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§70 Ashore on Malta (Acts 28:1–10)

28:1 / The island of Malta on which the travelers now found themselves is about sixty miles south of Sicily. The island itself is about eighteen miles long and eight wide. On the southwestern side, the cliffs descend abruptly to the sea, but on the northeastern coast, there are many inlets and bays. The largest harbor is the site of the present city of Valetta. Saint Paul’s Bay is about eight miles northwest of the city. The Phoenicians had occupied the island soon after the beginning of the first millennium B.C. Their influence remained strong in the mix of cultures that followed and was still evident in the first century A.D. in the Punic dialect of the Maltese. This is attested in coins and inscriptions and is noticed by Luke in his description of the Maltese as “barbarians” (vv. 2, 4; NIV “islanders”)—not in the modern sense, but as the Greeks used the word of those who did not speak their language (the foreign tongue sounded like “bar-bar” in their ears). This may indicate, incidentally, that Luke was a Greek. The name Malta (or Melita) is Phoenician, meaning “refuge.” Luke may have known this when he wrote this verse, which might be paraphrased: “We recognized that the island deserved its name.” The island had passed from the Sicilian Greeks to the Carthaginians and from them to the Romans. It was now ruled by a procurator, who may have been the Publius whom Luke mentions in verse 7.

28:2 / Strangers landing among rustic folk such as these often met with a hostile reception. On this occasion, however, the survivors found themselves treated with unusual kindness. Rain and cold had added to their miseries, and the fire that the locals had lit for them was a most welcome sight. It is difficult to imagine all two hundred seventy-six of the ship’s company crowded around the one blaze, but Luke may be describing only what concerned the group that included the Christians. There may have been other fires with other groups huddled around them.

28:3–4 / Paul was under no great restriction, though he had probably been handcuffed again with a light chain. In any case, he was hardly likely to escape—or to succeed if he made the attempt. Thus he was able to make himself useful by tending the fire. As he did so, a viper came out of the brushwood he was holding and fastened onto his hand. The first reaction of the islanders was to see this as a judgment visited on the prisoner. In their words as Luke has recorded them we may see, perhaps, a reference to Dike, the Greek goddess of justice, the daughter of Zeus and Themis (according to Hesiod), or to one of their own gods whose name Luke has represented in this way. At all events, they thought that Nemesis had caught up with Paul and that he was as good as dead (Justice has not allowed him to live, v. 4). Bruce cites a Greek poem that tells of “a murderer who escaped from a storm at sea and was shipwrecked on the Libyan coast, only to be killed by a viper” (Book, p. 522, n. 11). With stories like this going around, it is little wonder that the Maltese reacted as they did. They could see that Paul was a prisoner, and they supposed from the incident itself that he was a murderer, for one death demanded another.

28:5–6 / But Paul simply shook the snake off into the fire (v. 5). He may not even have known that it was a viper, but was apparently unconcerned, knowing himself to be under God’s care (cf. 23:11). Thus the promise of Mark 16:18 was shown to be true (unless that saying is based on this very incident; but cf. Luke 10:19, also Ps. 91:13). Paul suffered no ill effects. The locals, however, expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead (v. 6). When he failed to do so, they changed their tune and hailed him as a god (cf. 14:11f.). Such is the fickleness of human opinion! Apparently they never stopped to question how a god could have permitted himself to fall into Roman custody. Luke’s attitude to this incident has been much disputed. Some have accused him of virtually sharing the islanders’ latest estimate of the apostle. But though Luke certainly believed that Paul, in common with all the apostles, possessed miraculous powers, he never set him apart, as the islanders did, from ordinary men (see disc. on 27:21). Indeed, far from endorsing their opinion of Paul, Luke seems more intent in this passage on poking fun at them. There are now no vipers on the island of Malta, but it is carping criticism at its worst to suggest (as some have) that for that reason the story is not true. Nineteen centuries of human habitation will account for their disappearance (as also for the lack of firewood in the vicinity of Saint Paul’s Bay).

28:7 / As it happened, they had come to land near the estate of one Publius, the chief official of the island. It is not certain whether Luke means by this that he was the Roman procurator or merely a local dignitary, but the use on Malta of the title “chief” or “first man” (Gk. prōtos) is attested by inscriptions. It is curious that Luke does not give his full name, but only his praenomen (see note on 13:9). This may reflect the familiar usage of the locals. If, however, he was not the procurator, he may not have been a citizen, and Publius (Gk. Poplios) may have been his only name. Whether Publius welcomed all of the two hundred seventy-six or only a smaller group, which included Paul and his companions, is uncertain. Since it was only for three days and he probably had a large establishment with many slaves, he may well have been able to provide for the whole number. But it was done hospitably and there was nothing grudging in his hospitality. And his kindness was justly rewarded (cf. Matt. 10:40ff.).

28:8–10 / Publius’ father was sick in bed, suffering from [gastric] fever and dysentery, which are said to be endemic as “Malta fever.” Luke uses the plural “fevers” of recurring bouts. But now Publius had the happiness of seeing his father cured through Paul’s prayers and the laying on of hands (see disc. on 1:14 and 9:11 for prayer and note on 5:12 for the laying on of hands). News of this cure soon spread, and sick people throughout the island came to Paul to find healing. This story bears some resemblance to Jesus’ healing of Peter’s mother-in-law, who was sick with fever, and subsequent healing of many who later came to the house (Luke 4:38ff.). Luke’s use of us in verse 10 raises the question whether his own medical skill had been brought into play, so that he too was honored in return for his services. But Paul is the center of attention throughout, and Luke may only have included himself as the indirect beneficiary of the gifts given to the apostle. The expression in the Greek, many “honors” (NIV in many ways) is sometimes used in the sense of fees charged for services, but we cannot believe that Paul or Luke would have charged for any services they rendered (cf. Matt. 10:8). Rather, we should see in these gifts a spontaneous expression of gratitude, which provided the travelers with all that they needed (having lost all that they had) for the rest of the journey.

Luke does not comment on any deeper spiritual significance of these incidents. In the narrative of the storm and the shipwreck, he has shown Paul as a prophet; in its sequel, as a worker of miracles. For him that is enough. He leaves unanswered the questions that arise for modern readers: “Did Paul preach the gospel as he exercised a ministry of prayer and healing? Were any Maltese won for Christ? Did the apostolic party leave behind a Christian community? The record is silent; but we may surely believe that here was an evangelistic opportunity too good to be missed” (Martin, pp. 136f.).