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King James Bible - Acts 28:3

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SEV Biblia, Chapter 28:3

Entonces Pablo habiendo recogido algunos sarmientos, y pu�stolos en el fuego, una víbora, huyendo del calor, le acometi� a la mano.

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Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 28:3

Verse 3. There came a viper out of the heat] We may naturally suppose that there had been fuel laid before on the fire, and that the viper was in this fuel, and that it had been revived by the heat; and, when St. Paul laid his bundle on the fire, the viper was then in a state to lay hold on his hand.

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John Gill's Bible Commentary

Ver. 3. And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks , etc.] Had picked up some sticks, and put them in a bundle fit for the fire, as everyone was busy to assist in this extremity; nor did the apostle think such an action below him, who in all things was a man of great humility and condescension: and laid them on the fire ; to increase it: there came a viper out of the heat : a viper is a kind of serpent, which brings forth its young living, to the number of twenty, only one in a day, which come forth wrapped up in thin skins, which break on the third day, and set them at liberty; and so is reckoned among viviparous animals, from whence it seems to have its name, whereas other serpents lay eggs and hatch them. It is said f1328 , that this remarkable reptile has the biggest and flattest head of all the serpent kind; its usual length is about half an ell, and its thickness an inch; its snout is not unlike that of a hog; it has sixteen small immovable teeth in each jaw, besides two other large, sharp, hooked, hollow, transparent, canine teeth, situate at each side of the upper jaw, which are those that do the mischief: these are flexible in their articulation, and are ordinarily laid flat along the jaw, the animal never raising them but when it would bite The roots or bases of these teeth, or fangs, are encompassed with a vesicle or bladder, containing the quantity of a large drop of a yellow insipid salivous juice. � It has only one row of teeth, whereas all other serpents have two; its body is not at all fetid, whereas the inner parts of the bodies of other serpents are intolerable. � It creeps very slowly, and never leaps like other serpents, though it is nimble enough to bite when provoked. � Its body is of two colours, ash coloured or yellow, and the ground speckled with longish brown spots; the scales under its belly are of the colour of well polished steel. Its bite is exceeding venomous, and its poison the most dangerous. Now when this viper here is said to come out of the heat, the meaning is, that it came out from the sticks, which were laid upon the fire, being forced from thence by the heat of it: and so the Syriac version renders it, �there came out of them� (the sticks) �a viper, because of the heat of the fire�; it lay quiet among the sticks, among which, and such like things, this creature often lies; but when the fire began to heat it, it sprung out: and fastened on his hand ; or wrapped itself about his hand: the Syriac and Arabic versions render it, �bit his hand�; but that does not seem so likely, since he felt no harm by it; the Ethiopic version, �hung upon his hand�; which agrees with what follows; nor is it inconsistent with its wrapping itself about his hand, which is the more proper signification of the word used.

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Matthew Henry Commentary

Verses 1-10 - God can make strangers to be friends; friends in distress. Those wh are despised for homely manners, are often more friendly than the mor polished; and the conduct of heathens, or persons called barbarians condemns many in civilized nations, professing to be Christians. The people thought that Paul was a murderer, and that the viper was sent by Divine justice, to be the avenger of blood. They knew that there is God who governs the world, so that things do not come to pass by chance, no, not the smallest event, but all by Divine direction; an that evil pursues sinners; that there are good works which God wil reward, and wicked works which he will punish. Also, that murder is dreadful crime, one which shall not long go unpunished. But the thought all wicked people were punished in this life. Though some ar made examples in this world, to prove that there is a God and Providence, yet many are left unpunished, to prove that there is judgment to come. They also thought all who were remarkably afflicte in this life were wicked people. Divine revelation sets this matter in a true light. Good men often are greatly afflicted in this life, for the trial and increase of their faith and patience. Observe Paul' deliverance from the danger. And thus in the strength of the grace of Christ, believers shake off the temptations of Satan, with holy resolution. When we despise the censures and reproaches of men, an look upon them with holy contempt, having the testimony of ou consciences for us, then, like Paul, we shake off the viper into the fire. It does us no harm, except we are kept by it from our duty. God hereby made Paul remarkable among these people, and so made way for the receiving of the gospel. The Lord raises up friends for his people in every place whither he leads them, and makes them blessings to those in affliction.

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Greek Textus Receptus

συστρεψαντος 4962 5660 V-AAP-GSM δε 1161 CONJ του 3588 T-GSM παυλου 3972 N-GSM φρυγανων 5434 N-GPN πληθος 4128 N-ASN και 2532 CONJ επιθεντος 2007 5631 V-2AAP-GSM επι 1909 PREP την 3588 T-ASF πυραν 4443 N-ASF εχιδνα 2191 N-NSF εκ 1537 PREP της 3588 T-GSF θερμης 2329 N-GSF εξελθουσα 1831 5631 V-2AAP-NSF καθηψεν 2510 5656 V-AAI-3S της 3588 T-GSF χειρος 5495 N-GSF αυτου 846 P-GSM

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Vincent's NT Word Studies

3. Of sticks (fruganwn). Only here in New Testament. From ajpo to roast or parch. Hences dry sticks.

Out of (ek). The best texts read ajpo, by reason of.

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Robertson's NT Word Studies

28:3 {When Paul had gathered} (sustreyantos tou paulou). Genitive absolute with first aorist active participle of sustrefw, old verb to twist or turn together or roll into a bundle. In N.T. only here and #Mt 17:22. {A bundle of sticks} (fruganwn ti pleqos). "Some multitude (or pile) of dry twigs" (fruganwn from frugw or frussw, to dry. Only here in N.T.). {Laid} (epiqentos). So genitive absolute again with second aorist active participle of epitiqemi, to place upon. Few things show Paul to better advantage than this incident. {By reason of the heat} (apo tes qermes). Old word, only here in N.T. Ablative case with apo (from the heat). The viper was in a state of torpor in the bundle of sticks. The heat wakened him. {A viper} (ecidna). The old word used by the Baptist of the Pharisees (#Mt 3:7; Lu 3:7) and by Jesus also (#Mt 12:34; 23:33). It is objected that there is little wood in the island today and no vipers, though Lewin as late as 1853 believes that he saw a viper near St. Paul's Bay. But the island now has 1,200 people to the square mile and snakes of any kind have a poor chance. The viper has also disappeared from Arran as the island became more frequented (Knowling). Ramsay thinks that the small constrictor (_Coronella Austriaca_) which still exists in the island may be the "viper," though it has no poison fangs, but clings and bites. The natives thought that it was a poisonous viper. {Fastened on his hand} (kaqeye tes ceiros autou). First aorist active indicative of kaqaptw, to fasten down on with the genitive case. Old verb, here only in N.T. Cf. #Mr 16:18.