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Acts 28:6

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.

The islanders were expecting him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

7 Nearby stood an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and entertained us hospitably for three days.

8 The father of Publius was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him, and after praying and placing his hands on him, he healed the man.

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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
The islanders were expecting him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.
KJV
Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.
WEB
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.
ASV
But they expected that he would have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but when they were long in expectation and beheld nothing amiss came to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.
DARBY
But *they* expected that he would have swollen or fallen down suddenly dead. But when they had expected a long time and saw nothing unusual happen to him, changing their opinion, they said he was a god.
BLB
But they were expecting him to be about to become inflamed or suddenly to fall down dead. But [on] their waiting a great while and seeing nothing amiss happening to him, having changed their opinion, they began declaring him to be a god.
ÅB
men de ventet på at han skulle hovne eller falle død om med det samme. Da de nå ventet lenge, og så at han ikke hadde noe ondt av det, kom de på andre tanker, og sa at han var en gud.
OTB
Folkene forventet at han skulle hovne opp eller plutselig falle død om, men etter å ha ventet lenge og sett at ingenting uvanlig skjedde med ham, endret de mening og erklærte at han var en gud.
B1930
men de ventet på at han skulde hovne eller falle død om med det samme. Da de nu ventet lenge, og så at han ikke hadde noget ondt av det, kom de på andre tanker, og sa at han var en gud.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Acts 12:22

    And they began to shout, “This is the voice of a god, not a man!”

    Read in context

  • Acts 14:11–13

    When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices in the Lycaonian language: “The gods have come down to us in human form!”

    Read in context

  • Matthew 21:9

    The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed were shouting: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!”

    Read in context