Acts 28:2

“And the barbarous people showed us no little kindness, etc.] The inhabitants of this island are called barbarians, not from the country of Barbary, near to which they were; nor so much on account of their manners, for, though Heathens, they were a civil and cultivated people, being, as appears from the name of the chief man of the island, under the Roman government; but because of their language, (see <461411>1 Corinthians 14:11), it being neither Hebrew, Greek, nor Latin; for as the inhabitants were originally a colony of the Phoenicians, they spoke their language; and now though it is inhabited by such as are called Christians, they speak the Saracen or Arabic language, and little…”

“the barbarous people--so called merely as speaking neither the Greek nor the Latin language. They were originally PhÅ“nician colonists. showed us no little--"no ordinary" kindness, for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain--"the rain that was on us"--not now first falling, but then falling heavily. and because of the cold--welcomed us all, drenched and shivering, to these most seasonable marks of friendship. In this these "barbarians" contrast favorably with many since bearing the Christian name. The lifelike style of the narrative here and in the following verses gives it a great charm.”

“And the barbarous people - See the notes on Romans 1:14. The Greeks regarded all as barbarians who did not speak their language, and applied the name to all other nations but their own. It does not denote, as it does sometimes with us, “people of savage, uncultivated, and cruel habits, but simply those whose speech was unintelligible.” See 1 Corinthians 14:11. The island is supposed to have been populated at first by the Phoecians, afterward by the Phoenicians, and afterward by a colony from Carthage. The language of the Maltese was that of Africa, and hence it was called by the Greeks the language of “barbarians.” It was a language which was unintelligible to the Greeks and Latins. The rain…”

“And the barbarians - So the Romans and Greeks termed all nations but their own. But surely the generosity shown by these uncultivated inhabitants of Malta, was far more valuable than all the varnish which the politest education could give, where it taught not humanity and compassion. Acts 28:4”

“barbarous: Act 28:4; Rom 1:14; Co1 14:11; Col 3:11 showed: Act 27:3; Lev 19:18, Lev 19:34; Pro 24:11, Pro 24:12; Mat 10:42; Luk 10:30-37; Rom 2:14, Rom 2:15, Rom 2:27; Heb 13:2 because: Ezr 10:9; Joh 18:18; Co2 11:27 Acts 28:3”