Dzieje 28:8 Komentarz

We are the more concerned to take notice of and to improve what is here recorded concerning blessed Paul because, after the story of this chapter, we hear no more of him in the sacred history, though we have a great deal of him yet before us in his epistles. We have attended him through several chapters from one judgment-seat to another, and could at last have taken leave of him with the more pleasure if we had left him at liberty; but in this chapter we are to condole with him, and yet congratulate him. I. We condole with him as a poor shipwrecked passenger, stripped of all; and yet congratulate him, 1. As singularly owned by his God in his distress, preserved himself from receiving hurt by a viper that fastened on his hand (Act 28:1-6), and being made an instrument of much good in the island on which they were cast, in healing many that were sick, and particularly the father of Publius, the chief man of the island (Act 28:7-9). 2. As much respected by the people there (Act 28:10). II. We condole with him as a poor confined prisoner, carried to Rome under the notion of a criminal removed by "habeas corpus" (Act 28:11-16), and yet we congratulate him, 1. Upon the respect shown him by the Christians at Rome, who came a great way to meet him (Act 28:15). 2. Upon the favour he found with the captain of the guard, into whose custody he was delivered, who suffered him to dwell by himself, and did not put him in the common prison (Act 28:16). 3. Upon the free conference he had with the Jews at Rome, both about his own affair (Act 28:17-22) and upon the subject of the Christian religion in general (Act 28:23), the issue of which was that God was glorified, many were edified, the rest left inexcusable, and the apostles justified in preaching the gospel to the Gentiles (Act 28:24-29). 4. Upon the undisturbed liberty he had to preach the gospel to all comers in his own house for two years together (Act 28:30-31).

And when they were escaped,.... From the danger they were exposed to by shipwreck, and were got safe to land; this is omitted in the Syriac version: then they knew that the island was called Melita; an island toward the African shore, where it is placed both by Pliny (g), and Ptolomy (h); in which, the latter says, was the city Melita: it lies between Sicily and Tripolis of Barbary, and is now called Malta: it was famous for the knights of Rhodes, which are now called the knights of Malta: it has its name from "to escape", it being formerly a refuge to the Phoenicians, especially in stormy weather, in their long voyage from Tyre to Gades; and was indeed a place of escape to the Apostle Paul, and those that were with him. And perhaps it might be so called from its being a refuge for pirates; for Cicero (i) says, here pirates used to winter almost every year, and yet did not spoil the temple of Juno, as Verres did: though some say it was so called from the great abundance of honey found in it; for it was a very pleasant and fruitful island, bringing forth great plenty of wheat, rye, flax, cummin, cotton, figs, wine, roses, thyme, lavender, and many other sweet and delightful herbs, from whence bees did gather great plenty of honey. It was, according to Pliny, distant from Camerina eighty four miles, and from Lilybaeum a hundred and thirteen; and it is said to be distant from the promontory of Sicily an hundred miles, though others say sixty; and that it was so far from Syracuse, which is the next place the apostle came to in this voyage, was from Africa an hundred and ninety miles. On the east side, a little from the chief city of it, now called Malta, was a famous temple of Juno, spoiled by Verres, as before observed; and on the south side another of Hercules, the ruins of both which are yet to be seen. The compass of the island is about sixty miles, the length twenty, and the breadth twelve, and has in it five ports, and about sixty villages. (g) Nat. Hist. l 3. c. 8. (h) Geograph. l. 4. c. 3. (i) Orat. 9. in Verrem, c. 17.

And it came to pass that the father of Publius,.... 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 (y), 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, &c. 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, Mar 16:18; and upon this a cure followed; both the diseases left him at once, and he was restored to health. (y) See Chambers's Cyclopaedia in the word "Dysentery".

"And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him." So that he was worthy to receive kindness: wherefore Paul as a requital for his receiving them, healed him.

Thereafter having met with his requital, he naturally honored Paul much more, when the others also received healing.

It happened, however, that the father of Publius, afflicted with fever and dysentery, was lying down, etc. Why does he save an infirm unbeliever with prayer, who heals the faithful Timothy and Trophimus, one by medical art and leaves the other entirely, unless because the former was to be healed outwardly by a miracle, who was not alive inwardly, which those who were healthily alive inwardly did not need?

It happened that the father of Publius, having been struck by fever and dysentery, was lying ill. Dysentery is an affliction of the intestines, caused with ulceration, because it expels bloody discharge, or bile, or some other alteration of humour; but it is considered harmful by the ancients if it produces black discharge from the beginning. For Hippocrates in his Aphorisms stated this: “Dysentery beginning from black bile is deadly.” Following this, patients experience continual distress in the lower abdomen, sometimes green, sometimes mucilaginous: they also emit scrapings with drops of blood, with a biting pain in the intestines and navel, they suffer from sleeplessness, nausea, frequently also slight fever, which is narrated that the father of Publius suffers here; sometimes even the exclusion of excrement occurs, especially in infants: it occasionally results from chilling or from the corruption of sharper humours. Gregory also recalls this disease in the fifth book of his Histories, saying thus: “In the times of Emperor Tiberius, the dysenteric disease nearly seized all of Gaul. For in those who were suffering, there was a severe fever with vomiting and excessive pain in the kidneys, heaviness of the head, or neck; moreover, what was expelled from the mouth was either saffron-colored or certainly green. However, many asserted that it was hidden poison; but herbs that cure poisons, taken as a drink, provided relief for many.”

"The father of Publius lay sick with a fever and dysentery." Dysentery, a disease difficult to cure, having been healed by Paul, converted many to faith in Christ.

St. Paul, and the rest of the crew, getting safely ashore, find that the island on which they were shipwrecked is called Melita, Act 28:1. They are received with great hospitality by the inhabitants, Act 28:2. A viper comes out of the bundle of sticks, laid on the fire, and seizes on Paul's hand, Act 28:3. The people, seeing this, suppose him to be a murderer, and thus pursued by Divine vengeance, Act 28:4. Having shook it off his hand, without receiving any damage, they change their minds, and suppose him to be a god, Act 28:5, Act 28:6. Publius, the governor of the island, receives them courteously, and Paul miraculously heals his father, who was ill of a fever, etc., Act 28:7, Act 28:8. He heals several others also, who honor them much, and give them presents, Act 28:9, Act 28:10. After three months' stay, they embark in a ship of Alexandria, land at Syracuse, stay there three days, sail thence, pass the straits of Rhegium, and land at Puteoli; find some Christians there, tarry seven days, and set forward for Rome, Act 28:11-14. They are met at Appii Forum by some Christians, and Paul is greatly encouraged, Act 28:15. They come to Rome, and Julius delivers his prisoners to the captain of the guard, who permits Paul to dwell by himself only attended by the soldier that kept him, Act 28:16. Paul calls the chief Jews together, and states his case to them, Act 28:17-20. They desire to hear him concerning the faith of Christ, Act 28:21, Act 28:22; and, having appointed unto him a day, he expounds to them the kingdom of Christ, Act 28:23. Some believe, and some disbelieve; and Paul informs them that, because of their unbelief and disobedience, the salvation of God is sent to the Gentiles, Act 28:24-29. Paul dwells two years in his own hired house, preaching the kingdom of God, Act 28:30, Act 28:31.

The father of Publius lay sick - Πυρετοις και δυσεντεριᾳ; 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.

THE WINTERING AT MALTA, AND NOTABLE OCCURRENCES THERE--PROSECUTION OF THE VOYAGE TO ITALY AS FAR AS PUTEOLI, AND LAND JOURNEY THENCE TO ROME--SUMMARY OF THE APOSTLE'S LABORS THERE FOR THE TWO FOLLOWING YEARS. (Acts 28:1-31) knew the island was called Melita--(See on Act 27:39). The opinion that this island was not Malta to the south of Sicily, but Meleda in the Gulf of Venice--which till lately had respectable support among Competent judges--is now all but exploded; examination of all the places on the spot, and of all writings and principles bearing on the question, by gentlemen of the highest qualification, particularly SMITH (see on Act 27:41), having set the question, it may now be affirmed, at rest.

the father of Publius lay sick of a fever--"fevers." The word was often thus used in the plural number, probably to express recurring attacks. and of a bloody flux--"of dysentery." (The medical accuracy of our historian's style has been observed here.) to whom Paul entered in, and prayed--thereby precluding the supposition that any charm resided in himself. and laid his hands on him, and healed him--Thus, as our Lord rewarded Peter for the use of his boat (Luk 5:3-4, &c.), so Paul richly repays Publius for his hospitality. Observe the fulfilment here of two things predicted in Mar 16:18 --the "taking up serpents," and "recovering of the sick by laying hands on them."