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3. συστρέψαντος δὲ τοῦ Παύλου, but when Paul had gathered. This is only another sign of the active spirit of the Apostle. Whatever was to be done, if he were able to take a part in it, he was never wanting, whether it was in counselling about a difficulty, in comforting under danger, or helping by bodily labour to relieve the general distress.
The verb is used of gathering men together, 2Ma 14:30.
φρυγάνων τι πλῆθος, a bundle of sticks. φρύγανα applies very fitly to the brushwood and furze which is said to be the only material growing near St Paul’s Bay of which a fire could be made.
Chrysostom exclaims: ὅρα αὐτὸν ἐνεργοῦντα καὶ οὐδαμοῦ θαυματουργοῦντα ἁπλῶς ἁλλ' ἀπὸ χρείας· καὶ ἐν τῷ χειμῶνι γὰρ αἰτίας οὔσης προεφήτευσεν, ἀλλ' οὐχ ἁπλῶς, καὶ ἐνταῦθα πάλιν φρύγανα συλλέγει καὶ ἐπιτίθησιν.
ἔχιδνα ἀπὸ τῆς θέρμης ἐξελθοῦσα, a viper coming out by reason of the heat. Dr Farrar (Life of St Paul, II. 384 note) has remarked that the viper has disappeared from the isle of Arran, as it is now said to have done from Malta.
The viper in this case had been numbed by the cold, and on feeling the sudden heat woke up and sprang away from it.
In καθῆψεν we have an instance of the active voice used for the middle, which became not uncommon in later Greek. Cf. Act 27:43, note.