Acts 28:8It happened that the father of Publius lay sick of fever and dysentery. Paul entered in to him, prayed, and laying his hands on him, healed him.
The setting
Malta (modern Malta), ~60 AD. Publius's villa. An elderly man lies dying of dysentery and fever - common killers in ancient times. Paul enters the sickroom...
The emotion here: awestruck at witnessing God's healing power through human touch
The original word
epitithēmi (ἐπιτίθημι) — to place upon, laying hands as a channel for God's power
Why it matters
Dysentery killed more Roman soldiers than battle wounds - it was a death sentence
Read with care
What most readers miss in Acts 28:8
Paul 'entered in to him' - he went into the contaminated sickroom, risking infection
Common misconceptionPeople think this proves Paul had special healing abilities, but Luke shows this as God's response to prayer and faith - available to any believer who steps into someone's suffering.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Acts 28:8
Bible Genome reading
Acts 28:8 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Acts 28:8 comes from the book of Acts, written during the early_church period. These words are attributed to Luke. The dominant emotion in this verse is worship, with a comfort power of 70% and a tone that is reverent. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include healing, prayer. Notable phrases: Paul entered in to him, prayed; laying his hands.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same worship
“Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God; Yahweh is one:”
— Deuteronomy 6:4
“and you shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.”
— Deuteronomy 6:5
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:”
— Ecclesiastes 3:1
“Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.”
— John 14:6
“Jesus said to them, "Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM."”
— John 8:58
Your reflection
What does Acts 28:8 mean to you, today?
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