Acts 28:4

And when the natives saw it hanging from his hand, they were saying to one another, Surely this man is a rotzeach (murderer); for though he was brought safely from the sea, Yashrus (Justice) did not allow him to live.

Orthodox Jewish Bible

In The King James Version

And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.

In Context

3And when Rav Sha'ul gathered some brushwood and placed the sticks on the hadlakah (bonfire), a nachash (serpent) from the heat came out and fastened onto Rav Sha'ulʼs hand.

5Then, having shaken off the nachash into the eish (fire), Rav Sha'ul suffered no ill effects. + 28:5 Mk 16:18

Read all of Acts 28

Cross References

Genesis 3:1Now the Nachash was more arum (cunning, crafty, wiley) than any beast of the sadeh which Hashem Elohim had made. And he said unto the isha, Really? Hath Elohim said, Ye shall not eat of kol etz hagan?

Genesis 9:5And surely your dahm of your nefeshot will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the yad haAdam; at the hand of every manʼs brother will I require the nefesh haAdam. 1

Numbers 35:31Moreover ye shall take no kofer (ransom payment, satisfaction) for the nefesh of a rotze'ach, which is guilty of death; but he shall be surely put to death.

Isaiah 13:21But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; 1 and their batim (houses) shall be full of owls; 1 and ostriches shall dwell there, 1 and demons shall dance there. 1

Isaiah 43:20The animal of the wild shall honor Me, 1 the jackals and the ostriches; 1 because I give mayim in the midbar, 1 and neharot in the desert, 1 to give drink to My People, My Bachir. 1

Matthew 23:35So that upon you may come all the dahm naki (innocent blood) shed upon the earth from the blood of Hevel to the blood of Zecharyah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the Heikhal and the Mizbeach. + 23:35 trans. note: cf. Lk 11:51 for Mtʼs probable original text here

Matthew Henry on Acts 28:2-11

Paul's Voyage towards Rome. 1 And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita. 2 And the barbarous people showed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold. 3 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. 4 And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Acts 28:4