Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 5:4
While it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
4. Whiles it remained, was it not thine own?] The verb in the original is repeated. Whiles it remained, did it not remain thine own? That is, there was no compulsion on him to sell it, the only thing expected from him being that, if he were moved to sell, he should honestly set forth what he had done. There seems to have been no necessity to give at all to the common fund unless a man felt that he could well afford to do so, nor to give all that he either had or realized by any sale, provided only he made honest declaration of what his gift really was. This is implied in the words which follow, which declare that the sum produced by any sale was at the seller’s disposal until he made it over to the common fund.
why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart?] The original is a translation of a Hebrew expression which is repeated several times in the prophet Haggai (Act 1:5; Act 1:7, Act 2:18), and is rendered by the A. V. Consider. The force of the expression is “to lay anything (as a plan or a precept) deep in the heart,” and it implies long and deep deliberation on the part of this offender. It was not a case of yielding to a sudden temptation, but the plan had been accepted into the heart, and fostered there till there seemed to be a way of carrying it out. Satan had filled his heart, but he had made no effort to cast out the intruder.
thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God ] It is not intended to say that Ananias had not lied unto men at all, but that the gravity of his offence was that he thought to deceive God. In Act 5:3 it is said that the deception had been practised towards the Holy Ghost, and so we learn hence the Divinity of the third Person of the Trinity.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Whiles it remained – As long as it remained unsold. This place proves that there was no obligation imposed on the disciples to sell their property. They who did it, did it voluntarily; and it does not appear that it was done by all, or expected to be done by all.
And after it was sold … – Even after the property was sold, and Ananias had the money, still there was no obligation on him to devote it in this way. He had the disposal of it still. The apostle mentions this to show him that his offence was especially aggravated. He was not compelled to sell his property – he had not even the poor pretence that he was obliged to dispose of it, and was tempted to withhold it for his own use. It was all his, and might have been retained if he had chosen.
Thou hast not lied unto men – Unto people only, or, it is not your main and chief offence that you have attempted to deceive people. It is true that Ananias had attempted to deceive the apostles, and it is true, also, that this was a crime; but still, the principal magnitude of the offence was that he had attempted to deceive God. So small was his crime as committed against men that it was lost sight of by the apostles, and the great, crowning sin of attempting to deceive God was brought fully into view. Thus, David also saw his sin as committed against God to be so enormous that he lost sight of it as an offence to man, and said, Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight, Psa 51:4.
But unto God – It has been particularly and eminently against God. This is true, because:
- He had professedly devoted it to God. The act, therefore, had express and direct reference to him.
(2)It was an attempt to deceive him. It implied the belief of Ananias that God would not detect the crime, or see the motives of the heart.
(3)It is the prerogative of God to judge of sincerity and hypocrisy; and this was a case, therefore, which came under his special notice. Compare Psa 139:1-4. The word God here is evidently used in its plain and obvious sense as denoting the supreme divinity, and the use of the word here shows that the Holy Spirit is divine. The whole passage demonstrates, therefore, one of the important doctrines of the Christian religion, that the Holy Spirit is distinct from the Father and the Son, and yet is divine.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Act 5:4
Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
Lying unto God.
I. The sin. Men lie unto God–
1. When they use their profession as members of the Church for an instrument of self interest.
2. By making false pretences in their routine of worship.
3. By breaking their covenant of consecration.
4. By the offering of insincere prayers.
5. By self seeking in acts of Christian zeal.
II. The retribution–
1. Was the visitation of God.
2. Often comes in the form of a de-moralisation of soul, which renders recovery impossible at the last. (C. S. Robinson, D. D.)
The permanence of a lie
A little boy to sell his paper told a lie. The matter came up in the Sunday school. Would you tell a lie for three cents? asked a teacher of one of the boys. No, maam, answered Dick, very decidedly. For ten cents? No, maam. For a dollar? No, maam. For a thousand dollars? Dick was staggered, A thousand dollars looked big–it would buy lots of things. While he was thinking another boy cries out No, maam, because when the thousand dollars are gone and the things you have got with them are gone too, the lie is there all the same. Ah, yes! That is so. A lie sticks. Everything else may go, but that will stay, and you will have to carry it round with you, whether you will or no–a hard and heavy load. (Biblical Museum.)
Self deception
A man never deceives himself so much as when he attempts to deceive God. (J. Caryl.)
The retribution of falsehood
George Eliot, in Romola, powerfully illustrates in that remarkable book the embarrassments involved in one cowardly departure from truth. In the chapter headed Titos Dilemma, the occasion arises for Tito to fabricate an ingenious lie. Many chapters on we find him experiencing the inexorable law of human souls that we prepare ourselves for sudden deeds by the reiterated choice of good or evil that gradually determines character, and it becomes a question whether all the resources of lying will save him from being crushed. At another time we read: Tito felt more and more confidence as he went on; the lie was not so difficult when it was once begun, and as the words fell easily from his lips, they gave him a sense of power such as men feel when they have begun a muscular feat successfully. The penalty is enforced a few pages later. But he had borrowed from the terrible usurer Falsehood, and the loan had mounted and mounted with the years, till he belonged to the usurer, body and soul.
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 4. Whiles it remained, was it not thine own?] See Clarke on Ac 5:2, and See Clarke on Ac 2:44.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? A sufficient argument that there was no command (even then) to necessitate them to part with their estates, but only what the present and eminent necessity of the church did persuade them voluntarily unto. The doubling of this expostulation makes the conviction the more forcible.
In thine own power; as a steward under God, to do what thou wouldst with it according to his will; and none are, or can be, otherwise disposers of what they possess.
Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? It seems hence, that it was a deliberate and propensed iniquity.
Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God: in that lying unto God is so often charged, and no express mention is made of Ananiass vow, some excuse him of sacrilege, and charge him the more deeply with ambition, covetousness, lying, and hypocrisy, to the apostles, whom he intended to deceive.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4. While it remained, was it notthine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power?fromwhich we see how purely voluntary were all these sacrifices for thesupport of the infant community.
not lied to men but Godtomen so entirely the instruments of the directing Spirit that the liewas rather told to Him: language clearly implying both the distinctpersonality and the proper divinity of the Holy Ghost.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Whiles it remained, was it not thine own,…. Before it was sold, it was his own proper estate; he had the sole propriety in it, and could have kept it, or disposed of it as he pleased: he was not obliged to sell it, he might have kept it as his own property; for selling of possessions at this time was a voluntary thing; it was what no man was forced to; it was a pure act of liberality, and what was not enjoined by the apostles; every man was left to his liberty.
And after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? that is, the price for which it was sold: before he had declared that he sold it, in order to give the whole of it to the church, had brought it to the apostles as the whole; it was in his own power to dispose of, as he pleased, whether to give the whole, or a part of it, or it. He might have kept it all if he had thought fit, or have given what portion he pleased.
Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? for though Satan had an hand in it, and greatly solicited him to it, and spirited him up to do it, yet in conjunction with his own heart; and perhaps it began there, which Satan helped forward. It was not so of Satan as to excuse the wickedness of his heart. It was owing partly to the sin of covetousness, which reigned in him, and partly to a desire of vain glory, and being thought a very religious man, that he acted such a part, and was so notoriously guilty of lying and hypocrisy.
Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God; that is, not to men only, for he had lied to the apostles; but to God also, to the Holy Ghost, who is truly and properly God, of which this passage is a full proof; and it was owing to his omniscience, which is a peculiar attribute of deity, that this wicked man, and this fraud of his, were discovered.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Whiles it remained (). Present active participle of mend, unsold, Peter means.
After it was sold (). First aorist passive of , to sell.
How is that thou hast conceived ( ). Quid est quod. See Lu 2:49. See also Ac 5:9. Second aorist middle indicative second person singular of . The devil filled his heart (verse 3), but all the same Ananias did it too and is wholly responsible.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Whiles it remained, was it not thine own [ ] . A play on the words. Lit., remaining, did it not remain to thee? Rev., very happily, whiles it remained, did it not remain thine own?
Conceived [] . Lit., put or fixed. Wherefore didst thou fix this deed in thy heart ? – ie, resolve upon it.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “Whiles it remained, was it not thine own?” (ouchi menon soi emenen) “Not remaining to thee, it still remained to thee, did it not?” To you it remained to decide what to do with all of it, did it not? The “all things in common,” in the Jerusalem church, for a temporary time, to meet a temporary need, was solely voluntary, not by any Divine mandate. Each person is a steward over what he possesses, not the church.
2) “And after it was sold, was it not in thine own power?” (kai prathen en te se eksousia huperchen) “And when it was sold was it not in your authority?” or your right of honest disposition or disposal? Both the land and the price were of his choosing; and he had the right to give all, a part, or none. But he did not have a moral or ethical right to lie about it or try to build a reputation by deceit. As a steward of all that a Christian has in his control, he must one day give account to God for his use or management of it all, 2Co 4:2. The church is not a steward to manage all one possesses; Individuals are.
3) “Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart?” (ti hoti ethou en te kardia sou to poagma touto)’.’Why was this (kind of) action put in your heart?” or why did you permit such invited action to be put in your heart? This indicates, by necessary inference, that Divine power was available to resist such temptation if Ananias had sought it, 1Co 10:13; Jas 4:7.
4) “Thou hast not lied unto men,” (ouk epseuso anthropois) “You have not (only) lied to men,” but also against the divine light and leading of the Holy Spirit that had come to empower the church, Act 2:1-4. In his lying he had departed from walking in the light and truth as revealed in Jesus Christ, Joh 8:12.
5) “But unto God,” (alla to theos) “But (also) to God; and at such God shall one day sit in derision of judgement, Pro 1:26.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
4. Did it not remaining. This amplifieth the offense because he sinned, being enforced by no necessity. For seeing it is no just or lawful excuse to have been provoked by some other means, how much worse is it to run headlong unto wickedness willingly, and, as it were of set purpose to pull down God’s vengeance? We gather out of this, that no man was enforced to sell his goods or lands. For Peter saith, that Ananias had free liberty to keep both his land and his money; because in the second member, the field which was sold is taken for the price itself. Therefore he should nevertheless have been counted faithful, though he had kept that which was his own. Whereby it appeareth that they are men destitute of their right wits, who say that it is not lawful for the faithful to have anything of their own.
Thou hast not lied to men, but to God. Although the words be diversely construed, yet do I not doubt but that this confirmeth the former sentence. For hypocrites do so enwrap themselves in so many shifts, that they think they have nothing to do with God. And Peter speaketh thus expressly, because Ananias had deceived the Church. But he ought to have considered, that
“
where two or three be gathered together in the name of Christ, he is present there as the chief governor,” (Mat 18:20😉
yea, he ought to have behaved himself no otherwise in that assembly, than if he should have seen God with his eyes. For seeing that God will reign in the Church, if we give him any reverence, we must reverence that rule and government religiously which he exerciseth by his Word. The apostles were indeed men, but not private men, because God had put them in his stead. Furthermore, we must note, that he saith that he lieth to God who doth lie to the Holy Ghost. For the divinity of the Holy Ghost is manifestly proved by this form of speech. In like sort Paul saith, “Ye are the temples of God, because his Spirit dwelleth in you,” (1Co 3:16.)
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(4) Whiles it remained . . .Fresh circumstances are pressed home, as depriving the act of every possible excuse. Ananias had not been bound by any rule of the Church to such a gift. At every stage he was free to act as he thought best; and had he brought part as part, or even brought nothing, he would have been free from any special blame. As it was, the attempt to obtain the reputation of saintliness without the reality of sacrifice, involved him in the guilt at once of sacrilege, though there had been no formal consecration, and of perjury, though there had been no formulated oath.
Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.The parallelism between this and lying to the Holy Ghost in Act. 5:3 has often been used, and perfectly legitimately, as a proof that while the Apostles thought of the Spirit as sent by the Father, and therefore distinct in His personality, they yet did not shrink from speaking of Him as God, and so identifying Him with the Divine Essential Being.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
4. Not thine own He could have kept his own and be held as maintaining his own right unquestioned.
Sold These questions of Peter show that the bestowment of goods was perfectly voluntary and not a law, and that the crime was a free and deliberate act in its successive stages.
Lied His crime was a lie, and before God every liar is worthy of death. The wonder is not that a liar should be struck dead, but that liars should be allowed by God to live. It becomes modern sinners not to cavil at Ananias’ fate, but to wonder at the mercy of its not being their own.
Unto God That is, unto God the Spirit. That Spirit, then, is a Divine Person. He is not merely an emanation from God, but he is God emanating from God God in emanation, God going forth in his holiness and power. This is, therefore, an important text in explanation of the personality of the Spirit.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘While it remained, did it not remain your own? and after it was sold, was it not in your power? How is it that you have conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God.’
Peter made the position quite clear. What he had done had not been necessary. It was not as though the Apostles had demanded that he give everything that he had. That was true of various sectaries around, such as the Qumran community, who demanded such sacrifices, but it had not been true here. He had been free to do what he chose. The money had been his to do what he wanted with.
Indeed it should be noted here that the general situation in Judaism was that only a proportion be given. When Zacchaeus expressed his love for Jesus he declared that he would give a half of his goods, as well as restitution (Luk 19:8), and this would be seen as extremely generous. The Mishnah declared that only a proportion of goods was to be offered to the Temple and that to give the whole was not valid. Elsewhere acts of charity were limited to one fifth of a man’s means. On the other hand Rabbi Johanan was deeply respected for selling all his possessions for the sake of studying the Torah. Thus those who gave all, while following Jesus to the letter (Luk 12:33), were very much going beyond the norm.
And yet in the face of the generosity of God in giving him free choice Ananias had conceived in his heart to lie to God. For that was his crime. He had chosen darkness rather than light because his deeds were evil. He did not want to walk in the light. And it had been a planned action, not a sudden impulse.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Act 5:4. Whiles it remained, was it not thine own, &c.? That is, “Before it was sold, was it not thine? and being sold, was not the money paid thee, and in thine own power?Thou hast therefore no excuse for what thou hast done;”for there were two cases, which might have been pleaded by Ananias, in excusefor his bringing part of the price;if either he had not been the whole and sole proprietor of what was sold, or had not received the whole purchase-money. As for the first, it is a self-evident truth, that a man can sell no more than what belongs to him; so that if Ananias had been owner only of a part, he could dispose only of a part. Secondly, though he were the whole and sole proprietor of the land, and so had a right to sell it; yet, had not the whole purchase-money been received, he might still have been excused for bringing buta part. But Ananias could plead neither of these excuses; for St. Peter urges, “While it remained unsold, did it not remain thine? or wert not thou owner and proprietor? And when it was sold, was not the money it was sold for in thy possession?” The first words, while it remained, &c. shew that Ananias was not obliged or forced to sell his possession, but might have retained it if he pleased; which plainlyshews, that contributing to the charitable fund, was not a matter of necessity, but purely voluntary. The whole verse may be thus paraphrased: “While you had the estate in your own possession, was it not a property which you might have kept, if you would? And after you thought fit to sell it, was not the money at your own disposal? You were under no necessity, either of selling it at all; or, afterwards, if you were minded to add any thing to the common stock for the use of the church, you were at full liberty to put in, either a part, or the whole of the price, just as you pleased: Why then have you thus freely consented to Satan’s temptation, who could not have forced you to it? You have herein been guilty of a most abominable and aggravated lie, not to man only, but to the Holy Spirit himself, who, you know, eminently dwells and works in us, and who is truly and properly the heart-searching God, and will not be mocked; but will severely avenge the affront, in jealousy for his own glory, and to deter others from any such further insults upon him to the corrupting of the ch
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Act 5:4 . When it remained (namely, unsold; the opposite: ), did it not remain to thee (thy property)? and when sold, was it not in thy power?
That the community of goods was not a legal compulsion, see on Act 2:43 .
] sc. , which is to be taken out of . It was in the disposal of Ananias either to retain the purchase-money entirely to himself, or to give merely a portion of it to the common use; but not to do the latter, as he did it, under the deceitful semblance as if what he handed over to the apostles was the whole sum. The sin of husband and wife is cleverly characterized in Constitt. ap . vii. 2. 4 : .
] quid est quod , i.e. cur? Comp. on Mar 2:17 . Wherefore did. st thou fix this deed in thy heart? i.e. wherefore didst thou resolve on this deed (namely, on the instigation of the devil, Act 5:3 )? Comp. Act 19:21 ; the Heb. (Dan 1:8 ; Mal 2:2 ), and the classical expression , and the like.
, ). The state of things in itself relative: not so much but rather, is in the vehemence of the address conceived and set forth absolutely: not to men, but to God. “As a lie against our human personality, thy deed comes not at all into consideration; but only as a lie against God, the supreme Ruler of the theocracy, whose organs we are.” Comp. 1Th 4:8 ; Winer, p. 461 f. [E. T. 621]. The taking it as non tam, quam (see also Fritzsche, ad Marc. p. 781) is therefore a weakening of the words, which is unsuited to the fiery and decided spirit of the speaker in that moment of deep excitement. The datives denote the persons, to whom the action refers in hostile contradistinction. [164] Bernhardy, p. 99. Examples of the absolute with the dative are not found in Greek writers, but in the LXX. Jos 24:27 ; 2Sa 22:45 ; Ps. 17:44, Ps. 77:36. By Peter makes the deceiver sensible of his fatal guilt, for his sin now appeared as blasphemy. This is quite warranted, for a lying to the Spirit (Act 5:3 , ) is a lie against God ( ), whose Spirit was lied to. Accordingly the divine nature of the Spirit and His personality are here expressed, but the Spirit is not called God.
[164] Valckenaer well remarks: “ notat mendacio aliquem decipere , . mendacio contumeliam alicui facere .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
Ver. 4. Was it not thine own ] Wicked men have a right to earthly things as their portion, Psa 17:14 . God gave Tyre to Nebuchadnezzar.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
4 .] While it remained, did it not remain thine own ? i.e. was it not in thine absolute power? and when sold, was it not (i.e. the price of it) in thine own power , to do with it what seemed good to thee?
, i.e. : see reff.
. . , = , Dan 1:8 ; Mal 2:2 . Satan suggested the lie, which Ananias ought to have repelled: instead of that, he put it in his heart , placed it there where the springs of action are, and it passed out into an act.
. ., . . ] This , , is not always an absolute and exclusive negation and assertion, see Mar 9:37 ; Joh 12:44 . But here it seems to be so, and to imply, ‘Thine attempt to deceive was not to deceive us , men; but to deceive the Holy Ghost, God, abiding in His church, and in us its appointed superintendents.’ This verse is of weighty doctrinal import, as proving the Deity of the Holy Spirit; unless it be held, that the Holy Spirit whom ( Act 5:3 ) Ananias attempted to deceive, and God to whom he lied, are different . ‘Hc est sententia: Ananias mentitus est Deo et ejus Spiritui, non hominibus et Petro. Aude si potes, Sociniane, ita dicere: mentitus est non Spiritui Sancto et Petro, sed Deo.’ Bengel.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Act 5:4 . , “id quaerit quod sic esse nemo negat,” Grimm, “while it remained, did it not remain thine own?” R.V. Very frequent in Luke as compared with the other Evangelists, see also Act 7:50 . This rendering better retains the kind of play upon the word , to which Weiss draws attention, and compares 1Ma 15:7 for the force of . , i.e. , the price of it when sold ( rectius , cf. Viteau, Le Grec du N. T. , p. 57 (1896)); so in Act 2:45 is used for the prices of the possessions and goods sold. The whole question, while it deprived Ananias of every excuse, also proves beyond doubt that the community of goods in the Church of Jerusalem was not compulsory but voluntary. , power or right ( ): “The Ecclesia was a society in which neither the community was lost in the individual, nor the individual in the community,” Hort, Ecclesia , p. 48. , sc. , , cf. Luk 2:49 , and Viteau, Le Grec du N. T. , p. 101 (1893), Blass, Grammatik des N. G. , p. 173. , Act 19:21 , and Luk 21:14 . The phrase is rightly described as having a Hebraistic colouring, cf. LXX, 1Sa 21:12 , Dan 1:8 , Hag 2:16 ; Hag 2:19 , Mal 1:1 , and the Homeric , . : so frequently in LXX, Gen 44:15 , Exo 1:18 , Jos 9:24 , 1Ch 21:8 ; Viteau, Le Grec du N. T. , p. 149 (1896). : the words do not here of course mean that Ananias had not lied unto men, but an absolute negative is employed in the first conception, not to annul it, but rhetorically to direct undivided attention to the second, cf. Mat 10:20 , Mar 9:37 , 1Th 4:8 , Winer-Moulton, Lev 8:6 . The dative of the person is found after in the LXX, but not in classical Greek. The sin of Ananias was much more than mere hypocrisy, much more than fraud, pride or greed hateful as these sins are the power and presence of the Holy Spirit had been manifested in the Church, and Ananias had sinned not only against human brotherhood, but against the divine light and leading which had made that brotherhood possible. In the words there lies an undeniable proof of the personality and divinity of the Holy Ghost, and a refutation of Macedonius long before he was born (see Bede’s note in loco , and on patristic authorities, Felten). We cannot satisfactorily explain the words by supposing that offence against the public spirit of that Church is meant, and that the sin against the Holy Ghost may be identified with this.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Whiles . . . power? Literally Is it not (Greek. ouchi) that, remaining, it remained to thee, and sold, it belonged to thy right?
was = belonged. Greek. huparcho. See Luk 9:48.
power. App-172.
why = why is it that.
hast. . . conceived = didst put, implying careful deliberation, not sudden temptation.
unto = to.
men. App-123.
God. App-98.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
4.] While it remained, did it not remain thine own? i.e. was it not in thine absolute power? and when sold, was it not (i.e. the price of it) in thine own power, to do with it what seemed good to thee?
, i.e. : see reff.
. ., = , Dan 1:8; Mal 2:2. Satan suggested the lie, which Ananias ought to have repelled: instead of that, he put it in his heart,-placed it there where the springs of action are, and it passed out into an act.
. ., . .] This , , is not always an absolute and exclusive negation and assertion, see Mar 9:37; Joh 12:44. But here it seems to be so, and to imply, Thine attempt to deceive was not to deceive us, men; but to deceive the Holy Ghost,-God, abiding in His church, and in us its appointed superintendents. This verse is of weighty doctrinal import, as proving the Deity of the Holy Spirit; unless it be held, that the Holy Spirit whom (Act 5:3) Ananias attempted to deceive, and God to whom he lied, are different. Hc est sententia: Ananias mentitus est Deo et ejus Spiritui, non hominibus et Petro. Aude si potes, Sociniane, ita dicere: mentitus est non Spiritui Sancto et Petro, sed Deo. Bengel.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Act 5:4. , whilst remaining) That is, whilst the land remained unsold.- , it remained to thee) The making of ones goods common property, was a matter of option.- , in thine own power) A mere purpose, where there is no vow, does not bind to do anything which is good in itself, and yet not necessary. Comp. Joh. Val. Schmidii diss. jur., delivered at Leipsic, A.D. 1712, de proposito in mente retento nihil operante, 18.- , wherefore) Ananias sinned most freely (unscrupulously) and with long-continued purpose.-, laid up [conceived]) The same sin originated at once from the man and from Satan.- , unto GOD) What thou hast professed to give to God, thou hast appropriated to thyself. The relation (ratio) of the Holy Spirit in the sentence is contained under the government of the particle , but, not under that of the particle , not. Therefore this is the sense: Ananias lied unto God and His Spirit, not unto men and Peter. Venture, if thou durst, O Socinian, to express it thus, He lied not to the Holy Spirit and Peter, but to GOD. The lie of Ananias, as he lied to the Holy Spirit, and as he lied to GOD, is altogether the same sin, and equally grievous: nay, in some measure it is more grievous, as he lied to the Holy Spirit. Comp. Mar 3:28, He that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost, hath never forgiveness. A most solid argument, whereby it is proved that the Holy Spirit is a person, and a person of the Godhead.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
was it not thine: Exo 35:21, Exo 35:22, Exo 35:29, 1Ch 29:3, 1Ch 29:5, 1Ch 29:9, 1Ch 29:17, 1Co 8:8, 1Co 9:5-17, Phm 1:14
why: Act 8:21, Act 8:22, Jos 7:25, Jos 7:26, Job 15:35, Psa 7:14, Isa 59:4, Eze 38:10, *marg. Jam 1:15
thou hast: Act 5:3, Exo 16:8, Num 16:11, 1Sa 8:7, 2Ki 5:25-27, Psa 139:4, Luk 10:16, 1Th 4:8
Reciprocal: Gen 4:9 – I know Exo 8:29 – deal Exo 20:17 – is thy neighbour’s Lev 6:2 – lie Lev 19:11 – lie one Lev 27:16 – of a field 1Ki 22:22 – a lying spirit 2Ki 5:22 – My master 2Ch 1:11 – this was Job 15:12 – thine heart Psa 139:3 – and art acquainted Ecc 5:5 – General Isa 32:6 – and his heart Isa 33:11 – conceive Isa 59:13 – lying Mat 9:4 – Wherefore Mat 26:72 – with Mar 7:21 – out Act 2:44 – had Act 5:9 – to tempt Eph 4:25 – putting 1Ti 6:9 – which
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
4
Act 5:4. This verse clearly shows that Ananias could have kept possession of his land and not been blamed. And even after he sold it, he could have kept all of the money and still been guiltless, since no divine command had been given for any of this arrangement. Not only so, but Ananias could have brought a part of the money only and have been accepted. The sin is mentioned in the close of this verse, which was the committing of a lie as will be explained soon. And what made it all the more condemnable was their attempt to deceive man, thinking thereby to escape the judgment of God. But Peter informed Ananias that he had not lied to men (only) but unto God.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Act 5:4. Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? All this shows that this community of goods was purely voluntary; even in the Church of Jerusalem it was required of no member. If you were unwilling to sell (your possession), who compelled you? if you wished to offer but the half, who required the whole? (Augustine, Sermon cxlviii).
Thou hast not lied onto men, but unto God. The doctrine of the early Church on the subject of the Holy Ghost is plainly declared in the words of this and the preceding verse. The personality of the blessed Spirit is assumed by the words of Act 5:3, and from Act 5:4 we gather that, in the esteem of St. Peter, the Holy Ghost was God. In the first question Peter asks, Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost? In reference to the same offence, in Act 5:4 his words are, Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. To lie to the Holy Ghost is not to lie unto men, because the Holy Ghost is not man, but to lie unto God, because the Holy Ghost is God (see Pearson, art. viii.).
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
See notes on verse 3
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
Verse 4
While it remained, &c. These questions imply that whatever sacrifices of property were thus made were entirely voluntary.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
5:4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou {d} conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
(d) By this is meant an advised and purposeful deceit, and the fault of the man in listening to the devil’s suggestions.