Acts 28:4 kjva — And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a mur…

King James Version with Apocrypha

"And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live."

— Acts 28:4, King James Version with Apocrypha

Read in Another Translation

5 of 21 translations

Acts 28:4 in Other Translations

6 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.”

  • ASV

    “And when the barbarians saw the venomous creature hanging from his hand, they said one to another, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped from the sea, yet Justice hath not suffered to live. ”

  • WEB

    “When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said one to another, "No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped from the sea, yet Justice has not allowed to live."”

  • NET

    “When the local people saw the creature hanging from Paul’s hand, they said to one another,“No doubt this man is a murderer! Although he has escaped from the sea, Justice herself has not allowed him to live!””

  • DRB

    “And when the barbarians saw the beast hanging on his hand, they said one to another: Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, who, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance doth not suffer him to live.”

  • BBE

    “And when the people saw it hanging on his hand, they said to one another, Without doubt this man has put someone to death, and though he has got safely away from the sea, God will not let him go on living.”

Acts 28 — Context

1

And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita.

2

And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.

3

And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

4

And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.

5

And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.

6

Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.

7

In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius; who received us, and lodged us three days courteously.

Acts 28:4 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Acts 28:4 say?
Acts 28:4 in the King James Version with Apocrypha reads: “And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.”
Where is Acts 28:4 in the Bible?
Acts 28:4 is found in the New Testament, in the book of Acts, chapter 28, verse 4.
Who wrote Acts?
Acts is traditionally attributed to Luke. It was written c. AD 62–64.
What is the book of Acts about?
Acts is the sequel to Luke's Gospel — the story of how the message of the risen Jesus moved out from Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. Through Peter, Paul, and many ordinary believers, the Holy Spirit builds the early church across the Roman world.
What are the major themes of Acts?
Acts explores themes including Holy Spirit, Mission, Church Growth, Persecution, Gospel to the Gentiles. These themes shape the meaning and context of Acts 28:4.
What translation should I read Acts 28:4 in?
Acts 28:4 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Acts 28:4?
Acts 28:4 reads (KJVA): “And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
GodsGoodBook logo

GodsGoodBook

Making God's Word accessible to everyone

Experience the Bible like never before with multiple translations, powerful search tools, and features to make God's Word personal to you. Completely free, forever.

Features

15+ Bible Translations
Powerful Search Tools
Highlight & Annotate
Share Verses
100% Free Forever
© 2025 GodsGoodBookVersion 1.8.2