Acts 5:2

Acts 5:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
• New International Version (NIV)With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.
• English Standard Version (ESV)and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

Context of Acts 5:2

1Now a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife’s full knowledge [and complicity] he kept back some of the proceeds, bringing only a portion of it, and set it at the apostles’ feet. 3But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and [secretly] keep back for yourself some of the proceeds [from the sale] of the land? 4As long as it remained [unsold], did it not remain your own [to do with as you pleased]? And after it was sold, was the money not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this act [of hypocrisy and deceit] in your heart? You have not [simply] lied to people, but to God.”

Acts 5:2 word by word

καὶ ἐνοσφίσατο ἀπὸ τῆς τιμῆς, συνειδυίης καὶ τῆς γυναικός καὶ ἐνέγκας μέρος τι παρὰ τοὺς πόδας τῶν ἀποστόλων ἔθηκεν.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• kept backνοσφίζωnosphizomai · to embezzleG3557
• ofἀπόapo · away fromG575
• the priceὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the priceτιμήtimē · honorG5092
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• wifeγυνήgunē · woman: wifeG1135
• being privyσυνείδωsuneidō · be awareG4894
• broughtφέρωpherō̄ · to bear/leadG5342
• a certainτιςtis · oneG5100
• partμέροςmeros · partG3313
• and laidτίθημιtithēmi · to placeG5087
• atπαράpara · from/with/besideG3844
• the apostles’ἀπόστολοςapostolos · apostleG652
• feetπούςpous · footG4228

Cross-references for Acts 5:2

• Joshua 7:11Israel has sinned; they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them [to keep]. They have even taken some of the things under the ban, and they have both stolen and denied [the theft]. Moreover, they have also put the stolen objects among their own things.
• 2 Kings 5:21So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw someone running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him and said, “Is all well?”
• Malachi 1:14“But cursed is the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows [to offer] it, but sacrifices to the Lord a blemished or diseased thing! For I am a great King,” says the Lord of hosts, “and My name is to be [reverently and greatly] feared among the nations.”
• Malachi 3:8“Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings [you have withheld].
• John 12:6Now he said this, not because he cared about the poor [for he had never cared about them], but because he was a thief; and since he had the money box [serving as treasurer for the twelve disciples], he used to pilfer what was put into it.
• 1 Timothy 6:10For the love of money [that is, the greedy desire for it and the willingness to gain it unethically] is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves [through and through] with many sorrows.
• 2 Peter 2:14They have eyes full of adultery, constantly looking for sin, enticing and luring away unstable souls. Having hearts trained in greed, [they are] children of a curse.
• Acts 5:9Then Peter said to her, “How could you two have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Look! The feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”
• Acts 4:34There was not a needy person among them, because those who were owners of land or houses were selling them, and bringing the proceeds of the sales
• Matthew 6:2“So whenever you give to the poor and do acts of kindness, do not blow a trumpet before you [to advertise it], as the hypocrites do [like actors acting out a role] in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored and recognized and praised by men. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, they [already] have their reward in full.
• Matthew 23:5They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for they make their phylacteries (tefillin) wide [to make them more conspicuous] and make their tassels long.
• Philippians 2:3Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit [through factional motives, or strife], but with [an attitude of] humility [being neither arrogant nor self-righteous], regard others as more important than yourselves.

Commentaries on Acts 5:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Kept 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, , (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…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2And kept back - The word used here means properly “to separate, to part:” and then it means to “separate surreptitiously or clandestinely for our own use” a part of public property, as taxes, etc. It is used but three times in the New Testament, Acts 5:3, and in Titus 2:10, where it is rendered “purloining.” Here it means that they “secretly” kept back a part, while “professedly” devoting all to God. His wife also being privy to it - His wife “knowing…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-11Luke likes to balance a positive example with a negative one. He just shared the remarkable and positive story of Barnabas (4:36–37). Now, Luke shows the opposite behavior of Ananias and Sapphira. This couple desired to earn status in the community and for others to admire them. Ananias did not have to sell his property or give away the money. Their sin was pretending and dishonesty.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-11"The first trace of a shade upon the bright form of the young Church. Probably among the new Christians a kind of holy rivalry had sprung up, every one eager to place his means at the disposal of the apostles" [Olshausen]. Thus might the new-born zeal of some outrun their abiding principle, while others might be tempted to seek credit for a liberality which was not in their character. 2. kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it--The…Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 5:2

• Ananias
• Communism
• Falsehood
• Hypocrisy
• Land
• Peter
• Sapphira
• Vows
• Women

In the dictionaries

• Doctor
• Haply
• Judgments of God
• Keep
• Lie
• Privy
• Refrain
• Sapphira
• Somebody
• Acts of the Apostles

Commentaries on Acts 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings