Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - Acts 5:7 - 5:11
(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)
This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Act_5:7-11
7Now there elapsed an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8And Peter responded to her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?" And she said, "Yes, that was the price." 9Then Peter said to her, "Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well." 10And immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things.
Act_5:7 "about three hours" This shows the vividness of the account by an eyewitness. Luke's writing is characterized by this attention to details. It reflects both his writing style and research methods (i.e., interviews with eyewitnesses).
Act_5:8 The lie, the pretense continues!
Act_5:9 "test" In a round about sense, this was a test of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, God the Father's personal presence on earth (see Special Topic at Act_1:2). There are temporal consequences, as well as eternal consequences for challenging the Spirit! These two did not realize that it was the Spirit they were lying to, but Peter did.
There are two Greek terms used to denote a test. This one connotes "to test with a view toward destruction." This possibly reflects Exo_17:2 and Deu_6:16, where these texts warn against tempting/testing YHWH (cf. Psa_78:18; Psa_78:41; Psa_78:56).
hyperlink
Act_5:10 The term used to describe "the young men" (neôteroi) in Act_5:6 is different from the term neanikoi in Act_5:10. It is uncertain whether this is just authorial variety or a different group of young men in the church. Both Greek words come from the same root word (neos).
Act_5:11 "great fear. . .over all who heard of these things" Luke uses the common word phobos several times in this same general sense (cf. Luk_1:69; Luk_3:37; Act_19:17). For believers it is a sense of reverence, respect, and awe, but for unbelievers it is a sense of foreboding, fear, and terror (cf. Luk_12:4-5; Heb_10:31).
▣ "church" This is the first time this term is used in Acts, although it is in the Textus Receptus at Act_2:47. See Special Topic following.
hyperlink