Acts 28:4
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.
Cross-references
In Acts 28:5, Paul suffers no harm, contradicting the islanders' expectation here that justice would kill him.
Acts 28:2 shows the islanders' initial kindness; here they quickly judge Paul as a murderer, a contrast in their response.
Acts 28:3 records the actual snakebite on Paul's hand, which prompts the islanders' conclusion about divine justice in verse 4.
In John 9:2, the disciples ask who sinned to cause blindness — the same assumption that suffering is punishment, as the islanders show here.
In Genesis 42:21, Joseph's brothers see their distress as punishment for mistreating him — the same retributive logic the islanders use to accuse Paul of murder.
In Luke 13:2, Jesus rejects the idea that suffering proves sin — directly opposing the islanders' conclusion about Paul here.
Luke 13:4 further challenges the notion that tragedy equals divine punishment — the same error the islanders make here.
John 7:24 commands judging correctly, not by appearances — the islanders here judge Paul's guilt by the snake, a superficial verdict.
2 Samuel 16:8 has Shimei saying David's bloodshed is being repaid — a near-perfect parallel to the islanders' view of the snake as Justice.
John 9:3 teaches that suffering is not always due to sin, directly opposing the islanders' retributive view of Paul's snakebite.
Amos 5:19 depicts escaping one danger only to be bitten by a snake — exactly the scenario Paul faces after surviving the shipwreck.
Jonah 1:14 shows sailors fearing to kill an innocent man, contrasting with the islanders who assume Paul is guilty and punished.
Proverbs 28:17 says a murderer will be a tormented fugitive — echoing the belief that murderers cannot escape divine retribution.
Judges 9:56 shows God repaying Abimelech's wickedness — directly paralleling the islanders' belief that Justice punishes a murderer.
Isaiah 26:21 declares the Lord will punish bloodshed and reveal hidden murders — a broader divine justice principle behind the islanders' reaction.
Proverbs 13:21 states that misfortune pursues sinners, echoing the islanders' belief that Paul's snakebite is divine punishment.
2 Samuel 3:29 is David's curse on Joab's house for bloodshed — echoing the theme of bloodguilt bringing divine retribution.