“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.”
When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, 'This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.' - The Maltese interpret the viper as divine punishment: Paul 'must be a murderer' (phoneus, phoneus-'murderer'), and their 'goddess Justice' (Dikē, Dikē-justice personified, or possibly the goddess Nepthys in Maltese/Egyptian syncretism) will not 'allow him to live' (zaō, zaō-'let live'). They believe in retributive divine justice: no one escapes the gods' judgment. Their interpretation is natural-a shipwrecked prisoner bitten by a viper seems marked for death-yet it is exactly wrong about Paul.
Church Fathers on Acts 28:4
fastened on his hand. 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 has escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffers not to live. Acts 28:4 Well also was this permitted, that they should both see the thing and utter the thought, in order that, when the result ensued, there might be no disbelieving the miracle. Observe their good feeling (towards the distressed), in saying this (not…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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