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Act 5:5. Πεσὼν, having fallen down) The terror of Ananias is a specimen of the terror wherewith the ungodly shall be struck in the judgment, without being bereft of life, as he was.-ἐξέψυξε, was deprived of life, gave up the ghost) By this verb a miserable death is denoted; Act 5:10; ch. Act 12:23, Herod; Jdg 4:21, Sisera, (in the Alex. MS. of LXX., ἐξέψυξεν, for ἀπέθανεν). You may ask why so heavy a punishment and so sudden a death was inflicted at this time of the New Testament, which was so full of grace? Comp. 9:55, 56, where Jesus rebukes John for desiring fire from heaven, “The Son of man is come not to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” The answer is, I. The disciples of their own accord had demanded fire to fall on the Samaritans: whereas in this case the Holy Spirit directs Peter. II. Jesus, in His then existing state of humiliation, had been unknown to the Samaritans, and was afterwards to be preached to them: Ananias and Sapphira had most evidently known the glory of Christ, and the presence of the Holy Spirit, and had had most abundant means of salvation afforded to them. III. Ananias and Sapphira sinned most heinously, most unscrupulously, and by mutual consent, and suddenly filled up the full measure of their sin. IV. At the beginning of that dispensation, a salutary example was given in their case to many, and fear was the result of it. V. What was added to the severity of the punishment in respect to the body, may have been taken off from it in respect to the soul.-φόβος, fear) Counteracting the force of the very bad example.-τοὺς ἀκούοντας, them who heard) Not merely upon those who saw what was done. So in Act 5:11.