And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him.
And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever - literally, 'fevers;' meaning that which was intermittent.
And of a bloody flux, [dusenteria ( G1420)] - 'dysentery.' 'This (as Hackett says) is one of those expressions in Luke's writings that have been supposed to indicate his professional training as a physician. (See Acts 12:23 ; Acts 13:11 ; Luke 22:44.) It is correct to attach to them that significancy. No other writer of the New Testament exhibits this sort of technical precision in speaking of diseases.'
To whom Paul entered in, and prayed - thus precluding the supposition that any charm resided in himself,
And laid his hands on him, and healed him. Thus, as our Lord rewarded Peter for the use of his boat (Luke 5:3, etc.), so Paul richly repays Publius for his hospitality. And as before we observed the fulfillment of one prediction of the ascending Redeemer, "They shall take up serpents," so here we have another, "they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover" (Mark 16:18).