And 42

they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape. But the 43 centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land: and the rest, some on boards, and 44 some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.

Valetta.

A ship drifting west by north might pass very close to land off Koura Point (where the sailors would hear breakers,

ver. 27), while just beyond the soundings are 20 fathoms, then 15 fathoms, with a good anchorage. Here they would be just off the little island of Salmonetta, which is cut off from Malta by a channel 100 yards wide. This channel may be "the place where two seas met," and they may have run on a mud bank due to the currents caused by the channel.

stuck fast: the Greek word is a strong one="planted itself firmly."

was broken: rather with R. V. "began to break up."

42. Soldiers were responsible for their prisoners with their own lives; cf. xii. 19.

28 And when they were escaped, then they knew 2 that the island was called Melita. And the barbarous people showed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the 3 cold. And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper 4 out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath

CHAPTER XXVIII

[PAUL AT MALTA. HE REACHES ROME AND ADDRESSES THE JEWS THERE. HE LIVES THERE TWO YEARS IN HIS OWN HOUSE.]

1. Melita that the island was Malta is shown not only from the name and general probability, but also from the fact that a ship of Alexandria (ver. 11) on the way to Puteoli had put in there for the winter, and from the reference to Syracuse (ver. 12) as the first port touched at after leaving it.

Meleda, an island off Illyria, near Ragusa, has been suggested, from a mistaken view of xxvii. 27.

2. barbarous people: R.V. "barbarians"; strictly="the unintelligible folk," i.e. merely not speaking Latin or Greek. The Greeks regularly applied the term "barbarian" to all but Greek-speaking peoples; cf. Rom. i. 14, "to Greeks and to barbarians." So well known was the use that Plautus, speaking of a translation of his from the Greek poet Philemon, says Plautus vortit barbare, i.e. "into Latin."

3. Nowadays wood is scarce and vipers are unknown in Malta. But it is now densely populated and well cultivated, and changed conditions affect the existence of plants and animals in a district.

out of the heat: rather as R.V. "by reason of the heat"; the viper lay among the sticks or brushwood in a state of torpor.

fastened on: i.e. bit; cf. Mark xvi. 18.

4. murderer: they knew he was a prisoner being taken to Rome on some grave charge, and inferred that the charge was murder.

escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no 5 harm. Howbeit they looked when he should have 6 swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god. In the same quarters were 7 possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius; who received us, and lodged us three days courteously. And it came to pass, 8 that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flixe: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him. So when this was done, others also, which had dis-9 eases in the island, came, and were healed: who 10 also honoured us with many honours; and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary.

And after three months we departed in a ship 11 of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose

vengeance suffereth: R.V. better "justice (personified) hath not suffered"; they look upon Paul as a dead man. 5. and he rather "howbeit he 6. fallen

...

suddenly Shakespeare, Antony and Cleopatra, v. 2, 346 (Charmian bitten by an asp), "Tremblingly she stood and on the sudden dropp'd."

no harm: rather as R.V. "nothing amiss," or "nothing extraordinary." changed their minds: cf. the opposite change at Lystra, xiv. 11, 19.

7. the chief man of the island: i.e. the governor. The particular title used is not elsewhere referred to, but on an inscription from the island Gaulus, close to Malta, a certain Prudens is styled "chief man of the Meliteans." He was a deputy of the praetor of Sicily.

us: Paul and his companions, including the writer.

8. a bloody flixe: R.V. 'dysentery." Note the medical terms which "the physician uses. See Glossary.

10. honours including "presents" (cf. Eccles. xxxviii. 1), but not confined to them.

11. after three months: i.e. in the early part of February, when spring began and navigation was resumed.

12 sign was Castor and Pollux. And landing at Syra13 cuse, we tarried there three days. And from thence we fet a compass, and came to Rhegium: and after one day the south wind blew, and we came the next 14 day to Puteoli: where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven days: and so we 15 went toward Rome. And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii forum, and The three taverns: whom when 16 Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage. And

Castor and Pollux: (R.V. "the Twin Brothers," and in margin "Dioscuri," their Greek name) the constant guardians of ships. In thundery weather a pale blue electric flame may sometimes be seen playing round the masts of ships ("St. Elmo's fire"). This was taken to indicate the presence of these two gods and the safety of the ship.

12. Syracuse: 80 miles from Malta, the chief city of Sicily.

13. fet a compass: R.V. "having made a circuit," i.e. were unable, owing to the winds, to steer straight for Rhegium. See Glossary.

Rhegium in Italy, on the straits which separated Italy and Sicily.

Puteoli: Pozzulia, at this time the chief port of Rome, and the regular harbour for the corn fleet from Alexandria. Portions of the great mole are still visible.

14. and so Rome the exultant tone of "and so we came to Rome" (R.V.) is marked. Luke regards Paul's visit to Rome as the crowning point of his career: xix. 21; xxiii. 11. This eagerness to reach Rome makes him slightly anticipate the narrative, which in the next verse reverts to events which happened before their arrival.

To make the narrative clear, the end of a paragraph should be marked after ver. 14. The events related in vv. 15, 16 are regarded not as a part of Paul's journey, but as part of the action of the Roman community, with which Luke closes his narrative, vv. 15-28.

Paul would go from Puteoli to Capua, and there join the great Appian Road, constructed by the censor Appius Claudius B.C. 312. From there the distance is about 125 miles.

15. Appii forum: "the market-place of Appius is 40 miles from Rome, and "The Three Taverns or "Shops" about 30.

when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him.

And it came to pass, that after three days Paul 17 called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. Who, when they had examined 18 me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me. But when the Jews spake against 19 it, I was constrained to appeal unto Cesar; not that I had ought to accuse my nation of. For this 20 cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain. And they 21 said unto him, We neither received letters out of Judea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren

16. the captain of the guard: i.e. of the praetorian troops, about 10,000 strong, who served as the body-guard of the emperor. Burrus was then their commander, and they had a special camp outside the Porta Viminalis; they had charge of prisoners sent to Rome.

by himself: i.e. not with the other prisoners in some public prison, but in "his lodging," ver. 23, called also ver. 30 "his own hired house."

R.V. with the best authorities omits "the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but . . ."

17. Paul first as usual appeals to the Jews, and, as he cannot go to the synagogue, invites them to visit him. He desires to make it clear that his appeal to Caesar was forced on him, and does not arise from any desire to accuse his nation.

20. called for you: i.e. invited you here, R.V. wrongly "did I intreat you.'

the hope of Israel: i.e. for a Messiah, xxvi. 6 n.

21. The Jews do not assert that they had never heard of Paul (which would be inconceivable), but that with reference to the charge against him which he had just mentioned, they had received no letter or report. Indeed how could the news