43 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But a certain man named Ananias,.... A name common among the Jews, the same with Hananiah, Jeremiah 28:1 it signifies not the humility of the Lord, or the affliction of the Lord, or the answer of the Lord, as say some, as if it was derived from ענה; but the grace of the Lord, or the Lord's gracious one, coming from חנן: there is no dependence on...
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary - Matthew Henry
In this chapter we have, I. The sin and punishment of Ananias and Sapphira, who, for lying to the Holy Ghost, were struck dead at the word of Peter, ver. 1-11. II. The flourishing state of the church, in the power that went along with the preaching of the gospel, ver. 12-16. III. The imprisonment of the apostles, and their miraculous discharge out...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And kept back part of the price,.... At which the possession was sold; he reserved it for his own use, after he had given out that he sold it for the service of the church: his wife also being privy to it; to this private reserve: and brought a certain part; whether the greater part, or an equal part, half of it, or a lesser part; some little part...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But Peter said, Ananias,.... Peter, by divine revelation, or by a spirit of discerning, such as Elisha had, who knew what his servant Gehazi had done, knowing what a reserve Ananias had made, calls him by his name, and says to him, why hath Satan filled thine heart? or emboldened thee, given thee so much spirit and courage to act in such an...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Whiles it remained, was it not thine own,.... Before it was sold, it was his own proper estate; he had the sole propriety in it, and could have kept it, or disposed of it as he pleased: he was not obliged to sell it, he might have kept it as his own property; for selling of possessions at this time was a voluntary thing; it was what no man was...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Ananias hearing these words,.... Of Peter's; by which he found his sin was detected, and by which he was convicted of it: and which set forth the evil nature of it, with its aggravated circumstances; and such power went along with them, and they cut so deep, as that immediately he fell down and gave up the ghost; which is an instance of what...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the young men arose,.... The younger brethren of the church, who were robust, and strong, and fit for the following service: these rose up from their seats at once, not willing that such an awful spectacle should lie long before them: and wound him up; in linen clothes, as was the manner of the Jews: and carried him out: of the house where...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And it was about the space of three hours after,.... The death of Ananias. So much time was taken up in burying of him; and in less time it could not well be, since the burying places of the Jews were without the city, as before observed: and if they were as distant from other cities, as they were from the cities of the Levites, they were, as Dr....
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Peter answered unto her,.... Who might be inquiring for her husband; though such a way of speaking was common with the Jews, when nothing goes before to which the answer is made; of which there are frequent instances in the sacred writings: tell me whether ye sold the land for so much; naming the sum of money which Ananias had brought; though...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then Peter said unto her, how is it that ye have agreed together,.... For husband and wife to agree together in what is good, in things civil, honest, and lawful, and in religious matters, is very commendable; but to agree in a fraud, in a lie, is very dreadful: to tempt the Spirit of the Lord; to try whether the apostles had the Spirit of the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then fell she down straightway at his feet,.... In like manner, and by the same hand of God as her husband before: and yielded up the ghost; died directly: and the young men came in and found her dead; the young men who had been to inter her husband came into the house at that instant, and found her dead upon the floor, at the feet of the Apostle...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And great fear came upon all the church,.... Which was still more increased by this instance of Sapphira's death: and upon as many as heard these things; who were not of the church; [See comments on Acts 5:5].
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought,.... That is, by their means, or by them as instruments, or through the imposition of their hands on persons, many miraculous and wonderful cures, as well as other extraordinary actions, were performed: among the people; the common people, who attended in great numbers on their...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And of the rest durst no man join himself to them,.... By the rest are meant, either those that were without the church, and those either the profane and persecuting sort, who durst not come nigh the apostles to touch them, or say one word to them, for fear of being struck dead; and so the Ethiopic version renders it, "and then there was no more...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And believers were the more added to the Lord,.... That is, to the church, as in Acts 2:47 over which Christ was Lord and head; for they were added to the Lord before, by believing in him, when they gave up themselves to him, to be saved by him; and now to the apostles, and the church by the will of God; and this case of Ananias and Sapphira was...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets,.... These words are to be read in connection with the former part of the twelfth verse. Such miraculous cures being wrought by the apostles, the people who had sick persons in their houses, hearing of it brought them out; either "into the streets", as we render it, and as the Alexandrian...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
There came also a multitude out of the cities round about,.... The fame of the apostles' miracles spread in the cities round about Jerusalem; those that were at some distance as well as near, and large numbers of people came from thence, unto Jerusalem; where the apostles were: the Syriac version adds, "unto them", that is, to the apostles; and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then the high priest rose up,.... Annas, or rather Caiaphas; [See comments on Acts 4:6] he having heard what miracles were wrought by the apostles, and what additions were made to them, rose up from his seat and went out of the sanhedrim, in great haste, and in much wrath and passion: and all they that were with him; in council, that were of his...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And laid their hands on the apostles,.... That is, laid hold on them, and took them, and carried them away; at least their servants did so, by their orders: and put them in the common prison; where malefactors were put; and this both for greater security, and for greater disgrace.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But the angel of the Lord,.... Or "of God", as the Arabic and Ethiopic versions read, whether Michael, as some have thought, or Gabriel, or what particular angel, is not material to know. However, it was a good angel, an elect angel, one of those ministering spirits sent by God to minister to the heirs of promise; one of those angels that excel in...