Acts 5:3

3 "Ananias," said Peter, "why has Satan taken possession of your heart, that you should try to deceive the Holy Spirit and dishonestly keep back part of the price paid you for this land?

Acts 5:3 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 5:3

But Peter said, Ananias
Peter, by divine revelation, or by a spirit of discerning, such as Elisha had, who knew what his servant Gehazi had done, knowing what a reserve Ananias had made, calls him by his name, and says to him,

why hath Satan filled thine heart?
or emboldened thee, given thee so much spirit and courage to act in such an impudent and audacious manner; so the phrase is used in ( Esther 7:5 ) ( Ecclesiastes 8:11 ) see the Septuagint there, and often in Talmudic writings.

``Says R. Joshua, I never (ybl ynalm) , "filled my heart"; or my heart never filled me to say to a man, go and take the change of these three things ^F4.''

And says another Rabbi ^F5,

``though I say so, (ybl ynalm al) , "I never filled my heart", or my heart never filled me to transgress the words of the companions;''

that is, I never durst do so. And again ^F6, it being observed, that Isaiah should say, "hear, O heavens!" it is said,

``who, or what is this, who (wbl walm) , "hath filled his heart", or whose heart has filled him to call to the heavens to hear.''

But this instance of Ananias was such, that none but Satan could have put him upon, or emboldened him to have done; who from hence appeared to have the power over him, and to have possessed him, to have great access to him, even to his heart, and great influence upon it, so as to prompt him

to lie to the Holy Ghost;
who was in the apostles, and by whom they were acted, and to whom he had given a discerning of spirits; so that it was a daring action, and downright madness, to go about to deceive them: or he pretended he had an impulse from the Spirit of God to sell his estate, and give the whole price of it to the apostles, and yet kept back part of it; which was acting contrary to that Spirit he pretended to be influenced by.

And to keep back part of the price of the land:
that is, he lied against the Holy Ghost, by keeping back part of the price the land was sold for; when he had declared he sold it with this view, to give the whole for charitable uses, and affirmed that what he brought was the whole.

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FOOTNOTES:

F4 T. Hieros. Maaserot, fol. 48. 4.
F5 Sabbat, fol. 14. 3.
F6 Tzeror Hammor, fol. 160. 1. Vid. Shaare ora, fol. 2. 1.

Acts 5:3 In-Context

1 There was a man of the name of Ananias who, with his wife Sapphira, sold some property but,

2 with her full knowledge and consent, dishonestly kept back part of the price which he received for it, though he brought the rest and gave it to the Apostles.

3 "Ananias," said Peter, "why has Satan taken possession of your heart, that you should try to deceive the Holy Spirit and dishonestly keep back part of the price paid you for this land?

4 While it remained unsold, was not the land your own? And when sold, was it not at your own disposal? How is it that you have cherished this design in your heart? It is not to men you have told this lie, but to God."

5 Upon hearing these words Ananias fell down dead, and all who heard the words were awe-struck.