Acts 5:1-4

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Acts 5:1-11

The chapter begins with a melancholy but, which puts a stop to the pleasant and agreeable prospect of things which we had in the foregoing chapters; as every man, so every church, in its best state has its but. 1. The disciples were very holy, and heavenly, and seemed to be all exceedingly good; but there were hypocrites among them, whose hearts were not right in the sight of God, who, when they were baptized, and took upon them the form of godliness, denied the power of godliness, and stopped... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Acts 5:1-11

5:1-11 A man called Ananias, together with his wife Sapphire, sold a bit of ground he had, and surreptitiously kept back part of the price, and his wife knew about it. He brought some part of the price and laid it at the feet of the apostles. Peter said to him, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart so that you have deceived the Holy Spirit and kept back part of the price of your ground? While it remained yours did it not remain your own, and after it had been sold was it not entirely at... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 5:1

But a certain man named Ananias ,.... A name common among the Jews, the same with Hananiah, Jeremiah 28:1 it signifies not the humility of the Lord, or the affliction of the Lord, or the answer of the Lord, as say some, as if it was derived from ענה ; but the grace of the Lord, or the Lord's gracious one, coming from חנן : there is no dependence on names; though this man's name signified one that was in the grace and favour of God; he was not so, but a graceless person, as appears by... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 5:2

And kept back part of the price ,.... At which the possession was sold; he reserved it for his own use, after he had given out that he sold it for the service of the church: his wife also being privy to it ; to this private reserve: and brought a certain part ; whether the greater part, or an equal part, half of it, or a lesser part; some little part of it, so the phrase seems to signify, is not certain: and laid it at the apostles' feet ; as the rest did, thereby to make a show... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 5:3

But Peter said, Ananias ,.... Peter, by divine revelation, or by a spirit of discerning, such as Elisha had, who knew what his servant Gehazi had done, knowing what a reserve Ananias had made, calls him by his name, and says to him, why hath Satan filled thine heart ? or emboldened thee, given thee so much spirit and courage to act in such an impudent and audacious manner; so the phrase is used in Esther 7:5 see the Septuagint there, and often in Talmudic writings. "Says R. Joshua, I... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 5:4

Whiles it remained, was it not thine own ,.... Before it was sold, it was his own proper estate; he had the sole propriety in it, and could have kept it, or disposed of it as he pleased: he was not obliged to sell it, he might have kept it as his own property; for selling of possessions at this time was a voluntary thing; it was what no man was forced to; it was a pure act of liberality, and what was not enjoined by the apostles; every man was left to his liberty. And after it was sold,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 5:1

But a certain man named Ananias - Of these unhappy people we have no farther account than what is recorded here. In reference to birth, connections, etc., their names are written in the dust. The import of his name, חנניה chananiyah , the grace or mercy of the Lord, agrees very ill with his conduct. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 5:2

Kept back part of the price - Ananias and Sapphira were evidently persons who professed faith in Christ with the rest of the disciples. While all were making sacrifices for the present necessity, they came forward among the rest, pretending to bring all the money they had got for a possession, κτημα , (of what kind we know not), which they had sold. A part of this price, however, they kept back, not being willing to trust entirely to the bounty of Providence, as the others did; thinking... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 5:3

Why hath Satan filled thine heart - The verb πληροειν , which we translate to fill, Kypke has showed by many examples to signify, to instigate, excite, impel, etc., and it was a common belief, as well among the heathens as among the Jews and Christians, that, when a man did evil, he was excited to it by the influence and malice of an evil spirit. It is strange that, by the general consent of mankind, sin against God has been ever considered so perfectly unnatural, and so evil in itself,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 5:4

Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? - See the note on Acts 5:2 , and see that also on Acts 2:44 ; (note). read more

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