Acts 5:8

And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(8) And Peter answered unto her.—The word does not necessarily imply a previous questioning, but it is probable enough that she came to inquire why her husband had not returned home; perhaps, expecting to find him high in honour. The question asked by Peter gave her an opening for repentance. It had been in her power to save her husband by a word of warning protest. It was now in her power to clear her own conscience by confession. She misses the one opportunity as she had misused the other. The lie which they had agreed upon comes glibly from her lips, and the irrevocable word is spoken.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

5:1-11 The sin of Ananias and Sapphira was, that they were ambitious of being thought eminent disciples, when they were not true disciples. Hypocrites may deny themselves, may forego their worldly advantage in one instance, with a prospect of finding their account in something else. They were covetous of the wealth of the world, and distrustful of God and his providence. They thought they might serve both God and mammon. They thought to deceive the apostles. The Spirit of God in Peter discerned the principle of unbelief reigning in the heart of Ananias. But whatever Satan might suggest, he could not have filled the heart of Ananias with this wickedness had he not been consenting. The falsehood was an attempt to deceive the Spirit of truth, who so manifestly spoke and acted by the apostles. The crime of Ananias was not his retaining part of the price of the land; he might have kept it all, had he pleased; but his endeavouring to impose upon the apostles with an awful lie, from a desire to make a vain show, joined with covetousness. But if we think to put a cheat upon God, we shall put a fatal cheat upon our own souls. How sad to see those relations who should quicken one another to that which is good, hardening one another in that which is evil! And this punishment was in reality mercy to vast numbers. It would cause strict self-examination, prayer, and dread of hypocrisy, covetousness, and vain-glory, and it should still do so. It would prevent the increase of false professors. Let us learn hence how hateful falsehood is to the God of truth, and not only shun a direct lie, but all advantages from the use of doubtful expressions, and double meaning in our speech.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For so much - That is, for the sum which Ananias had presented. This was true, that this sum had been received for it; but it was also true that a larger sum had been received. It is as really a falsehood to deceive in this manner, as it would have been to have affirmed that they received much "more" than they actually did for the land. Falsehood consists in making an erroneous representation of a thing in any way for the purpose of deceiving. And "this" species is much more common than an open and bold lie, affirming what is in no sense true.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

7-11. Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much—naming the sum.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Peter answered; an ordinary Hebraism, by which one that speaketh first is said an answer, if it be tending towards my discourse especially.

For so much; the certain price is not mentioned, as not being necessary to the intent of the Holy Ghost in this narrative; but be it more or less, it was the same which her husband had said the land was sold for.

She said, Yea; she had agreed with her husband what to say; and one sin draws on another, till it ends in perdition.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

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 the historian does not mention it. The Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions read, "tell me, O woman", &c. not calling her by her name, as he did her husband, Acts 5:3

yea, she said for so much; just that sum, and no more.

Geneva Study Bible

And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Acts 5:8. Ἀπεκρίθη] comp. on Acts 3:12. Bengel aptly remarks: “respondit mulieri, cujus introitus in coetum sanctorum erat instar sermonis.”

τοσούτου] for so much, points to the money still lying there. Arbitrarily, and with an overlooking of the vividness of what occurred, Bengel and Kuinoel suppose that Peter had named the sum. The sense of tantilli, on which Bornemann insists (Schol. in Luc. p. 168), results not as the import of the word, but, as elsewhere frequently (see Stallb. ad Plat. Rep. p. 416 E, 608B; Lobeck, ad Soph. Aj. 747), from the connection.

Expositor's Greek Testament

Acts 5:8. τοσούτου, monstrat pecuniam, Blass, so Zöckler, Holtzmann, Felten, Weiss, and others: genitive of the price. The position of the word in the question is emphatic, cf. Luke 15:29. Blass would render non pluris (Bornemann, tantilli), but this is implied rather than expressed by the word here (see Wendt’s note for classical instances). The question of St. Peter and the emphatic reply of Sapphira show that opportunity was given her by the inquiry to retract, and that she wilfully persisted in her sin (Chrys.; so Calvin, “tempus illi ad resipiscendum datur”).

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

8. And Peter answered unto her] This use of the English verb answer, where no question has preceded and often where no remark has gone before, is not uncommon in the Bible (cp. 1 Kings 13:6; Daniel 2:14-15; Daniel 2:26; Luke 3:16), but in the present verse what St Peter says is not an answer but a question.

Tell me] The Apostle’s question might have made Sapphira suspect that their scheme was discovered, but she is as firm in her story as her husband had been.

whether ye sold the land for so much?] i.e. and no more. St Peter mentioned the sum which Ananias had brought in, or perhaps it was lying on the ground where he had put it at the first.

Bengel's Gnomen

Acts 5:8. Ἀπεκρίθη) answered to the woman, whose entrance into the assembly of the saints was equivalent to her speaking.—εἰπέ μοι, tell me) He exhorts her to tell what the real facts of the case were.—εἰ τοσούτου, whether for so much) Here Peter, as it seems, expressed the sum.—οἱ πόδες, the feet) This is more express than if his expression were, they who have buried.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 8. - And Peter answered, etc., Point's question gave her the opportunity of confessing the fraud had she been penitent. The land (see note to ver. 1). Acts 5:8

Vincent's Word Studies

Answered

"The woman, whose entrance into the assembly of the saints was like a speech" (Bengel).

For so much (τοσούτου)

Perhaps pointing to the money still lying at his feet.