Acts 28:2

The barbarians

(ο βαρβαρο). The Greeks called all men "barbarians" who did not speak Greek (Romans 1:14), not "barbarians" in our sense of rude and uncivilized, but simply "foreign folk." Diodorus Siculus (V. 12) says that it was a colony of the Phoenicians and so their language was Punic (Page). The word originally meant an uncouth repetition (βαρβαρ) not understood by others (1 Corinthians 14:11). In Colossians 3:11 Paul couples it with Scythian as certainly not Christian. These are (with verse Acts 28:4 below) the only N.T. instances.Showed us

(παρειχαν). Imperfect active of παρεχω with -αν instead of -ον as ειχαν in Mark 8:7 (Robertson, Grammar, p. 339). It was their habit on this occasion, Luke means, they kept on showing.No common kindness

(ου την τυχουσαν φιλανθρωπιαν). The old word φιλανθρωπια (φιλος, ανθρωπος), love of mankind, occurs in the N.T. only here and Titus 3:4 (adverb in Acts 27:3). See on Acts 19:11 for this use of ου την τυχουσαν, "not the kindness that happens every day." They were not "wreckers" to take advantage of the calamity.They kindled a fire

(αψαντες πυραν). The only N.T. example and verse Acts 28:3 of the old word πυρα (from πυρ, fire), a pile of burning fuel (sticks). First aorist active participle of απτω, to set fire to, to kindle. Cf. αναπτω in Luke 12:49.Received us all

(προσελαβοντο παντας ημας). Second aorist middle (indirect indicative of προσλαμβανω. They took us all to themselves (cf. Acts 18:26).The present

(τον εφεστωτα). Second perfect active participle (intransitive) of εφιστημ, "the rain that stood upon them" (the pouring rain). Only in Luke and Paul in N.T.