Acts 28:4

The people saw it hanging from Paul’s hand, and they knew that it was a cheeky snake, so they said to each other, “I reckon that prisoner murdered somebody. He was lucky in the sea, and he didn’t drown, but the god that punishes people will not let him stay alive. That snake will kill him dead.”

Plain English Version

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

3Paul walked around and picked up some sticks and put them on the fire. But a cheeky snake jumped out from those sticks to get away from the fire, and it bit Paul’s hand and just hung on there.

5But Paul just shook the snake until it fell off into the fire, and nothing happened to him.

Read all of Acts 28

Cross References

Genesis 3:1You know, God made lots of animals, but the snake was more smart than all the other animals. He was really smart and tricky. One day, the snake went to the woman and said to her, “Did God say, ‘You can’t eat fruit from any of the trees in the garden’? Is that true?”

Genesis 9:5And I will punish anyone and anything that kills a person dead. If an animal kills somebody, it has to die. And it is the same for a person that kills another person, that murderer has to die.

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