The Malta Miracle
After arriving safely on land they found out the island was called Malta (Phoenician or Canaanite for “refuge”). It was south of Sicily and its people were descended from Phoenician colonists who settled there about 1000 B.C., and who probably spoke a dialect closely related to Hebrew. Rome had conquered the island in 218 B.C.
The islanders received them graciously. Throughout this passage Luke uses the Greek term barbaroi to refer to the “islanders.” Barbaroi is translated variously, including “natives” (NASB), “rough islanders” (NEB), and “barbarous people” (KJV). But Luke does not mean that they were degraded or uncivilized. To the Greeks any foreigner who could not speak Greek was a barbarian. Later they gave the Romans a certain level of inclusion by redefining “barbarian” as one who could not speak Greek or Latin.
It is easy to see that the citizens of Malta were good, friendly people even if they could not speak Greek. Their kindness went beyond the ordinary. They lit a fire and welcomed all 276 of these strangers who had escaped the shipwreck. Because of the rain9 and the cold, the fire was an act of great kindness and must have been a welcome sight to all from the ship.
Paul was not satisfied just to warm himself. He appreciated the kindness of these pagans and responded by helping gather more brushwood for the fire. The heat brought out a “viper” (or a female adder) that had been picked up with the wood, and it “fastened itself on his hand” (that is, bit him). Many writers take notice of the fact that there are no vipers on Malta today. But it is a small island and the people eventually got rid of them after Paul’s day.
When the people of Malta “saw the snake hanging from his hand,” they jumped to the conclusion that Paul must be a murderer, whom, though he escaped safely from the sea, “Justice” had not let live. By “Justice” (Gk. dikē) they probably meant “Lady Justice,” their pagan goddess of justice.
Paul simply “shook the snake off into the fire” and suffered no harm; Jesus’ promise was fulfilled (see Mark 16:18; Luke 10:19). The local people had seen others bitten by the same kind of vipers, so they expected Paul to swell up or drop dead. For “a long time” they waited and watched, but nothing unusual happened to him. So “they changed their minds and said he was a god.” A pagan worldview leads to wrong interpretations.
Nearby was “an estate” (lands, properties) belonging to the “chief official” (governor) of the island, whose name was Publius. He welcomed them with kindness and for three days entertained the whole group with friendly thoughtfulness.
Then Paul learned that the father of Publius lay sick, suffering from “fever” (Gk. puretois, lit. “fevers,” that is, a recurring fever) and dysentery (as Luke the physician easily identified). Paul came in, prayed for him, laid hands on him, and God healed him. The healing was so complete and so wonderful that the news of it soon spread throughout the island. This provided a great door of ministry and “the rest of the sick on the island” came one after another and all were healed.
We can be sure Paul kept ministering to them during the three winter months (v. 11) that followed. As a result, the people honored Paul and his friends “in many ways” (probably including gifts of money to help them stay alive during the winter months). When Paul and the others set sail in the spring, the people placed on board the things they needed for the journey. Apparently they provided not only for Paul but also for all the rest of the shipwrecked, all having arrived with nothing but the wet clothes they were wearing.
Horton, S. M. (2001). Acts: A Logion Press Commentary (pp. 401–403). Springfield, MO: Logion Press.
