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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - Acts 5:1 - 5:6
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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Act_5:1-6
1But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife's full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles' feet. 3But Peter said, "Ananias, why had Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? 4While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." 5And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it. 6The young men got up and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him.
Act_5:1 "Ananias" The full Hebrew name would have been Hananiah, which means "YHWH has graciously given" or "YHWH is gracious" (BDB 337).
▣ Sapphira" This was Ananias' wife. The name in Aramaic means "beautiful." They were both believers.
Act_5:2 kept back" This same rare verb (nosphizomai) is used in the Septuagint (LXX) of Jos_7:1 to describe the sin of Achan. F. F. Bruce, in his commentary on Acts (NIC) has made the comment that Ananias was to the early church what Achan was to the Conquest. This sin had the potential of hurting the entire church. This term is also used in Tit_2:10 of slaves stealing from their masters.
▣ "bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles' feet" This mimics what Barnabas did in Act_4:37. This couple had the freedom to sell or not to sell their personal property (cf. Act_5:4). They had the freedom to give some or all of it to the Lord's work. They did not have the right to give part, but claim they gave all. Their motives and duplicitous actions revealed their heart (cf. Act_5:4 c; Luk_21:14). God looks at the heart (cf. 1Sa_16:7; 1Ki_8:39; 1Ch_28:9; Pro_21:2; Jer_17:10; Luk_16:15; Act_1:24; Rom_8:27).
Act_5:3 "Satan. . .Holy Spirit" This shows the presence of the two spiritual forces which are active in our world and in our lives. In Eph_2:2-3 (cf. James 4) are listed the three enemies of post-Genesis humanity:
1. the fallen world system
2. a personal tempter
3. our fallen nature
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▣ "filled" This is the same word used of the Spirit (cf. Eph_5:18). Filling requires cooperation! We are filled with something (see full note at Act_5:17)! Satan is involved, but we are responsible (cf. Luk_22:3-6). I recommend the book Three Crucial Questions About Spiritual Warfare, by Clinton E. Arnold. Surprisingly there is continuing satanic influence in the lives of believers (cf. Eph_6:10-19; 1Jn_5:18-19). See fuller notes at Act_2:4; Act_3:10.
This phrase (i.e., filled your heart") may be a Hebrew idiom (cf. Est_7:5; Ecc_8:11; Ecc_9:3). Many scholars assume an Aramaic original to the early chapters of Acts.
▣ "to lie to the Holy Spirit" They lied to Peter and the church, but in reality they lied to the Spirit. Theologically this is very similar to Jesus asking Paul on the road to Damascus, "Why are you persecuting Me?" (cf. Act_9:4). Paul was persecuting individual believers, but Jesus took it personally, as does the Spirit here. This should be a word of warning to modern believers.
Act_5:4 This verse has two questions that expect "yes" answers. This is a grammatical feature, not an interpretive issue.
▣ "You have not lied to men but to God" It was not that they kept part of the money, but that they lied to make themselves look spiritual. Notice that even a kind, generous act, which is done with a bad motive, is a sin (cf. Rom_14:23 c). Notice that the Holy Spirit mentioned in Act_5:3 here is called God.
Act_5:5 "fell down and breathed his last" In the ancient world one's last breath was evidence that the spirit of the person had left (cf. Jgds. Act_4:2; Eze_21:7 in the LXX). This rare term is found in the NT only in Acts (cf. Act_5:4; Act_5:10; Act_12:23). This is an example of temporal judgment. This is similar to God's judgment on Aaron's sons in Leviticus 10. Sin is serious to God. It cost a life (cf. 2Ki_14:6; Eze_18:4; Eze_18:20).
▣ "a great fear came over all" This possibly was the purpose of this temporal judgment. This would be analogous to the OT deaths of Nadab and Abihu of Leviticus 10 and Uzzah of 2 Samuel 6. Based on 1Co_11:30; Jas_5:20; and 1Jn_5:16-17, it is possible to assume that some sins by believers result in an early death. It is hard to keep the balance between the holiness of God (transcendence) and Fatherhood of God (immanence).
Act_5:6 "they buried him" Jews of the first century did not practice embalming (they still do not), probably because of Gen_3:19 (cf. Psa_103:14; Psa_104:29). A person had to be buried quickly, usually within one day.
Because of the offense there was no memorial service or other Christian burial rites.
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