1007 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he shook off the beast into the fire,.... Having held it a while, and as being master of it, and as not being afraid of it, though it was the ready way to provoke it to fasten on him again: and felt no harm; it having not bit him, nor infected him with its poison; and hereby was fulfilled what our Lord promised to his disciples, Mr 16:18;
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen,.... With the venomous bite of the viper; swelling is one of the symptoms following the bite of this creature; and if the bite does not issue in death, yet the swelling continues inflamed for some time. The symptoms following the bite of a viper are said to be (r) an acute pain in the place wounded;...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island,.... Or "the first man of the island"; so the governor of Melita used to be called, as appears by an inscription mentioned by Bochart, wherein a Roman knight is called πρωτοςμελιταιων, "the first of the Melitians"; for this island was under the Roman government, and the very name...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
So when this was done,.... This miracle was wrought, and the fame of it spread over the island: others also which had diseases in the island came: from all parts of it, to the apostle: and were healed; of whatsoever diseases they were afflicted with.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Who also honoured us with many honours,.... Not with divine honours, with religious adorations, as if they had been so many deities; for these they would not have received, nor have recorded them, to the commendation of the inhabitants; but civil honours, expressions of respect and gratitude; and particularly gifts and presents, large and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And after three months we departed,.... From Melita; here they stayed the three winter months, which were unseasonable for navigation; but now the spring coming on, and the weather agreeable, they left the island, and sailed in a ship of Alexandria; [See comments on Acts 27:6]; which had wintered in the isle; perhaps all the said three months, for...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And landing at Syracuse,.... A famous city in the isle of Sicily, now called Saragossa: it is placed by Ptolomy (c) on the east side of the island, in the Adriatic sea; it was 180 furlongs, or two and twenty miles and a half in circuit, and formerly had a marble haven and triple wall, and as many towers; the founder of it was Archias, a...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And from thence we fetched a compass,.... About the isle of Sicily, from Syracuse to Pachinus, the promontory of the island: and came to Rhegium; a city in Calabria, called by Ptolomy (k) Regium Julium; it was built, as Solinus (l) says, by the Chalcidensians, and was formerly a city of the Brutians (m); it is now called Reggio: it is said (n) to...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Where we found brethren,.... Christians; which is not to be wondered at, since it was a port much frequented, and where many came and went, of different countries and nations; particularly there were many Jews here, to whom the Gospel was first preached, and to some of them it was the power of God unto salvation in many places, and doubtless was...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And from thence,.... That is, from Rome, whither they were going: when the brethren heard of us; when the Christians at Rome heard that the apostle and his friends were landed at Puteoli, and were on their journey to Rome: these were the members of the church at Rome; for there was a church state here before this time. The apostle had before this...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And when we came to Rome,.... To the city itself: the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard; or general of the army; or, as some think, the governor of the "praetorian" band of soldiers, who attended the emperor as his guards: his name is thought to have been Burrhus Afranius; to him Julius the centurion delivered all the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And it came to pass, that after three days,.... From his first coming to Rome, when he had hired himself a house, or lodging, and was settled in it, and was rested from the fatigue of his voyage and journey: Paul called the chief of the Jews together: he sent to the principal men among them; for though the Jews, were expelled from Rome in the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Who when they had examined me,.... About the things laid to his charge, had heard what his accusers had to object to him, and the defence he made for himself: would have let [me] go; released him from his bonds, and set him at liberty to go where he pleased: because there was no cause of death in me; no crime proved upon him, which was worthy of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But when the Jews spake against it,.... His being cleared and dismissed, and desired he might be sent back to Jerusalem, to be tried and judged there, to which Festus seemed inclined: I was constrained to appeal to Caesar; to prevent the design of the Jews upon him, which was to way lay him and kill him, or by what ways they could, right or wrong,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
For this cause therefore have I called for you,.... To let them know the true state of his case; that though he was a prisoner, it was not for any crime he had done, much less any of a capital nature; and that as he was no scandal to his country, so neither did he intend to raise any against it, or say or do anything which might bring it into...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they said unto him,.... That is, the chief men of the Jews at Rome, whom Paul had called together, replied; either in a lying and dissembling way, or as expressing matter of fact; which last may be allowed: we neither received letters out of Judea concerning thee: which was very much, that the high priest and sanhedrim had not wrote to the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest,.... What was his opinion and judgment, concerning the Messiah, whether he was come or not, and whether Jesus of Nazareth was he; and concerning other principles relating to him, embraced by the Christians; and what he had to say for the clearing up, proving, and confirming his sentiments about...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And when they had appointed him a day,.... When they should meet together, and when both sides might be better prepared to enter into a conversation on the subject of Christianity; and when there might be an opportunity for a more numerous assembly to hear: there came many to him into his lodging; the same very likely with his own hired house,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And some believed the things which were spoken,.... By him, concerning the kingdom of God and Jesus Christ; even as many as were ordained unto eternal life, and to whom it was given to believe; for faith is the gift of God, and which comes by hearing of the word, when it is attended with a divine power; and then it is not only notionally...