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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadCambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges - Acts 28:7 - 28:7
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
7. ἐν δὲ τοῖς περὶ τὸν τόπον ἐκεῖνον ὑπῆρχεν χωρία, now in the neighbourhood of that place were lands belonging, &c. The nearest place to what is believed to have been the scene of the wreck is the town now called Alta Vecchia.
τῷ πρώτῳ τῆς νήσου, to the chief man of the island. Πρῶτος 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.
For πρῶτος used in this way, cf. Acta Pauli et Theclæ 11, where Thamyris supports his promises by saying, εἰμὶ γὰρ πρῶτος τῆς πόλεως.
ὃς ἀναδεξάμενος ἡμᾶς, who having 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.
τρεῖς ἡμέρας φιλοφρόνως ἐξένισεν, entertained us courteously 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.