Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options
Close LSB

Acts 5
Legacy Standard Bible

Ananias and Sapphira

5 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2 and (A)kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife’s [a]full knowledge. And bringing a portion of it, he (B)laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has (C)Satan filled your heart to lie (D)to the Holy Spirit and to (E)keep back some of the price of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not [b]under your authority? Why is it that you laid this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but (F)to God.” 5 And as he heard these words, Ananias (G)fell down and breathed his last; and (H)great fear came over all who heard. 6 And the young men rose up and (I)wrapped him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him.

7 Now there was an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter responded to her, “Tell me whether you were paid (J)this much for the land?” And she said, “Yes, that much.” 9 Then Peter said to her, “Why is it that you have agreed together to (K)put (L)the Spirit of the [c]Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well.” 10 And immediately she (M)fell at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 And (N)great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard these things.

12 Now [d]at the hands of the apostles many (O)signs and wonders were happening among the people, and they were all with one accord in (P)Solomon’s Portico. 13 But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, (Q)the people were holding them in high esteem. 14 And more than ever (R)believers in the Lord were (S)added to their number, multitudes of men and women, 15 to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, so that when Peter came by (T)at least his shadow might fall on any one of them. 16 Also the multitude from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick [e]or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed.

The Apostles Jailed and Freed

17 But the high priest rose up and those with him (that is (U)the sect of (V)the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy. 18 And they laid hands on the apostles and (W)put them in a public jail. 19 But during the night (X)an angel of the [f]Lord opened the doors of the prison, and taking them out, he said, 20 “Go, stand and [g]speak to the people in the temple [h](Y)the whole message of this Life.” 21 Upon hearing this, they entered into the temple (Z)about daybreak and began to teach.

Now when (AA)the high priest and those with him came, they called (AB)the Sanhedrin together, even all the Council of the sons of Israel, and sent orders to the jailhouse for them to be brought. 22 But (AC)the officers who came did not find them in the prison, and they returned and reported back, 23 saying, “We found the jailhouse locked quite securely and the guards standing at the doors, but we opened it and found no one inside.” 24 Now when (AD)the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them as to what [i]would come of this. 25 But someone came and reported to them, “The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!” 26 Then (AE)the captain went along with (AF)the officers and proceeded to bring them back without violence (for (AG)they were afraid of the people, that they might be stoned).

27 And when they had brought them, they stood them [j]before (AH)the Sanhedrin. And the high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We (AI)strictly commanded you not to continue teaching in this name, and [k]yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and (AJ)intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered and said, “(AK)We must obey God rather than men. 30 (AL)The God of our fathers (AM)raised up Jesus, [l]whom you (AN)put to death by hanging Him on a tree. 31 (AO)This One God exalted [m]to His right hand as [n]a (AP)Leader and a (AQ)Savior, to grant (AR)repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are (AS)witnesses [o]of these things, and (AT)so is the Holy Spirit, whom God gave to those who obey Him.”

Gamaliel’s Counsel

33 But when they heard this, they became (AU)furious and intended to kill them. 34 But a Pharisee named (AV)Gamaliel, a (AW)teacher of the Law, respected by all the people, stood up in (AX)the Sanhedrin and gave orders to put the men outside for a short time. 35 And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you propose to do with these men. 36 For some time ago Theudas rose up, (AY)claiming to be somebody, and a group of about four hundred men joined up with him. [p]But he was killed, and all who [q]were following him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37 After this man, Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of (AZ)the census and drew away people after him. He too perished, and all those who [r]were following him were scattered. 38 So in the present case, I also say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or [s]action (BA)is of men, it will be overthrown; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or you may even be found (BB)fighting against God.”

40 So they [t]followed his advice. And after calling the apostles in and (BC)beating them, they commanded them not to [u]speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them. 41 So they went on their way from the presence of the (BD)Sanhedrin, (BE)rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame (BF)for the Name. 42 (BG)And every day, in the temple and [v]from house to house, they did not cease teaching and (BH)proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the [w]Christ.

Footnotes

  1. Acts 5:2 Or collusion
  2. Acts 5:4 Or in
  3. Acts 5:9 In OT, Yahweh, cf. Judg 3:10
  4. Acts 5:12 Lit through
  5. Acts 5:16 Lit and
  6. Acts 5:19 In OT, Yahweh, cf. 2 Kin 1:3
  7. Acts 5:20 Or continue to speak
  8. Acts 5:20 Lit all the words
  9. Acts 5:24 Lit this would become
  10. Acts 5:27 Lit in
  11. Acts 5:28 Lit behold
  12. Acts 5:30 Or on whom you had laid violent hands
  13. Acts 5:31 Or by
  14. Acts 5:31 Or an Author
  15. Acts 5:32 One early ms adds in Him
  16. Acts 5:36 Lit Who was killed
  17. Acts 5:36 Lit were obeying
  18. Acts 5:37 Lit were obeying
  19. Acts 5:38 Or work
  20. Acts 5:40 Lit were persuaded by him
  21. Acts 5:40 Lit be speaking
  22. Acts 5:42 Lit according to home
  23. Acts 5:42 Messiah
Close NABRE

Acts 5
New American Bible (Revised Edition)

Chapter 5

Ananias and Sapphira.[a] 1 A man named Ananias, however, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property. 2 He retained for himself, with his wife’s knowledge, some of the purchase price, took the remainder, and put it at the feet of the apostles. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart so that you lied to the holy Spirit and retained part of the price of the land?(A) 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain yours? And when it was sold, was it not still under your control? Why did you contrive this deed? You have lied not to human beings, but to God.” 5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last, and great fear came upon all who heard of it. 6 The young men came and wrapped him up, then carried him out and buried him.

7 After an interval of about three hours, his wife came in, unaware of what had happened. 8 Peter said to her, “Tell me, did you sell the land for this amount?” She answered, “Yes, for that amount.” 9 Then Peter said to her, “Why did you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen, the footsteps of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 At once, she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men entered they found her dead, so they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.(B)

Signs and Wonders of the Apostles.[b] 12 Many signs and wonders were done among the people at the hands of the apostles. They were all together in Solomon’s portico.(C) 13 None of the others dared to join them, but the people esteemed them. 14 Yet more than ever, believers in the Lord, great numbers of men and women, were added to them. 15 Thus they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on one or another of them.(D) 16 A large number of people from the towns in the vicinity of Jerusalem also gathered, bringing the sick and those disturbed by unclean spirits, and they were all cured.

Trial Before the Sanhedrin.[c] 17 Then the high priest rose up and all his companions, that is, the party of the Sadducees, and, filled with jealousy,(E) 18 laid hands upon the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, led them out, and said,(F) 20 “Go and take your place in the temple area, and tell the people everything about this life.” 21 When they heard this, they went to the temple early in the morning and taught. When the high priest and his companions arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin, the full senate of the Israelites, and sent to the jail to have them brought in. 22 But the court officers who went did not find them in the prison, so they came back and reported, 23 “We found the jail securely locked and the guards stationed outside the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24 When they heard this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were at a loss about them, as to what this would come to. 25 Then someone came in and reported to them, “The men whom you put in prison are in the temple area and are teaching the people.” 26 Then the captain and the court officers went and brought them in, but without force, because they were afraid of being stoned by the people.(G)

27 When they had brought them in and made them stand before the Sanhedrin, the high priest questioned them, 28 “We gave you strict orders [did we not?] to stop teaching in that name. Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring this man’s blood upon us.”(H) 29 But Peter and the apostles said in reply, “We must obey God rather than men.(I) 30 [d]The God of our ancestors raised Jesus,(J) though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand[e] as leader and savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.(K) 32 We are witnesses of these things, as is the holy Spirit that God has given to those who obey him.”(L)

33 When they heard this, they became infuriated and wanted to put them to death. 34 [f]But a Pharisee in the Sanhedrin named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, respected by all the people, stood up, ordered the men to be put outside for a short time,(M) 35 and said to them, “Fellow Israelites, be careful what you are about to do to these men. 36 [g]Some time ago, Theudas appeared, claiming to be someone important, and about four hundred men joined him, but he was killed, and all those who were loyal to him were disbanded and came to nothing. 37 After him came Judas the Galilean at the time of the census. He also drew people after him, but he too perished and all who were loyal to him were scattered. 38 So now I tell you, have nothing to do with these men, and let them go. For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. 39 But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.” They were persuaded by him. 40 After recalling the apostles, they had them flogged, ordered them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them.(N) 41 So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.(O) 42 And all day long, both at the temple and in their homes, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the Messiah, Jesus.(P)

Footnotes

  1. 5:1–11 The sin of Ananias and Sapphira did not consist in the withholding of part of the money but in their deception of the community. Their deaths are ascribed to a lie to the holy Spirit (Acts 5:3, 9), i.e., they accepted the honor accorded them by the community for their generosity, but in reality they were not deserving of it.
  2. 5:12–16 This, the third summary portraying the Jerusalem community, underscores the Twelve as its bulwark, especially because of their charismatic power to heal the sick; cf. Acts 2:42–47; 4:32–37.
  3. 5:17–42 A second action against the community is taken by the Sanhedrin in the arrest and trial of the Twelve; cf. Acts 4:1–3. The motive is the jealousy of the religious authorities over the popularity of the apostles (Acts 5:17) who are now charged with the defiance of the Sanhedrin’s previous order to them to abandon their prophetic role (Acts 5:28; cf. Acts 4:18). In this crisis the apostles are favored by a miraculous release from prison (Acts 5:18–24). (For similar incidents involving Peter and Paul, see Acts 12:6–11; 16:25–29.) The real significance of such an event, however, would be manifest only to people of faith, not to unbelievers; since the Sanhedrin already judged the Twelve to be inauthentic prophets, it could disregard reports of their miracles. When the Twelve immediately resumed public teaching, the Sanhedrin determined to invoke upon them the penalty of death (Acts 5:33) prescribed in Dt 13:6–10. Gamaliel’s advice against this course finally prevailed, but it did not save the Twelve from the punishment of scourging (Acts 5:40) in a last endeavor to shake their conviction of their prophetic mission.
  4. 5:30 Hanging him on a tree: that is, crucifying him (cf. also Gal 3:13).
  5. 5:31 At his right hand: see note on Acts 2:33.
  6. 5:34 Gamaliel: in Acts 22:3, Paul identifies himself as a disciple of this Rabbi Gamaliel I who flourished in Jerusalem between A.D. 25 and 50.
  7. 5:36–37 Gamaliel offers examples of unsuccessful contemporary movements to argue that if God is not the origin of this movement preached by the apostles it will perish by itself. The movement initiated by Theudas actually occurred when C. Cuspius Fadus was governor, A.D. 44–46. Luke’s placing of Judas the Galilean after Theudas and at the time of the census (see note on Lk 2:1–2) is an indication of the vagueness of his knowledge of these events.
Next
Acts 4
Acts 6
Next
dropdown
Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.

New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.