1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 2 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. 3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back [part ]of the price of the land? 4 Whiles it remained, did it not remain thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thy power? How is it that thou hast conceived this thing in thy heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. 5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down and gave up the ghost: and great fear came upon all that heard it. 6 And the young men arose and wrapped him round, and they carried him out and buried him. 7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. 8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much. And she said, Yea, for so much. 9 But Peter [said ]unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and they shall carry thee out. 10 And she fell down immediately at his feet, and gave up the ghost: and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her by her husband. 11 And great fear came upon the whole church, and upon all that heard these things. 12 And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch. 13 But of the rest durst no man join himself to them: howbeit the people magnified them; 14 and believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women; 15 insomuch that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that, as Peter came by, at the least his shadow might overshadow some one of them. 16 And there also came together the multitude from the cities round about Jerusalem, bringing sick folk, and them that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one. 17 But the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy, 18 and laid hands on the apostles, and put them in public ward. 19 But an angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them out, and 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 [this], they entered into the temple about daybreak, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison-house to have them brought. 22 But the officers that came found them not in the prison; and they returned, and told, 23 saying, The prison-house we found shut in all safety, and the keepers standing at the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within. 24 Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were much perplexed concerning them whereunto this would grow. 25 And there came one and told them, Behold, the men whom ye put in the prison are in the temple standing and teaching the people. 26 Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them, [but ]without violence; for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. 27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, 28 saying, We straitly charged you not to teach in this name: and behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us. 29 But Peter and the apostles answered and said, We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew, hanging him on a tree. 31 Him did God exalt with his right hand [to be ]a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins. 32 And we are witnesses of these things; and [so is ]the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him. 33 But they, when they heard this, were cut to the heart, and were minded to slay them. 34 But there stood up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in honour of all the people, and commanded to put the men forth a little while. 35 And he said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves as touching these men, what ye are about to do. 36 For before these days rose up Theudas, giving himself out to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were dispersed, and came to nought. 37 After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the enrollment, and drew away [some of the ]people after him: he also perished; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered abroad. 38 And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will be overthrown: 39 but if it is of God, ye will not be able to overthrow them; lest haply ye be found even to be fighting against God. 40 And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles unto them, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 They therefore departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonour for the Name. 42 And every day, in the temple and at home, they ceased not to teach and to preach Jesus [as ]the Christ.
Acts · Revised Version with Apocrypha
Acts 5 Revised Version with Apocrypha
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
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)