Acts 5:5

5 Ananias heard these words, and felled down, and was dead [Forsooth Ananias hearing these words, felled down and died]. And great dread was made on all that heard.

Acts 5:5 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 5:5

And Ananias hearing these words
Of Peter's; by which he found his sin was detected, and by which he was convicted of it: and which set forth the evil nature of it, with its aggravated circumstances; and such power went along with them, and they cut so deep, as that immediately

he fell down and gave up the ghost;
which is an instance of what the Jews call death by the hand of heaven: and this was done either by an angel; or rather by an extraordinary gift bestowed on Peter, being such an one as the Apostle Paul had, and used, when he smote Elymas the sorcerer with blindness, and delivered the incestuous person, and Alexander and Hymeneus to Satan.

And great fear came upon all them that heard these things;
both upon the members of the church, and so was of service to make them careful of their words and actions, and cautious and circumspect in their lives and conversations; and upon those that were without, and might be a means of making them fearful of speaking against them, or mocking at them, or of joining themselves to them, without being thoroughly satistied that they should, and had a right, and were meet for it.

Acts 5:5 In-Context

3 And Peter said to him, Ananias, why hath Satan tempted thine heart, that thou lie to the Holy Ghost [Forsooth Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan tempted thine heart, thee to lie to the Holy Ghost], and to defraud of the price of the field?

4 Whether it unsold was not thine; and when it was sold, it was in thy power? Why hast thou put this thing in thine heart? Thou hast not lied to men, but to God.

5 Ananias heard these words, and felled down, and was dead [Forsooth Ananias hearing these words, felled down and died]. And great dread was made on all that heard.

6 And young men rose [rised], and moved him away, and bare him out, and buried.

7 And there was made a space of three hours, and his wife knew not that thing that was done, and entered. [Forsooth there was made as the space of three hours, and the wife of him not knowing that thing that was done, entered in.]