EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Acts 5:4
4Before you sold the field, it belonged to you. And after you sold the field, the money was yours. You could choose what to do with it. But you chose to do a very bad thing. You did not only tell a lie to us men. You have told a lie to God.’
Acts 5:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
- New International Version (NIV)Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God."
- New King James Version (NKJV)While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”
Context of Acts 5:4
2Ananias gave part of the money that he received to the apostles. But he kept part of the money for himself. Sapphira knew all about what Ananias had done. 3Peter said to Ananias, ‘Ananias, Satan wanted you to tell a lie and you have obeyed him. You have told a lie to the Holy Spirit. That is a bad thing to do! You sold your field, but you did not give us all the money. You kept part of it for yourselves. Before you sold the field, it belonged to you. And after you sold the field, the money was yours. You could choose what to do with it. But you chose to do a very bad thing. You did not only tell a lie to us men. You have told a lie to God.’ 5As soon as he heard Peter say this, Ananias fell down and he died. When people heard what had happened, they were all very afraid. 6Some young men came into the room. They put cloths around Ananias's dead body and they carried it outside. Then they buried it.
Read all of Acts 5Acts 5:4 word by word
οὐχὶ μένον σοὶ ἔμενεν καὶ πραθὲν ἐν τῇ σῇ ἐξουσίᾳ ὑπῆρχεν; τί ὅτι ἔθου ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτο; οὐκ ἐψεύσω ἀνθρώποις ἀλλὰ τῷ θεῷ.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Whiles it remainedμένωmenō · to stayG3306
- notοὐχίouchi · not!G3780
- thine ownσύsu · youG4771
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- after it was soldπιπράσκωpipraskō praō · to sellG4097
- was itὑπάρχωhuparchō · be alreadyG5225
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- thine ownσόςsos · yourG4674
- powerἐξουσίαexousia · authorityG1849
- whyτίςtis · which?G5101
- ·ὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
- hast thou conceivedτίθημιtithēmi · to placeG5087
- thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- thingὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- thingπρᾶγμαpragma · thingG4229
- heartκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588
- thou hastψεύδομαιpseudomai · to lieG5574
- notοὐou · noG3756
- unto menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- butἀλλάalla · butG235
- unto Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
Cross-references for Acts 5:4
- Exodus 35:21Everyone who decided to offer a gift to the Lord brought the things that they wanted to give. They brought the things to make the Tent of Meeting and the things to use in it. They also brought materials to make the priests' special clothes.
- 1 Chronicles 29:3I want very much to build a beautiful temple for my God. So I have added my own gold and silver to help to build it. I have added that to the other things that I have provided for God's holy temple.
- 1 Corinthians 8:8But the food that we eat will not help us to please God. If we do not eat certain food, that will not make us worse. If we do eat that food, it will not make us better.
- 1 Corinthians 9:5If we have a Christian wife, we should take her with us as we travel. The other apostles do this. So do the Lord's brothers, and also Peter. We have the same authority that they have.
- Philemon 1:14But I did not want to do anything unless you agreed. I wanted you to help me because you really want to help. I did not want to make you do it.
- Acts 8:21You cannot do the work which we are doing. God knows that you are not thinking the right things.
- Joshua 7:25Joshua said, ‘Why did you cause so much trouble to come to us? The Lord will certainly give you trouble today!’ Then all the Israelites threw stones at him until he died. They also killed his family and they burned all the bodies.
- Job 15:35They make plans to cause trouble, so that evil things happen. Lies are what come out from inside them.’
- Psalms 7:14Look! Wicked people prepare to do evil things! They want to cause trouble. Like a pregnant woman, what starts inside them comes out into the open! They give birth to lies that deceive people.
- Isaiah 59:4When people accuse somebody in court, the truth is not important. They tell lies and they deceive the judge, so that they will win. They decide how they can cause trouble, and then they do wicked things.
- Ezekiel 38:10This is what the Almighty Lord says: On that day you will have evil thoughts. You will decide to do a wicked thing.
- James 1:15We may agree to do what our bad thoughts tell us to do. When we do that, it becomes a sin. Then, we may not stop doing those bad things. If we continue to live like that, the result of our sins is death.
- Acts 5:3Peter said to Ananias, ‘Ananias, Satan wanted you to tell a lie and you have obeyed him. You have told a lie to the Holy Spirit. That is a bad thing to do! You sold your field, but you did not give us all the money. You kept part of it for yourselves.
- Exodus 16:8Moses said to them, ‘The Lord will give you meat to eat in the evening. And in the morning, he will give you all the bread that you want. He will do this because he has heard you when you complained against him. We are only his servants. You have said bad things against the Lord, not against us.’
- Numbers 16:11You are not only speaking bad words against Aaron. You and all your group are complaining against the Lord!’
- 1 Samuel 8:7The Lord said to Samuel, ‘Listen to everything that the people are saying to you. I myself should be their king. So it is not you that they refuse to accept. It is me that they do not accept to be their king.
Commentaries on Acts 5:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? - See the note on Acts 5:2, and see that also on Acts 2:44; (note).Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Whiles it remained - As long as it remained unsold. This place proves that there was no “obligation” imposed on the disciples to sell their property. They who did it, did it voluntarily; and it does not appear that it was done by all, or expected to be done by all. And after it was sold - Even after the property was sold, and Ananias had the money, still there was no obligation on him to devote it in this way. He had the disposal of it still. The…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4By lying about the sale of their land, Ananias was not just being dishonest towards others but also toward the Holy Spirit. This means he was lying to God. His actions harmed the honesty, unity, and integrity of the church at its foundation. As a result, he experienced God's direct judgment (compare Leviticus 10:1–5; Joshua 7:16–26).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3-63-6. why hath Satan filled--"why ... fill--"why hast thou suffered him to fill" thine heart--so criminally entertaining his suggestion? Compare Ac 5:4, "why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart?" And see Joh 13:2, 27. to lie to the Holy Ghost--to men under His supernatural illumination.Read the comment
Topics related to Acts 5:4
In the dictionaries
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
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