Acts 28:27

For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. FOR ... THEIR EYES HAVE THEY CLOSED; LEST THEY ... SHOULD BE CONVERTED, [epistrepsoosin ( G1994)] - or, 'and return,' AND I SHOULD HEAL THEM. SEE THE NOTES AT MATTHEW 13:13 _ , and John 12:38_ . With what pain would this stern word be wrung from him whose "heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel was that they might be saved," and who "had great heaviness and continual sorrow in his heart" on...

23-31 Paul persuaded the Jews concerning Jesus. Some were wrought upon by the word, and others hardened; some received the light, and others shut their eyes against it. And the same has always been the effect of the gospel. Paul parted with them, observing that the Holy Ghost had well described their state. Let all that hear the gospel, and do not heed it, tremble at their doom; for who shall heal them, if God does not? The Jews had afterwards much reasoning among themselves. Many have great reasoning, who do not reason aright. They find fault with one another's opinions, yet will not yield to truth. Nor will men's reasoning among themselves convince them, without the grace of God to open their understandings. While we mourn on account of such despisers, we should rejoice that the salvation of God is sent to others, who will receive it; and if we are of that number, we should be thankfu...

SAYING ... - See this passage explained in the Matthew 13:14 note, and John 12:39 notes....

EXPOSITION ACTS 28:1 We for _they, _A.V. and T.R. (twice). WAS CALLED. It reads as if it was the answer to their question to the natives, "What is this island called?" MELITA. That Melita is the island of _Malta, _and not _Meleda _off the coast of Dalmatia, is demonstrated in Smith's ' Voyage and Shipwreck of St. Paul,' and it is not worth while here to consider the arguments in favor of Meleda. _Melita _appears to be a Phoenician name, from the root in Hebrew טלַםָ, to escape (Bochart, 'Canaan,' Acts 1:26), meaning, therefore, a "refuge," a harbor of refuge £ so called from sailors often running into Valetta during a gale; or possibly from לֶםֶ, clay, in Italian _malta, _from the clay which forms the bottom of the

FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE IS WAXED GROSS,.... Or fat; stupefied with notions of carnal and temporal things, and become hardened against, and unsusceptible of, divine and spiritual things: AND THEIR EARS ARE DULL OF HEARING; the Gospel, and its joyful sound; to which they stop their cars, as the deaf adder to the voice of the charmer: AND THEIR EYES HAVE THEY CLOSED; and wilfully shut, against all evidence from facts, miracles, prophecies, and preaching: LEST THEY SHOULD SEE WITH [THEIR] EYES, AND HEAR WITH [THEIR] EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH [THEIR] HEART, AND SHOULD BE CONVERTED; that is, see the evidence of miracles, take in the truth of doctrine, understand the meaning of prophecy, and so be turned from darkness, ignorance, and unbelief, to light, knowledge, and faith: AND I SHOULD HEAL THEM; or "have mercy on them", as the Ethiopic version renders it; that is, forgive thei

Acts 28:1. _And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita. And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold. And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks,_ It must have been a fine sight to see the great apostle of the Gentiles gathering a bundle of sticks to put on the fire. But the men who can do great things are usually the men who do not disdain to do little things. Acts 28:3. And laid them on the fire, there came a viper 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 escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffer

CHAPTER 28 _ 1. In the Island of Melita (Acts 28:1)._ 2. The arrival in Rome (Acts 28:11). 3. Paul calling the chief of the Jews and his message (Acts 28:17). Melita, which means “honey,” is the island of Malta. It was even then a prominent place for navigation where many vessels wintered. Luke calls the inhabitants Barbarians, a term used by the Greeks for all peoples who did not use their language. The wrecked company was not plundered by the people of the island, but instead received much kindness and were made comfortable in the cold rain which fell. It was God who moved the hearts of these islanders to show such hospitality to the shipwrecked company for the sake of His servants. Paul is a

THE JEWS ARE HARDENED. It was a numerous meeting; we can scarcely understand the words to mean that more came the second time than the first. The kingdom of God is a wide phrase for the Christian doctrine which began with the announcement of the nearness of God's rule (_cf. Acts 1:3_). The doctrine about Jesus, supported by texts from the Law and the Prophets, is appropriate to the audience, and sums up what the writer considered to be the essence of Christian preaching (_cf._ Luke 24:44). But they must have heard it all before; the occasion could not have such tragic importance for them as Paul's quotation of Isaiah 6:9 f. (LXX) suggests. The passage appears in the Gospels in controversy with the Jews; see...

WELCOME AT MALTA (Acts 28:1-6)...

IS WAXED GROSS. has become fat. Greek. _pachunomai._ Only here and Matthew 13:15. THEIR EARS, &C. = with their ears they hear heavily. CLOSED. Greek. _kammuo_. Only here and Matthew 13:15. LEST. lest at any time. Greek. _mepote._ BE CONVERTED. turn again. Greek. _epistrepho._ See Acts 3:19....