Acts 5 2

Acts 5:2 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.

Acts 5:2 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.

Acts 5:2 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.

Acts 5:2 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.

Acts 5:2 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.

Acts 5 verses

Acts 5 2 Meaning

Acts 5:2 details the deceptive act of Ananias and Sapphira, who sold a piece of property but secretly withheld a portion of the sale price. Despite keeping back some of the money for themselves, Ananias (with his wife's full knowledge and consent) brought only a part of the proceeds and presented it to the apostles, pretending it represented the entire amount. This was an act of profound hypocrisy, intended to appear fully devoted and charitable like others, while secretly defrauding the communal fund established within the early Christian church.

Acts 5 2 Context

Acts chapter 5 opens directly after the joyful, generous account of the early church community where believers were "of one heart and one soul," sharing all possessions. Notably, Barnabas's sincere and full gift of his land proceeds (Acts 4:36-37) is presented as a paradigm of true generosity and trust. Against this backdrop of fervent, unified generosity, the account of Ananias and Sapphira stands in stark contrast. Their action is the first recorded instance of deliberate internal sin and deception within the nascent Christian community. The sin itself, as illuminated by Peter in subsequent verses (Acts 5:3-4), was not the withholding of funds, which was their right, but the lying about the total amount to God's Spirit and the apostles, thus attempting to appear devout while maintaining personal gain. This event is a critical moment for establishing the purity, holiness, and divine authority within the early church, demonstrating that God takes hypocrisy and dishonesty among His people with extreme seriousness.

Acts 5 2 Word analysis

• and kept back (Greek: enosphisato from nosphizō)
  • Meaning: To put aside, appropriate wrongfully, embezzle, pilfer, purloin, defraud. It signifies a secretive and fraudulent withholding.
  • Significance: This specific Greek word links Ananias's sin directly to Achan's sin in Josh 7:1 (Septuagint translation), where Achan kept back consecrated items from the spoils of Jericho. Both acts involved theft and deceit concerning items devoted to God, leading to severe divine judgment. This is not simply holding back, but doing so deceptively and fraudulently, implying possession of something that was implicitly dedicated or offered.
• part of the price (Greek: apo tou timēmatos)
  • Meaning: "A part of" the "valuation," "price," or "amount received from the sale."
  • Significance: The verse explicitly states "part," underscoring the deceit. They did not keep all, which might have been seen as simple non-participation, but a portion, while feigning to give the entire amount. This was calculated deception, presenting a false image of total sacrifice and dedication, mirroring others in the community.
• his wife also being privy to it (Greek: syneideiasēs kai hē gynē autou)
  • Meaning: "Her being aware with him," "her also knowing about it," "her complicity." Syneideiasēs comes from synoida, meaning "to know with," implying shared knowledge and agreement.
  • Significance: This phrase is critical in establishing Sapphira's equal culpability. Her knowing and consenting made her an active participant in the deception, not an innocent bystander. It signifies joint enterprise in sin, highlighting the agreement and premeditation behind their fraud. This removes any possibility of Ananias acting alone.
• and brought a certain part (Greek: kai ēnenken meros ti)
  • Meaning: "And he brought a certain share," "some part."
  • Significance: They brought something, which makes their deception even more insidious. They desired the appearance of piety and generosity without the reality of it. This highlights that the problem was not their possession of wealth or choosing to keep some, but their lie regarding the total offering. They wanted the glory of giving all while retaining the benefits of keeping some.
• and laid it at the apostles' feet (Greek: kai ethēken para tous podas tōn apostolōn)
  • Meaning: "And he placed it at the feet of the apostles."
  • Significance: This was the customary practice for donors (cf. Acts 4:35, 37), signifying the dedication of funds to the community's needs, distributed by the apostles. By placing their "certain part" there, they were performing a public act meant to convey full and complete surrender of the property's proceeds, thereby enacting their lie publicly before the leadership and the Holy Spirit. This position signifies humility and full surrender to God through the apostles. Their act made the lie even more blatant.

• "kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it"
  • This phrase reveals premeditated, mutual deception. It was not a momentary lapse but a deliberate scheme by both spouses to misrepresent their generosity. The unity in their sin mirrors the early church's unity, but in a perverted, corrupt manner.
• "and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet"
  • This action shows the public manifestation of their private deception. They sought human applause and status within the community for an act of devotion that was not genuine. It emphasizes their attempt to deceive the leadership, and through them, the Holy Spirit present and working within the church.

Acts 5 2 Bonus section

The immediate judgment upon Ananias and Sapphira serves as a foundational moment for the early church, signaling God's absolute commitment to purity and truthfulness among His people. It acts as an object lesson for all believers throughout history, emphasizing that genuine devotion comes from the heart, not through external performance or deception. This divine intervention created a "great fear" among the entire church (Acts 5:11), fostering a profound reverence for God's holiness and His presence within the community. The incident also subtly contrasts with the legalistic outward performance common among some religious leaders of the day (like the Pharisees), showing that true righteousness is about inner truth, not outward show. The purity of the church was preserved at a critical juncture, ensuring its witness would be based on integrity.

Acts 5 2 Commentary

Acts 5:2 details the precise nature of Ananias and Sapphira's transgression: a calculated act of deception rooted in covetousness and a desire for human praise. While the early church embraced voluntary communal sharing, Peter clearly states their right to keep their land and its full sale price (Acts 5:4). Their sin was therefore not one of compelled giving, but of pretense – lying about the portion they brought. By keeping back part of the funds while claiming to have given all, they defrauded not merely the apostles or the community, but ultimately "the Holy Spirit" and "God" (Acts 5:3-4). This intentional dishonesty, done publicly and with mutual consent, struck at the very integrity and purity of the nascent church, where the Spirit's presence fostered transparency and genuine fellowship. God's immediate and severe judgment (subsequently in Acts 5) serves to establish the sanctity and truthfulness demanded within His new covenant community from its very inception, making it clear that hypocrisy will not be tolerated.