367. Ananias

Lexical Summary

Ananias: Ananias

Original Word: Ἁνανίας
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: Ananias
Pronunciation: ah-nah-NEE-as
Phonetic Spelling: (an-an-ee'-as)
KJV: Ananias
NASB: Ananias
Word Origin: [of Hebrew origin (H2608 (חֲנַניָה חֲנַניָהוּ - Hananiah))]

1. Ananias, the name of three Israelites

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Ananias.

Of Hebrew origin (Chananyah); Ananias, the name of three Israelites -- Ananias.

see HEBREW Chananyah

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
of Hebrew origin Chananyah
Definition
Ananias, the name of three Isr.
NASB Translation
Ananias (11).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 367: Ανανιας

Ανανιας (WH. Ἁνανίας, see their Introductory § 408), Ανανια (but on the genitive cf. Buttmann, 20 (18)), ὁ, Ananias (חֲנַנְיָה, from חָנַן to be gracious, and יָהּ Jehovah (cf. Meyer on Acts 5:1)):

1. a certain Christian (at Jerusalem), the husband of Sapphira: Acts 5:1-6.

2. a Christian of Damascus: Acts 9:10-18; Acts 22:12ff

3. a son of Nedebaeus, and high priest of the Jews circa A.D. 47-59. In the year 66 he was slain by the Sicarii: Acts 23:2; Acts 24:1f; Josephus, Antiquities 20, 5, 2; 6, 2; 9, 2-4; b. j. 2, 17, 6; 9. (Cf. B. D. under the word.)

Topical Lexicon

Hebrew Roots and Covenant Grace

The Greek Ἁνανίας echoes the Hebrew חֲנַנְיָה (Hananiah), “Yahweh has been gracious.” Every New Testament bearer of the name stands in sharp relief to this grace—either welcoming it or, tragically, denying it. That tension becomes the unifying theme for all eleven occurrences in Acts.

Ananias in the Jerusalem Church (Acts 5:1–11)

This Ananias and his wife Sapphira sold land, kept part of the price, and presented the rest as though it were the whole. Peter exposed the fraud: “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the proceeds of the land?” (Acts 5:3). Instant judgment fell; fear seized the church and all who heard.

Key observations:
• The account vindicates apostolic authority and the Spirit’s active holiness in the newborn church.
• The sin was not withholding money but dissembling before God—an affront to divine omniscience.
• Their fate functions as a deterrent against hypocrisy inside the covenant community, paralleling Achan’s judgment in Joshua 7.

Ananias of Damascus: A Model Disciple (Acts 9:10–19; 22:12–16)

When Saul lay blinded after meeting the risen Christ, “the Lord said to him in a vision, ‘Ananias!’ ‘Here I am, Lord,’ he answered” (Acts 9:10). Reluctant yet obedient, he sought Saul, laid hands on him, and announced: “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus…has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 9:17).

Distinctives of this Ananias:
• A devout Jew “well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there” (Acts 22:12), showing the gospel’s credibility within Judaism.
• Instrumental in Saul’s physical and spiritual restoration, baptizing the future Apostle Paul.
• Embodies courageous, ordinary discipleship—obedience despite danger, pastoral care toward a former persecutor, and cooperation with God’s larger redemptive plan.

Ananias the High Priest (Acts 23:1–5; 24:1)

Presiding over the Sanhedrin during Paul’s trial, this Ananias ordered Paul struck on the mouth. Paul’s retort—“God will strike you, you whitewashed wall!” (Acts 23:3)—exposed his hypocrisy. Historians locate his tenure from A.D. 47–58; Josephus records his greed and eventual assassination by Zealots.

Lessons:
• Institutional religion can harden against revelation; ecclesiastical power divorced from piety becomes opposition to Christ.
• Paul’s respectful retraction (Acts 23:5) upholds the ninth commandment’s call to honor governing authorities even when they fail.

Comparative Profile of the Three New Testament Ananiases

1. A professing believer whose deception ended in death.
2. A faithful disciple who advanced the mission of God.
3. A powerful leader who resisted the gospel and persecuted its messengers.

The same God who is gracious (name meaning) is also righteous, discerning genuine faith from counterfeit.

Theological Themes

• Holiness of the Spirit: Divine presence inside the church makes hypocrisy lethal (Acts 5).
• Sovereign calling: God enlists unlikely servants (a modest Damascus believer) to shape salvation history.
• Conflict between old and new covenants: The high priest’s hostility highlights the passing of temple-centered religion in light of Christ’s fulfillment.

Historical and Cultural Setting

First-century Judaism was fragmented—Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots. Each Ananias occupies a different niche: urban landowner in Jerusalem, Hellenistic Jew in Damascus, aristocratic priest in Jerusalem politics. Luke’s careful narration grounds the gospel in verifiable history.

Ministerial Applications

• Integrity in stewardship: Believers must handle resources with transparent honesty before God.
• Readiness to serve: The Damascus disciple’s “Here I am, Lord” remains the pattern for responding to divine prompting.
• Respectful prophetic witness: Paul models bold truth telling tempered by lawful submission (Romans 13:1).

Intertextual Echoes with Old Testament Hananiah Figures

Old Testament Hananiahs include Daniel’s companion (Shadrach) and Jeremiah’s false-prophet opponent (Jeremiah 28). Luke’s three Ananiases mirror those earlier contrasts—faithful witness versus deceit and falsehood—underscoring Scripture’s cohesive moral vision.

Legacy in Christian Tradition

Early church fathers cited Acts 5 to warn against sacramental hypocrisy. Medieval sermons contrasted the two believing Ananiases, urging charity and courage. Reformation expositors used the high priest’s violence to illustrate persecution of gospel truth. Modern missions celebrate Ananias of Damascus as patron of disciple-making—an anonymous believer whose obedience turned a persecutor into the pre-eminent missionary of the Gentile world.

The eleven occurrences of Ἁνανίας therefore form a composite portrait: grace offered, grace embraced, and grace resisted. Together they call the church to fear God, obey His voice, and proclaim His gospel with integrity.

Forms and Transliterations

Ανανια Ἁνανία Ανανιαν Ἁνανίαν Ανανιας Ἁνανίας Anania Ananian Ananias Hanania Hananía Hananian Hananían Hananias Hananías

Englishman's Concordance

Acts 5:1 N-NMS
GRK: δέ τις Ἁνανίας ὀνόματι σὺν
NAS: named Ananias, with his wife
KJV: man named Ananias, with Sapphira
INT: moreover a certain Ananias by name with

Acts 5:3 N-VMS
GRK: ὁ Πέτρος Ἁνανία διὰ τί
NAS: said, Ananias, why
KJV: Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan
INT: Peter Ananias because of why

Acts 5:5 N-NMS
GRK: δὲ ὁ Ἁνανίας τοὺς λόγους
NAS: words, Ananias fell down
KJV: And Ananias hearing these
INT: moreover Ananias the words

Acts 9:10 N-NMS
GRK: Δαμασκῷ ὀνόματι Ἁνανίας καὶ εἶπεν
NAS: named Ananias; and the Lord
KJV: Damascus, named Ananias; and to
INT: Damascus by name Ananias And said

Acts 9:10 N-VMS
GRK: ὁ κύριος Ἁνανία ὁ δὲ
NAS: to him in a vision, Ananias. And he said,
KJV: in a vision, Ananias. And he said,
INT: the Lord Ananias and

Acts 9:12 N-AMS
GRK: ἐν ὁράματι Ἁνανίαν ὀνόματι εἰσελθόντα
NAS: a man named Ananias come in and lay
KJV: a man named Ananias coming in, and
INT: in a vision Ananias by name having come

Acts 9:13 N-NMS
GRK: ἀπεκρίθη δὲ Ἁνανίας Κύριε ἤκουσα
NAS: But Ananias answered, Lord,
KJV: Then Ananias answered, Lord,
INT: Answered Then Ananias Lord I have heard

Acts 9:17 N-NMS
GRK: Ἀπῆλθεν δὲ Ἁνανίας καὶ εἰσῆλθεν
NAS: So Ananias departed and entered
KJV: And Ananias went his way, and
INT: went away moreover Ananias and entered

Acts 22:12 N-NMS
GRK: Ἁνανίας δέ τις
NAS: A certain Ananias, a man
KJV: And one Ananias, a devout man
INT: Ananias moreover certain

Acts 23:2 N-NMS
GRK: δὲ ἀρχιερεὺς Ἁνανίας ἐπέταξεν τοῖς
NAS: The high priest Ananias commanded
KJV: the high priest Ananias commanded
INT: and [the] high priest Ananias commanded those

Acts 24:1 N-NMS
GRK: ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς Ἁνανίας μετὰ πρεσβυτέρων
NAS: the high priest Ananias came down
KJV: days Ananias the high priest
INT: the high priest Ananias with elders

Strong's Greek 367
11 Occurrences

Ἁνανία — 2 Occ.
Ἁνανίαν — 1 Occ.
Ἁνανίας — 8 Occ.