1 But a certain man, Ananias by name, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 2 and put aside for himself part of the price, [his] wife also being privy to it; and having brought a certain part, laid it at the feet of the apostles. 3 But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled thy heart that thou shouldest lie to the Holy Spirit, and put aside for thyself a part of the price of the estate? 4 While it remained did it not remain to thee? and sold, was [it not] in thine own power? Why is it that thou hast purposed this thing in thine heart? Thou hast not lied to men, but to God. 5 And Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and expired. And great fear came upon all who heard [it]. 6 And the young men, rising up, swathed him up for burial, and having carried him out, buried him. 7 And it came to pass about three hours afterwards, that his wife, not knowing what had happened, came in. 8 And Peter answered her, Tell me if ye gave the estate for so much? And she said, Yes, for so much. 9 And Peter said to her, Why [is it] that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of [the] Lord? Lo, the feet of those that have buried thy husband [are] at the door, and they shall carry thee out. 10 And she fell down immediately at his feet and expired. And when the young men came in they found her dead; and, having carried her out, they buried her by her husband. 11 And great fear came upon all the assembly, and upon all who heard these things. 12 And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders done among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch, 13 but of the rest durst no man join them, but the people magnified them; 14 and believers were more than ever added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women;) 15 so that they brought out the sick into the streets and put [them] on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter, when he came, might overshadow some one of them. 16 And the multitude also of the cities round about came together to Jerusalem, bringing sick persons and persons beset by unclean spirits, who were all healed. 17 And the high priest rising up, and all they that were with him, which is the sect of the Sadducees, were filled with wrath, 18 and laid hands on the apostles and put them in the public prison. 19 But an angel of [the] Lord during the night opened the doors of the prison, and leading them out, said, 20 Go ye and stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. 21 And when they heard it, they entered very early into the temple and taught. And when the high priest was come, and they that were with him, they called together the council and all the elderhood of the sons of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22 And when the officers were come, they did not find them in the prison; and returned and reported 23 saying, We found the prison shut with all security, and the keepers standing at the doors; but when we had opened [them], within we found no one. 24 And when they heard these words, both the priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests were in perplexity as to them, what this would come to. 25 And some one coming reported to them, Lo, the men whom ye put in the prison are in the temple, standing and teaching the people. 26 Then the captain, having gone with the officers, brought them, not with violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. 27 And they bring them and set them in the council. And the high priest asked them, 28 saying, We strictly enjoined you not to teach in this name: and lo, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and purpose to bring upon us the blood of this man. 29 But Peter answering, and the apostles, said, God must be obeyed rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers has raised up Jesus, whom ye have slain, having hanged on a cross. 31 Him has God exalted by his right hand as leader and saviour, to give repentance to Israel and remission of sins. 32 And we are [his] witnesses of these things, and the Holy Spirit also, which God has given to those that obey him. 33 But they, when they heard [these things], were cut to the heart, and took counsel to kill them. 34 But a certain [man], a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, held in honour of all the people, rose up in the council, and commanded to put the men out for a short while, 35 and said to them, Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves as regards these men what ye are going to do; 36 for before these days Theudas rose up, alleging himself to be somebody, to whom a number of men, about four hundred, were joined; who was slain, and all, as many as obeyed him, were dispersed and came to nothing. 37 After him rose Judas the Galilean in the days of the census, and drew away [a number of] people after him; and he perished, and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered abroad. 38 And now I say to you, Withdraw from these men and let them alone, for if this counsel or this work have its origin from men, it will be destroyed; 39 but if it be from God, ye will not be able to put them down, lest ye be found also fighters against God. 40 And they listened to his advice; and having called the apostles, they beat them, and enjoined them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them. 41 They therefore went their way from [the] presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be dishonoured for the name. 42 And every day, in the temple and in the houses, they ceased not teaching and announcing the glad tidings that Jesus [was] the Christ.
Acts 5 Darby Translation
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Ananias
Sold a piece of property and secretly kept back part of the price while claiming to give it all; he fell dead when Peter confronted him.
Cited in the guide: Acts 5:1; Acts 5:3; Acts 5:5
Gamaliel
A respected Pharisee on the Sanhedrin who counseled leaving the apostles alone; Paul later said he had been educated at his feet.
Cited in the guide: Acts 5:34; Acts 22:3
Judas the Galilean
Mentioned by Gamaliel as one who led a revolt in the days of the census; he perished and his followers were scattered.
Cited in the guide: Acts 5:37
Sapphira
Ananias's wife, who agreed to the false report about the price of the land and fell dead when Peter questioned her.
Cited in the guide: Acts 5:1
Theudas
Mentioned by Gamaliel as a man who claimed to be somebody, gathered about 400 followers, and was killed, his movement scattered.
Cited in the guide: Acts 5:36
Cross references (39)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Leviticus 10:1–3; 2 Timothy 2:20; Matthew 13:47–48; John 6:37
- 2 Acts 4:37; 2 Peter 2:14–15; Acts 4:34–35; Joshua 7:11–12; Acts 5:3
- 3 Jeremiah 23:24; Isaiah 29:15; John 13:27; John 13:2; Acts 5:9
- 4 Acts 5:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:8; 1 Chronicles 29:3; 2 Kings 5:25–27; Joshua 7:25–26
- 5 Acts 5:10–11; Acts 2:43; Numbers 16:26–34; Revelation 11:5; Revelation 11:13
- 6 John 19:40; Leviticus 10:4–6; 2 Samuel 18:17; Deuteronomy 21:23
- 8 Acts 5:2
- 9 1 Corinthians 10:9; Acts 5:3–4; Psalm 95:8–11; Psalm 78:56; Acts 15:10
- 10 Acts 5:5
- 11 Acts 5:5; 1 Corinthians 10:11–12; Acts 19:17; Hebrews 4:1; Philippians 2:12
- 12 Acts 19:11; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Hebrews 2:4; Acts 14:3; Romans 15:19
- 13 Acts 2:47; Acts 4:21; Acts 19:17; John 19:38; John 12:42
- 14 Acts 2:47; Isaiah 55:11–13; Acts 4:4; Acts 2:41; Ezra 10:1
- 15 Acts 19:11–12; Matthew 14:36; John 14:12; Matthew 9:21
- 16 Mark 16:17–18; Mark 2:3–4; James 5:16; Mark 6:54–56; Matthew 8:16
- 17 Acts 13:45; Acts 7:9; Acts 17:5; 1 Peter 2:1; John 12:10
- 18 Acts 4:3; Luke 21:12; 2 Corinthians 11:23; Hebrews 11:36; Acts 16:23–27
- 19 Acts 16:26; Psalm 34:7; Acts 12:7–11; Acts 8:26; Psalm 105:17–20
- 20 John 6:63; John 6:68; 1 John 5:11–12; 1 John 1:1–3; Matthew 21:23
- 21 John 8:2; Acts 12:18–19; Luke 21:37–38; Acts 22:2–3; John 18:35
- 23 Psalm 33:10; Psalm 2:4; Lamentations 3:55–58; Lamentations 3:37; Daniel 3:11–25
- 24 Acts 5:26; Acts 4:1; John 11:47–48; Mark 4:30–32; Acts 4:21
- 26 Acts 5:13; Acts 4:21; Luke 20:19; Matthew 21:26; Luke 20:6
- 27 Matthew 5:22; Acts 6:12; Acts 22:30–23:1; Acts 4:7; Luke 22:66
- 28 Matthew 27:25; Acts 7:52; Acts 4:18–21; Acts 4:10–11; Jeremiah 26:15
- 29 Acts 4:19; 1 Samuel 15:24; Mark 7:7–9; Genesis 3:17; Revelation 14:8–12
- 30 Galatians 3:13; 1 Peter 2:24; Acts 10:39; Acts 13:28–29; Acts 4:10–11
- 31 Luke 24:47; Acts 2:33; Hebrews 2:10; Acts 11:18; Luke 2:11
- 32 John 15:26–27; Hebrews 2:3–4; Acts 1:8; Luke 24:47–48; Acts 13:31
- 33 Acts 7:54; Luke 4:28–29; Acts 2:37; John 16:2; Matthew 24:9
- 34 Acts 22:3; Luke 2:46; Luke 5:17; Psalm 76:10; John 7:50–53
- 35 Jeremiah 26:19; Matthew 27:19; Acts 19:36; Acts 22:26
- 36 Acts 8:9; 2 Peter 2:2; Revelation 17:3; Jude 16; Revelation 17:5
- 37 Luke 2:1–2; Luke 13:1–2; Job 20:5–9; Matthew 26:52; Psalm 7:14–15
- 38 Matthew 15:13; Lamentations 3:37; Isaiah 8:9–10; Job 5:12–14; Isaiah 7:5–7
- 39 Proverbs 21:30; Isaiah 46:10; Matthew 16:18; 1 Corinthians 1:25; Acts 7:51
- 40 Matthew 10:17; 2 Corinthians 11:24; Acts 4:17–21; John 19:1–4; Mark 13:9
- 41 James 1:2; 1 Peter 4:13–16; Luke 6:22; Philippians 1:29; John 15:21
- 42 Acts 2:46; Acts 20:20; Luke 21:37; Acts 8:35; Acts 9:20
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
"Having risen up," that is, being roused, being excited at the things taking place, the high-priest and they which were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees) were filled with indignation, and laid their hands on the Apostles:" they now assault them more vigorously: "and put them in the common prison;" but did not forthwith bring them to …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 11 (1889)
… are in this witnesses of these words; as also is the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that believe in Him." "And daily," it is said, "in the temple, and from house to house, they ceased not to teach and preach Christ Jesus," the Son of God.
Was it night when, as the disciples were passing by, the sick were laid in couches, that they might be touched at least by their shadow as they passed? Yet, when the Lord was here, there was no one made whole by His shadow as He passed; but He Himself had said to the disciples, "Greater things than these shall …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)
As when they said, "Did not we straitly command you, that ye should not speak in this name?" although able to work any number of miracles, they neither said nor did anything harsh, but answered for themselves with all meekness, saying, "Whether it be right to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye." Hast thou seen the harmlessness …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
… the blessed Paul is one, having been a little while His enemy, but for a long time His servant: the Twelve Apostles are His witnesses, having preached the truth not only in words, but also by their own torments and deaths: the shadow of Peter bears witness, having healed the sick in the name of Christ.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)