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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest.

Context of Acts 5:2

1Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 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. 3Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4Didn’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.”

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 violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions.
• 2 Kings 5:21So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. When Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him. “Is everything all right?” he asked.
• Malachi 1:14“Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the Lord Almighty, “and my name is to be feared among the nations.
• Malachi 3:8“Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings.
• John 12:6He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
• 1 Timothy 6:10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
• 2 Peter 2:14With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood!
• Acts 5:9Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”
• Acts 4:34that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales
• Matthew 6:2“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
• Matthew 23:5“Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long;
• Philippians 2:3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above 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