1 And a certain man named Ananias, i with Sapphira ii his woman, sold a possession 2 and kept back from the price, his woman also realizing, and bringing a certain part, placed it at the feet of the apostles. 3 And Peter said, “Ananias, why did Satan fill your heart iii for you iv to lie to the holy spirit and for you v to keep back from the price of the field? 4 Was it not remaining to you when it was remaining, and when sold, was it in your authority? Why did you put in your heart this thing? You did not lie to men, but to God.” 5 And hearing these words Ananias, falling, breathed his last. vi And great fear came upon all those who heard these things. 6 And the young ones arising, wrapped him up and carrying out, buried him.
7 And it was about a three hour interval, vii and his woman came in not knowing what happened. 8 And Peter answered her, “Tell me whether you sold the field for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” 9 And Peter said to her, “Why is it that you agreed together to test the spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of the ones who buried your man are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 And immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last. And coming in the young ones found her dead, and carrying out buried by her man. 11 And great fear came upon the whole assembly viii and upon all who heard these things.
12 And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they all were with one accord in the porch of Solomon. ix 13 And none of the rest dared to join them, but the people highly esteemed them. 14 And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they carried out to the streets the sick and put them on beds and couches; that even Peter's shadow might overshadow some of them. 16 And the multitude also of the surrounding cities came together into x Jerusalem carrying sick and those troubled by unclean spirits, and they were all being healed. xi
17 And the chief priest rising up and all those with him, which were the sect xii of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy, 18 and they laid their hands upon the apostles and put them in public custody. xiii 19 And an angel of the Lord during the night opened the doors of the prison, xiv and leading them out said, 20 “Go, and standing speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.” 21 And hearing, they went in early morning into the temple, and they taught. And the chief priest arriving, and those with him, called together the council and all the elders of the sons of Israel and sent to the jail xv to have them brought. 22 And the officers coming, did not find them in the prison. xvi And returning, they reported, 23 saying that, “Indeed, the jail xv we found in all security and the guards standing by the doors, and opening within we found no one.” 24 And when the priest xvii and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were perplexed about them, what this would become. 25 And someone coming announced to them that, “Behold, the men whom you put in the prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.”
26 Then the captain with the officers departing, brought them without violence, for they feared the people, that they might not be stoned. 27 And having brought them, they stood in the council. And the chief priest asked them 28 saying, “Did we not strictly command xviii you not to teach in this name? And behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring upon us the blood of this man.” xix 29 And Peter and the apostles answering said, “It is necessary xx to obey God rather than men.30 The God of our fathers raised up Joshua, whom you slew xxi by hanging upon a tree. 31 This one God exalted to his right, Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are his xxii witnesses of these words, xxiii and also the Holy Spirit, whom God gave xxiv to those who obey him.” xxv
33 And hearing they were cut through xxvi and plotted to kill them. 34 And one arising in the council, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, xxvii a teacher of the law, honorable among all the people, ordered to put the apostles outside for a little while. 35 And he said to them, “Men, xxviii Israelis, xxix take heed to yourselves concerning these men, what you are about to do. 36 For before these days, xxx Theudas arose saying xxxi to be someone himself, to whom a number of men were joined, about four hundred. He was killed, and all, as many as were persuaded xxxii by him were scattered and they came xxxiii to nothing. 37 After this one, Judah the Galilaean arose in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all, as many as were persuaded xxxiv by him scattered. 38 xxxv And now I say to you, withdraw from these men and let them be. Because, if this is the counsel or the work of men, it will be overthrown. xxxvi 39 But if it is of God, you are not able xxxvii to overthrow it, lest you even be found fighting against God.” 40 And they were persuaded xxxviii to him, and calling and beating the apostles they commanded not to speak in the name of Joshua; and they released them. 41 So then they departed from the presence of the council rejoicing, because they were considered worthy to suffer shame for the name of the Joshua. xxxix 42 And every day in the temple and at each house, xl they did not cease teaching and preaching the good news, xli Joshua the Christ. xlii
Translated by Darwin Fish. See original pdf. xliii
- Ἀνανίας (Ananias) - “Ananias” - There is also the Ananias of Acts 9:10, 12-13, 17; 22:12; and also the chief priest in Acts 23:2; 24:1. In OT LXX has Ἀνανίας (Ananias) “Ananias” for חֲנַנְיָה (chananyâh) “Hananiah” e.g. 1 Chronicles 25:4, 23; 2 Chronciles 26:11; Jeremiah 28:1 (LXX 35:1); Daniel 1:6; etc.. ^
- Σαπφείρῃ (Sappheirê) - “Sapphira” - only found here. ^
- “Satan fill your heart” - see also Luke 22:2-4; John 13:27 ^
- ψεύσασθαί σε (pseusasthai se) - “for you to lie” ^
- νοσφίσασθαί σε (nosphisasthai se) - “for you to keep back” - Majority Text; Critical & Received Text do not have σε (se) “you.” ^
- ἐξέψυξεν (exespuxen) - “breathed his last” (NKJV; NAS); “gave up the ghost” (KJV) - only also found in Acts 5:10; 12:23. ^
- διάστημα (diastêma) “interval” (NAS), “space . . after” (KJV), “later” (NKJV) – only found here. ^
- ἐκκλησίαν (ekklêsian) - “assembly” - see footnote for Matthew 16:18. ^
- στοᾷ (stoa) - “porch” in the temple, see John 10:23 using the same word στοᾷ (stoa). ^
- εἰς (eis) - “into” - Critical Text does not have “into.” ^
- “all being healed” - Matthew 8:16 “healed all”; 12:15 “healed them all”; Luke 6:19 “healed them all” ^
- αἵρεσις (hairesis) “sect” - found also in Acts 15:5 (“sect”); 24:5, 14 (“sect”); 26:5 (“sect”); 28:22 (“sect”); 1 Corinthians 11:19 (“factions”); Galatians 5:20 (“heresies”); 2 Peter 2:1 (“heresies”). ^
- τηρήσει (têrêsei) - “custody” ^
- φυλακῆς (phulakês) - “prison” ^
- δεσμωτήριον (desmôtêrion) - “jail” ^ ^
- φυλακῇ (phulakê) - “prison” ^
- ὅ . . . ἱερεὺς (ho . . . hiereus) - “the priest” - KJV, NKJV “the high priest” - This is the word for “priest” (e.g. ἱερεὺς [hiereus] Luke 10:31 “priest” KJV, NKJV). Probably because of the definite article (ὅ [ho]) “the” they translated it “high priest.” But, “high priest” is ἀρχιερεὺς (archiereus) used e.g. earlier in Acts 5:17. ^
- παραγγελίᾳ παρηγγείλαμεν (parangelia parêngeilamen) - “did we . . . strictly command” - more literally, “a command we commanded” ^
- “upon us the blood of this man” - That's exactly what they asked for. See Matthew 27:25. ^
- δεῖ (dei) - “It is necessary” - KJV, NKJV “We ought”; NAS “We must” - There is no “We” in the Greek. ^
- διεχειρίσασθε (diecheirisasthe) - “slew” KJV; “murdered” NKJV; “put to death” NAS; only found also in Acts 26:21. ^
- Critical Text does not have “his” (αὐτοῦ [autou]). ^
- ῥημάτων (hrêmatôn) - “words” - plural from ῥῆμα (hrêma) “word.” For more on ῥῆμα (hrêma) see footnote for John 1:1. ^
- ἔδωκεν (edôken) - “gave” - aorist indicative ^
- John 7:39 says, “those believing in him would receive” the Holy Spirit. ^
- διεπρίοντο (dieprionto) - “cut through” - KJV “cut to the heart”; NAS “cut to the quick”; NKJV “furious” - more literally, “cut through” - a compound verb, first part “διε” (die) from διὰ (dia) = “through” and “πρίοντο” (prionto) from πρίζω (prizô) “cut” or “saw” (i.e. in two) e.g. Hebrews 11:37 (ἐπρίσθησαν [epristhêsan] “sawn in two” NKJV, NAS; “sawn asunder” KJV). Found also only in Acts 7:54 διεπρίοντο ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν (diepriovto tais kardiais autôn) “cut to the heart.” In Acts 7:54 NAS has “cut to the quick,” but “heart” (καρδίαις [kardiais]) is indeed there in the Greek. In Acts 5:33 there is no “heart” in the Greek. ^
- See also Act 22:3; Numbers 10:23. ^
- Ανδρες (andres) - “Men” - vocative case ^
- Ἰσραηλῖται (Israêlitai) - “Israelis” - vocative case – see footnote for John 1:47. ^
- Πρὸ γὰρ τούτων τῶν ἡμερῶν (Pro gar toutôn tôn hêmerôn) - “For before these days” (KJV); “For some time ago” (NKJV, NAS). It is more literally, “For before these days.” ^
- λέγων (legôn) - “saying” - simply the verb for “say” or “speak.” KJV “boasting”; NKJV, NAS “claiming” ^
- ἐπείθοντο (epeithonto) - “persuaded” - KJV, NKJV “obeyed”; NAS “followed” - Later in Acts 28:24 this very same word (ἐπείθοντο) is translated “persuaded” (NKJV, NAS) and “believed” (KJV). ^
- ἐγένοντο (egenonto) - “they came” - 3rd person plural, i.e. “they came” to nothing. ^
- ἐπείθοντο (epeithonto) – “persuaded” same exact word as in verse 36. ^
- τὰ (ta) – definite article, plural neuter, not translated. Καὶ τὰ νῦν λέγω ὑμῖν (Kai ta nun legô humin) “And now I say to you.” ^
- καταλυθήσεται (kataluthêsetai) - “overthrown” - same exact word for “thrown down” (KJV, NKJV) in Matthew 24:2 & Luke 21:6. ^
- οὐ δύνασθε (dunasthe) - “you are not able” - present tense – NAS has future tense “you will not be able” ^
- Ἐπείσθησαν (Epeisthêsan) - “persuaded” same root word as in verse 36 & 37. ^
- τοῦ Ἰησοῦ (tou Iêsou) “of the Joshua” MT; “his” name RT; simply “the name” CT ^
- κατ᾽ οἶκον (kat' oikon) - “at each house” - KJV; NKJV “in every house” ^
- εὐαγγελιζόμενοι (euangelizomenoi) - “preaching the good news” - this same exact word (εὐαγγελιζόμενοι) is found in Luke 9:6 “preaching the gospel” (KJV; NKJV). “Gospel” = “good news.” ^
- Ἰησοῦν τὸν χριστόν (iêsoun ton christon) – Jesus the Christ – all accusative case ^
- Mirrored here. ^