Acts 28:7 - Exposition

Now in the neighborhood of that place for in the same quarters, A.V.; lands belonging to for possessions of, A.V.; named for whose name was, A.V.; entertained for lodged, A.V. Lands ( χωρία ); so John 4:5 ; Actsi. 18,19; John 4:34 ; John 5:3 , John 5:8 . The chief man of the island ( τῷ πρώτῃ τῆς νήσου ) . It appears that, with his usual accurate knowledge gained on the spot (see Acts 16:22 . note), St. Luke here gives to Publius his peculiar official title of primus. For Ciantar, quoted by Smith, gives a Greek inscription on a marble, which in his day was standing near the gates of Citta Vecehia, in Malta, in which are the words, προύδενς ἵππευς ρωμ πρῶτος ΄ελιταίων κ . τ . λ ., "Prudens, a Roman knight, chief of the Maltese. " The Latin inscription, which was discovered in 1747, has the same title, MEL PRIMUS . "chief of the Maltese." It may not improbably be the Greek and Latin translation of the old Phoenician title of the "headman," in Hebrew שׁאֹרהָ , in Chaldee שׁאֵר , as in the title התָוּלגְהַ שׂאֵר , the chief of the Captivity. When the Romans succeeded the Carthaginians in the possession of the island, they would be likely to perpetuate the title of the chief magistrate. In this ease the chief was also a Roman, as his name of Publius indicates. Alford says that he was legatus to the Praetor of Sicily, and so 'Speaker's Commentary,' Kuinoel, Meyer, ere.' Received us ; ἀναδεξάμενος , only here (and Hebrews 11:17 in a different sense) for the more common ὑποδέχομαι . Kuinoel quotes from AE lian, 'Var. Hist.,' 4, 19, the similar phrase, υπέδεξατο αὐτοὺς … φιλοφρόνως : and from 2 Macc. 3:9, φιλοφρόνως ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀρχιερέως ὑποδεχθείς . Entertained us ( ἐξένισεν ); see Acts 10:6 , Acts 10:18 , Acts 10:23 , Acts 10:32 ; Acts 21:16 ; and in the active voice in Hebrews 13:2 . Courteously ; φιλοφρόνως , only here in the New Testament, but we find φιλόφρων , courteous, in 1 Peter 3:8 . We must understand the "us" probably to include the centurion, St. Paul, St. Luke, Aristarchus, and possibly one or two others, but not the whole two hundred and seventy-six. Hebrews 13:2 had a striking fulfillment here. During the three days they would have opportunity to procure suitable winter quarters.