Bible Strands
Acts 5:1
Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Luke records the early Jerusalem church’s communal practice as Ananias and Sapphira complete a property sale. The narrative moment precedes the deception’s exposure in the immediate context.
The words — Ἀνὴρ (Anēr) = a man and τις (tis) = a certain identify the protagonist as a specific, named individual within the community rather than an anonymous donor.
The thread — The pattern of hidden religious motives and unauthorized offerings runs through Leviticus 10:1, where Nadab and Abihu present unauthorized fire. The tension between outward appearance and hidden reality mirrors the mixed vessels in 2 Timothy 2:20 and the diverse catch in Matthew 13:47.
Why it lands — The text requires full disclosure in any commitment made to the community. It asks readers to align their outward actions with their actual intentions without concealment.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
Cross-references
- Leviticus 10:1 Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense, and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to His command.
- 2 Timothy 2:20 A large house contains not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay. Some indeed are for honorable use, but others are for common use.
- Matthew 13:47 Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea and caught all kinds of fish.
- John 6:37 Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never drive away.
- Joshua 6:1 Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.