of baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

    Read in context

  • Isaiah 41:24

    Behold, you are nothing and your work is of no value. Anyone who chooses you is detestable.

    Read in context

  • Isaiah 30:6

    This is the burden against the beasts of the Negev: Through a land of hardship and distress, of lioness and lion, of viper and flying serpent, they carry their wealth on the backs of donkeys and their treasures on the humps of camels, to a people of no profit to them.

    Read in context

  • Job 20:16

    He will suck the poison of cobras; the fangs of a viper will kill him.

    Read in context