2. kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it—The coolness with which they planned the deception aggravated the guilt of this couple. brought a certain part—pretending it to be the whole proceeds of the sale. read more
"But" introduces another sacrificial act that looked just as generous as Barnabas’ (Acts 4:37). However in this case the motive was quite different. Ananias’ Jewish name, Hananiah, means "Yahweh is gracious," and Sapphira’s Aramaic name, Sappira, means "beautiful." Their names proved as ironic as their behavior was hypocritical.The Greek word nosphizo, ("kept back") also appears at the beginning of the record of Achan’s sin in the Septuagint (Joshua 7:1, translated "took"). Ananias presented... read more
The death of Ananias 5:1-6 read more
The hypocrisy of Ananias and Sapphira 5:1-11We might conclude from what precedes that the church was a sinless community at this time. Unfortunately this was not the case. There were sinning saints in it. This episode reveals that God was working dramatically in the church’s early days in judgment as well as in blessing. Luke did not idealize his portrait of the early church but painted an accurate picture, "warts and all.""The passage shows that God knows the hearts of believers. Peter is not... read more
The Apostles Again Imprisoned1-16. The sin of Ananias and Sapphira was not keeping back part of the price, which they had a perfect right to do (Acts 5:4), but pretending that the money which they offered to the Apostles was the whole price of the possession sold, which was not the case. Their motive was vanity and ambition. They wished to have a greater reputation for liberality than they were entitled to.1. Ananias] i.e. ’Jehovah hath been gracious.’Sapphira] If the word is Greek it means... read more
V.(1, 2) A certain man named Ananias.—The name meets us again as belonging to the high priest in Acts 23:2, and was the Greek form of the Hebrew Hananiah. It had the same significance as John, or Johanan, “The Lord be gracious.” “Sapphira,” is either connected with the “sapphire,” as a precious stone, or from a Hebrew word signifying “beautiful” or “pleasant.” The whole history must be read in connection with the act of Barnabas. He, it seemed, had gained praise and power by his self-sacrifice.... read more
(2) And kept back part of the price.—The mere act of keeping back would not in itself have been sinful. The money was his own, to give the whole or part (Acts 5:4). But the formal act, apparently reproducing that of Barnabas, was an acted lie. The part was offered as if it were the whole. The word for “kept back” is rendered “purloining” in Titus 2:10, and always carried with it the idea of stealthy and dishonest appropriation. It is used in the LXX. of Joshua 7:1, as describing the sin of... read more
Definite Religious Teaching (In St. Lawrence Jewry, to the Association of Head Masters, 11th January, 1907) Acts 5:12 What were they doing there? Worshipping is the answer which used to be made; holding the primitive Divine service out of which have grown our liturgies. The unlikeliness of this answer does not need drawing out. We shall most of us agree that the meetings of the groups of Christians in the Temple's cloister must have been for conference on the affairs of the community on some ... read more
CHAPTER 5 1. Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-10 ). 2. Signs and wonders by the Apostles (Acts 5:11-16 ). 3. The second arrest of the Apostles and their Deliverance (Acts 5:17-25 ). 4. Before the Council (Acts 5:26-33 ). 5. Gamaliel’s Advice (Acts 5:34-39 ). 6. The Apostles beaten and dismissed (Acts 5:40-42 ). With this chapter the scene changes. Beautiful is the ending of the previous chapter, Barnabas having sold his land, laid the money at the feet of the Apostles. He gave by it a... read more
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Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Acts 5:1-2
Acts 5:1-2. But a certain man, &c.— In Psalms 110:0 where our Saviour is prophetically described in the person of a king advanced to the throne of divine majesty, glorious and triumphant, it is said, that his people, in the day of his power, should offer him free-will-offerings; which alludes to the Eastern custom of bringing presents to their kings on their inauguration. This prophesy was fulfilled in some small degree, in a temporal sense, as we find in the fore-going chapter; when, after... read more