Acts 28 - Paul is immune to snake venom

The Passage

Acts 28 - New Living Translation

3 As Paul gathered an armful of sticks and was laying them on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, bit him on the hand. 4 The people of the island saw it hanging from his hand and said to each other, “A murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped the sea, justice will not permit him to live.” 5 But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed. 6 The people waited for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw that he wasn’t harmed, they changed their minds and decided he was a god.

Acts 28 - Nestle 1904

3 συστρέψαντος δὲ τοῦ Παύλου φρυγάνων τι πλῆθος καὶ ἐπιθέντος ἐπὶ τὴν πυράν, ἔχιδνα ἀπὸ τῆς θέρμης ἐξελθοῦσα καθῆψεν τῆς χειρὸς αὐτοῦ. 4 ὡς δὲ εἶδον οἱ βάρβαροι κρεμάμενον τὸ θηρίον ἐκ τῆς χειρὸς αὐτοῦ, πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἔλεγον Πάντως φονεύς ἐστιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος, ὃν διασωθέντα ἐκ τῆς θαλάσσης ἡ Δίκη ζῆν οὐκ εἴασεν. 5 ὁ μὲν οὖν ἀποτινάξας τὸ θηρίον εἰς τὸ πῦρ ἔπαθεν οὐδὲν κακόν· 6 οἱ δὲ προσεδόκων αὐτὸν μέλλειν πίμπρασθαι ἢ καταπίπτειν ἄφνω νεκρόν. ἐπὶ πολὺ δὲ αὐτῶν προσδοκώντων καὶ θεωρούντων μηδὲν ἄτοπον εἰς αὐτὸν γινόμενον, μεταβαλόμενοι ἔλεγον αὐτὸν εἶναι θεόν.

The Passage Translated

3 συστρέψαντος (having gathered) δὲ (but) τοῦ (of the) Παύλου (Paul) φρυγάνων (sticks, twigs) τι (some) πλῆθος (bundle) καὶ (and) ἐπιθέντος (having placed) ἐπὶ (on) τὴν (the) πυράν (fire), ἔχιδνα (a viper) ἀπὸ (from) τῆς (the) θέρμης (heat) ἐξελθοῦσα (having come out) καθῆψεν (fastened) τῆς (of the) χειρὸς (hand) αὐτοῦ (of him).

4 ὡς (when) δὲ (and) εἶδον (they saw) οἱ (the) βάρβαροι (natives, barbarians) κρεμάμενον (hanging) τὸ (the) θηρίον (creature, beast) ἐκ (from) τῆς (the) χειρὸς (hand) αὐτοῦ (of him), πρὸς (to) ἀλλήλους (one another) ἔλεγον (they said), Πάντως (certainly) φονεύς (a murderer) ἐστιν (is) ὁ (the) ἄνθρωπος (man) οὗτος (this), ὃν (whom) διασωθέντα (having been saved) ἐκ (from) τῆς (the) θαλάσσης (sea), ἡ (the) Δίκη (Justice) ζῆν (to live) οὐκ (not) εἴασεν (allowed).

5 ὁ (he) μὲν (indeed) οὖν (then) ἀποτινάξας (having shaken off) τὸ (the) θηρίον (creature) εἰς (into) τὸ (the) πῦρ (fire), ἔπαθεν (suffered) οὐδὲν (nothing) κακόν (evil, harm).

6 οἱ (they) δὲ (but) προσεδόκων (were expecting) αὐτὸν (him) μέλλειν (to be about) πίμπρασθαι (to swell up) ἢ (or) καταπίπτειν (to fall down) ἄφνω (suddenly) νεκρόν (dead). ἐπὶ (after) πολὺ (a long time) δὲ (but) αὐτῶν (of them) προσδοκώντων (waiting, expecting) καὶ (and) θεωρούντων (observing) μηδὲν (nothing) ἄτοπον (unusual) εἰς (in) αὐτὸν (him) γινόμενον (happening), μεταβαλόμενοι (having changed their minds) ἔλεγον (they said) αὐτὸν (him) εἶναι (to be) θεόν (a god).

Analysis

It tests Paul’s immunity to snake venom, which he built by participating in mystery rites involving venoms previously applied/annointed on him (chrio / χρίω, doton / δοτόν) and their antidotes (antichrio / ἀντίχρισμα, antidoton / ἀντίδοτον). Literally.

Terms

echidna (ἔχιδνα) - viper. Derived from the root ἔχις (echis), meaning snake or serpent
- in mystery contexts, this is the virgin priestess, women from ancient oracular colleges. (However, here, it appears to be an actual snake biting Paul)
therion (θηρίον) - creature, the beast. Also the name for Theriac death inducer potion.
zēn (ζῆν) - to live. From ζω- (to live), means life.
theon (θεόν) - like a god, immortal (in this case, not able to be harmed)
doton (δοτόν) - That which is given.
antidoton (ἀντίδοτον) - antidote or counteragent
- anti (ἀντί) - Against, opposite.
- doton (δοτόν) - That which is given.
pharmakon (φάρμακον) - A term that can mean both "poison" and "medicine," emphasizing the dual nature of substances depending on their use.
antipharmakon (ἀντίφάρμακον) - A counterpoison or remedy.
chrio (χρίω) - To anoint or smear, often with oil, venom, or medicine. The term Christos (Χριστός, the anointed one) derives from χρίω, a title for a person who annoints with pharmaka, often in mystery cults.
antichrio (ἀντίχρισμα) - "against the anointing," often referring to a counteragent or antidote.