SEV Biblia, Chapter 28:8
Y aconteci que el padre de Publio estaba en cama, enfermo de fiebres y de disentería; al cual Pablo entr, y despus de haber orado, le puso las manos encima, y le san;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 28:8
Verse 8. The father of Publius lay sick] puretoiv kai dusenteria; Of a fever and dysentery; perhaps a cholera morbus. Paul-prayed] That God would exert his power; and laid his hands on him, as the means which God ordinarily used to convey the energy of the Holy Spirit, and healed him; God having conveyed the healing power by this means. In such a disorder as that mentioned here by St. Luke, where the bowels were in a state of inflammation, and a general fever aiding the dysentery in its work of death, nothing less than a miracle could have made an instantaneous cure in the patient. Such a cure was wrought, and even the heathens saw that it was the hand of God.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 8. And it came to pass that the father of Publius , etc.] So that Publius was not an old man, though of so much dignity and wealth: the Arabic version, contrary to all copies, and other versions, reads, the son of Publius: lay sick of a fever ; or fevers, of different sorts, a complication of them, which sometimes is the case; unless this was an intermitting fever, and the several fits of it are intended; or rather the plural number is put for the singular, to denote the vehemence of it, and which was attended with another disorder, and might be brought on by it: and of a bloody flux ; or dysentery, a pain of the bowels, as the Syriac version renders it; or an ulceration of the bowels, as the Arabic version; which occasioned a discharge of blood, so that his case was very threatening. This disease, according to modern writers f1341 , is attended with a fever. The word dysentery here used properly signifies that kind of flux of the belly, characterized by the frequency of stools, or dejections, mixed with blood, and accompanied with gripes: the fever, ulcer, etc. which attend it, are not essential to the disease; though many both of the ancients and moderns think the ulcer is. There are three kinds of dysenteries; the first when a laudable blood is evacuated from a mere plethora, or plenitude, without any disorder of the intestines, as in the haemorrhoidal flux; the second when a thin watery blood is evacuated, called the hepatic flux, though really arising from haemorrhoidal vessels; the third kind, which is that that is properly called the dysentery, is when blood is cast out, mixed with a purulent matter in the excrements: this is either benign, i.e. without a fever, and not contagious; or malignant, which is attended with a pestilential fever, and frequently ravages whole cities and provinces, happening most commonly in armies; in the last stage, a sort of caruncles are frequently ejected along with the purulent matter, which are difficult to be accounted for, unless from an excoriation and ulceration of the intestines: sometimes the intestines are even gangrened: this seems to have been the case of the father of Publius, which makes the following cure the more remarkable: to whom Paul entered in ; into the room where he was, no doubt with the consent and leave, if not at the request of Publius; the Ethiopic version adds, and he entreated him to put his hand upon him; that is, either Publius asked this favour of the apostle for his father, having heard of the affair of the viper, from whence he concluded there was something divine and extraordinary in him; or the father of Publius asked this for himself: and prayed and laid his hands on him, and healed him ; when Paul had entered the room, and found in what a bad condition the sick man was, he either kneeled down and prayed by him, or stood and prayed over him, and for him, that God would restore him to his health; and this he did, to let them know that he himself was not a god; and that the cure that would now be wrought would be from God, and not from himself, and therefore all the glory should be given to God; and he laid his hands on him, as a sign or symbol, or rite that was used in extraordinary cases, and agreeably to the direction and promise of Christ, ( Mark 16:18); and upon this a cure followed; both the diseases left him at once, and he was restored to health.
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.
Greek Textus Receptus
εγενετο 1096 5633 V-2ADI-3S δε 1161 CONJ τον 3588 T-ASM πατερα 3962 N-ASM του 3588 T-GSM ποπλιου 4196 N-GSM πυρετοις 4446 N-DPM και 2532 CONJ δυσεντερια 1420 N-DSF συνεχομενον 4912 5746 V-PPP-ASM κατακεισθαι 2621 5738 V-PNN προς 4314 PREP ον 3739 R-ASM ο 3588 T-NSM παυλος 3972 N-NSM εισελθων 1525 5631 V-2AAP-NSM και 2532 CONJ προσευξαμενος 4336 5666 V-ADP-NSM επιθεις 2007 5631 V-2AAP-NSM τας 3588 T-APF χειρας 5495 N-APF αυτω 846 P-DSM ιασατο 2390 5662 V-ADI-3S αυτον 846 P-ASM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
8. Sick (sunecomenon). Lit., taken or holden. See on taken, Luke iv. 38. Fever (puretoiv). Lit., fevers. This peculiarly medical use of the plural is confined to Luke in the New Testament. It denotes successive and varying attacks of fever.Bloody flux (dusenteria). Only here in New Testament. Our word dysentery is nearly a transcript of it. Hippocrates often speaks of the two complaints in combination.
Healed (iasato). See on Luke vi. 19.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
28:8 {Lay} (katakeisqai). Common verb for the sick (#Mr 1:30; Joh 5:6). {Sick} (sunecomenon). "Held together." Common verb again for the sick as in #Lu 4:38. {Of fever} (puretois). Instrumental case, and plural "fevers," medical term for intermittent attacks of fever (Demosthenes, Lucian, medical writers). {Dysentery} (dusenteriwi). Instrumental case also. Late form of the older dusenteria and only here in N.T. Our very word _dysentery_. Another medical term of which Luke uses so many. Hippocrates often mentions these two diseases together. {Laying his hands on him healed him} (epiqeis tas ceiras autwi iasato auton). Either like the laying on of hands in #Jas 5:14, the gift of healing (#1Co 12:9f.), or the tender interest of Jesus when he took hold of the hand of Peter's mother-in-law (#Mr 1:31). Ramsay argues that iaomai is employed here of the miraculous healing by Paul while qerapeuw is used of the cures by Luke the physician (verse #9). this is a general distinction and it is probably observed here, but in #Lu 6:18 (which see) both verbs are employed of the healings by Jesus. {Came and were healed} (proserconto kai eqerapeuonto). Imperfect middle and imperfect passive. A regular stream of patients came during these months. Luke had his share in the honors, "us" (hemas), and no doubt his share in the cures. {With many honors} (pollais timais). Instrumental case. The word was often applied to payment for professional services as we today speak of an honorarium. {They put on board} (epeqento). Second aorist middle indicative of epitiqemi, to put on. The idea of "on board" is merely suggested by anagomenois (when we sailed) "the things for our needs" (ta pros tas creias).
