Acts 28:7

In the same quarters were possessions of&c. The A.V. omits the conjunction, and the indefinite word "possessions" is improved on by R. V."Now in the neighbourhood of that place were lands belonging to, &c." The nearest place to what is believed to have been the scene of the wreck is the town now called Alta Vecchia.

the chief man of the island The Greek word is "Protos," which is known from inscriptions (see Bochart, Geogr. ii. 1. 26) to have been the official title of the governor of Melita. The island of Melita belonged to the province of the Sicilian Prætor (Cicero, Verr. iv. 18), whose legate Publius probably was. Tradition makes him become bishop of Malta.

who received us This was only natural in the Roman official, for Paul was under the charge of a Roman officer, and had appealed for hearing to the Roman Emperor.

and lodged[R. V.entertained] us three days This was until arrangements could be made for a more permanent dwelling-place. As they must remain in the island through the stormy weather of winter, before they could start again, it would be needful to provide them with settled quarters. They could not be guests for the whole three months.