Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 28:9
So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed:
9. others also ] [ R. V. the rest also] The latter rendering is to be preferred. It was not a few who came, but during the three months of their stay all the others who were in sickness and heard of what had been done for the father of the chief magistrate (and it was sure to be widely noised abroad) came to be cured.
who also honoured us ] i.e. the whole people upon whom these benefits had been conferred honoured Paul and for his sake the rest of the party.
with many honours ] No doubt these included gifts of money and such things as would be needed by travellers who had lost everything in the shipwreck: but to restrict the word to the sense of “honorarium” or fee, such as might be paid to a physician, is to narrow the meaning needlessly, and to put a construction on the proceeding which it cannot bear. The Apostle who prayed and laid his hands on the sick and healed them was not the sort of person to whom they would offer money as a fee.
and when we departed ] [ R. V. sailed] This is better, for the word is one constantly used of putting out to sea, and not of any ordinary departure by other modes of travel.
they laded us with such things as were necessary ] [ R. V. “they put on board such things as we needed”]. The bounty must have been large if we consider the number of those for whom it was given. But Publius would set the example and others would not be slow to follow it.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 9. Others – which had diseases] Luke was a physician; yet we do not find him engaging in these cures. As a medical man, he might have been of use to the father of Publius; but he is not even consulted on the occasion. Paul enters in to him, prays for him, lays his hands on him, and he is healed. The other diseased persons who are mentioned in this verse were doubtless healed in the same way.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The fame of this cure, wrought so suddenly, perfectly, and only with the laying on of Pauls hands, could not but spread far and near; especially being done upon the governor: and men are usually very careful about their bodily health and welfare. So that their diseases were blessed occasions to bring them to the knowledge of God in Christ, whom Paul preached; and they might have perished eternally if they had not perished (or been thus near unto perishing) temporally.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
9. this . . . done, others . . .came and were healed“kept coming to [us] and gettinghealed,” that is, during our stay, not all at once [WEBSTERand WILKINSON].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
So when this was done,…. This miracle was wrought, and the fame of it spread over the island:
others also which had diseases in the island came: from all parts of it, to the apostle:
and were healed; of whatsoever diseases they were afflicted with.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
1) “So when this was done,” (toutou de genomenou) “Then when this had happened,” was done and the father of Publius was up and well.
2) “Others also, which had diseases in the island,” (kai hoi poipoi hoi en te neso echnotes astheneias) “Those remaining (the rest) in the island;” Malta is 17 miles long and 9 miles wide, located 58 miles from Sicily. Its chief city is now Valetta, with a population of about 125,000.
3) “Came,” (proserchonto) “Came to Paul of their own accord,” and to Luke, during the three months of winter that Paul and his company spent on the island.
4) “And were healed.” (kai etherapeuonto) “And were therapeutically made well,” cured, or physically healed, upon coming to Paul, who may also have been physically assisted by Luke, who ministered to their medical needs. The term “healed” is derived from a root Word that indicates being made well or cured by medical or therapeutic means, not of instantaneous miraculous healing only, as they “kept coming and getting healed or cured.”
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(9) Others also, which had diseases.More accurately, the others who had infirmities. The Greek gives the article, and states the fact that there was something like a rush, continuing for some length of time, of all the sick people in the island to profit by the Apostles power of healing. On the difference between the terms used for diseases, see Note on Mat. 4:23.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
‘And when this was done, the rest also who had diseases in the island came, and were cured, who also honoured us with many honours, and when we sailed, they put on board such things as we needed.’
The natural result of this was that many people on the island brought their sick and they were all healed (a different word from Act 28:8 but used elsewhere in Acts of Peter’s healings (Act 5:16)). And as a result the people honoured them with many honours. They were received with complete acceptance and treated with great respect.
There is an interesting parallel here with Luk 4:38-40. In both cases a relative of an associate is healed, followed by wholesale healings of the people who come to him. But we must not overpress this. There are significant differences.
As is often the case throughout Acts the Christian evangelism is simply assumed (we can compare Cyprus (Act 13:6), Philippi, Caesarea). There were the large number of people saved from certain death who had already learned about God from Paul’s behaviour on board. It would be unusual indeed if some had not shown an interest. There were the people who observed the incident of the snake. They too would have been intrigued. There was the fact that they had seen Paul as a god. He could hardly leave things like that. There were those who were healed and their relatives who came from all around the island. They would be open to the Gospel. We cannot doubt that every opportunity was take to present the Good News and that many responded. Paul must have been very busy. Such a response is in fact what this behaviour of the people implies. ‘They honoured us with many honours, and when we sailed, they put on board such things as we needed.’ They were expressing their wholehearted gratitude. not only for healing of body, but also for healing of soul. But Luke’s emphasis here is not on that, but on reaching Rome.
Paul Meets With Disciples For Seven Days at Puteoli and Then At The Appii Forum (Act 28:14-15).
Paul is now rapturously welcomed as he approaches Rome with the Christian’s equivalent of the emperor’s Triumph being granted to him. First at Puteoli, then at the Appii Forum and then at The Three Taverns he is greeted with joy before taking up residence in his own private residence. One of God’s Witnesses of the resurrection has come to Rome to establish the Kingly Rule of God (Act 1:8).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
9 So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed:
Ver. 9. Came and were healed ] On both sides (likely), and hence their forwardness and freeheartedness,Act 28:10Act 28:10 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Act 28:9 . : “were cured,” R.V. Lekebusch, pp. 382, 393, and Holtzmann, in loco , think that the medical skill of St. Luke may also have been instrumental in effecting these cures, and this is urged on the ground that , Act 28:10 , intimates that not only St. Paul received honour in return for the cures effected. But such a conjecture must remain quite uncertain, although it is no doubt quite possible that as we have here a verb which properly denotes medical treatment ( cf. , Luk 9:11 ) for the restoration of health, the care ( cura ) of medical skill was freely added by St. Luke, and enhanced the debt which the sick owed.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
So = But.
others = the rest. App-124.
diseases. Greek. astheneia. See Mat 8:17. Joh 11:4.
healed. Greek. therapeuo. See Luk 6:18 and App-137.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
others: Act 5:12, Act 5:15, Mat 4:24, Mar 6:54-56
Reciprocal: Mat 25:36 – was sick Mar 16:18 – they shall lay
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
9
Act 28:9. The good deed done for Publius’ father was reported over the island. As a result, others came to Paul and were healed of diseases.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Act 28:9. Others also which had diseases. More accurately, the rest ( ) who had diseases. It is probable that all the sick persons in the island who could be moved were brought to St. Paul. The population was scanty, the island was small, and the apostle remained there three months. The imperfect tense, too, of the verbs which follow, denotes something that went on continuously. This was a golden opportunity for making known the gospel to hearts predisposed to receive it. Nothing is said of this subject; but we cannot suppose either that St. Paul neglected his Masters cause, or that his spiritual work was without result.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
See notes on verse 8
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
28:9 {5} So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed:
(5) Although Paul was a captive, yet the power of God was not captive.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Word of this healing spread across the island, and Paul was able to heal many other sick people. Doctor Luke had an obvious medical interest in physical recovery. However the Holy Spirit seems to have included these healings in the text to show that God’s power was still working through Paul. God was working as strongly as ever in spite of the physical exhaustion caused by the sea voyage and shipwreck. Paul could heal anyone that God wanted healed, though not everyone (cf. 2Ti 4:20).
"Paul could exercise the gift of healing; and yet Paul had forever to bear about with him the thorn in the flesh. He healed others while he could not heal himself. Like his Master, in another sense, he saved others when he could not save himself." [Note: Barclay, pp. 207-8.]