Bible Strands
Acts 5:11
And great fear came over the whole church and all who heard about these events.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator records the immediate aftermath of Sapphira’s death and burial, describing the reaction of the Jerusalem believers and outside observers. The moment captures the collective response of the community to the apostolic judgment.
The words — The Greek φόβος (phobos) denotes a reverential dread, intensified by μέγας (megas) to indicate a profound, widespread awe. This fear falls upon ὅλην τὴν ἐκκλησίαν (holēn tēn ekklēsian), the entire church, marking a shift from individual discipline to communal solemnity.
The thread — This reaction mirrors the fear that fell on all who heard after Ananias’s death in Acts 5:5, while echoing the warning pattern in 1 Corinthians 10:11 where past judgments serve as documented cautions. It also parallels the widespread fear in Ephesus recorded in Acts 19:17.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition that divine authority operates through concrete historical events rather than abstract principles. Readers must acknowledge that reverence for God’s holiness precedes and sustains communal faith.
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
And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
Cross-references
- Acts 5:5 On hearing these words, Ananias fell down and died. And great fear came over all who heard what had happened.
- 1 Corinthians 10:11 Now these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.
- Acts 19:17 This became known to all the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, and fear came over all of them. So the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor.
- Hebrews 4:1 Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be deemed to have fallen short of it.
- Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
- Psalms 89:7 In the council of the holy ones, God is greatly feared, and awesome above all who surround Him.
- Hebrews 12:15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many.
- Jeremiah 32:40 I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never turn away from doing good to them, and I will put My fear in their hearts, so that they will never turn away from Me.
- Hebrews 12:28 Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be filled with gratitude, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.
- Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in godly fear built an ark to save his family. By faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.