Sapphi'ra (Σαπφείρη, a sapphire stone, or beautiful), The wife of Ananias, and his accomplice in the sin for which he died (Ac 5; Ac 1-10). A.D. 30. Unaware of the judgment which had befallen her husband, she entered the place about three hours after, probably to look for him; and, being there interrogated by Peter, repeated and persisted in the "lie unto the Holy Ghost" which had destroyed her husband; on which the grieved apostle made known to her his doom, and pronounced her own" Behold, the feet of them who have buried thy husband are at the door and shall carry thee out." On hearing these awful words, she fell dead at his feet. The cool obstinacy of Sapphira in answering as she did the questions which were probably designed to awaken her conscience deepens the shade of the foul crime common to her and her husband, and has suggested to many the probability that the plot was of her devising, and that, like another Eve, she drew her husband into it. The interval of three hours that elapsed between the two deaths, Sapphira's ignorance of what had happened to her husband, and the predictive language of Peter towards her are decisive evidences as to the supernatural character of the whole transaction. The history of Sapphira's death thus supplements that of Ananias, which might otherwise have been attributed to natural causes. SEE ANANIAS.
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More