Bible Strands
Acts 28:8
The father of Publius was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him, and after praying and placing his hands on him, he healed the man.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Paul visits Publius, the Maltese chief official, who had hosted him and his shipwrecked companions for three days. Paul enters Publius’s home to attend to his father, who lies confined to bed with fever and dysentery.
The words — The Greek Ἐγὲνετο (Egeneto) and πυρετοῖς (puretois) state that it came to pass for the man to suffer with fevers. These terms mark the precise onset of the illness before Paul’s arrival and intervention.
The thread — The combination of prayer and hand placement for healing parallels Peter’s actions in Acts 9:40 and Jesus’ ministry in Mark 6:5. The immediate context in Acts 28:9 confirms this event as the catalyst for subsequent island-wide healings.
Why it lands — The verse records a straightforward sequence of illness, prayer, laying on of hands, and recovery without theological commentary. It asks the reader to recognize apostolic ministry as a direct, unadorned extension of Christ’s healing authority rather than a ritualized display.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him.
Cross-references
- Acts 9:40 Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down and prayed, and turning toward her body, he said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up.
- Mark 6:5 So He could not perform any miracles there, except to lay His hands on a few of the sick and heal them.
- Matthew 9:18 While Jesus was saying these things, a synagogue leader came and knelt before Him. “My daughter has just died,” he said. “But come and place Your hand on her, and she will live.”
- James 5:14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.
- Matthew 10:8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
- Mark 16:18 they will pick up snakes with their hands, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not harm them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be made well.”
- Matthew 10:1 And calling His twelve disciples to Him, Jesus gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could drive them out and heal every disease and sickness.
- Luke 13:13 Then He placed His hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and began to glorify God.
- Acts 19:11 God did extraordinary miracles through the hands of Paul,
- 1 Corinthians 12:9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit,