Acts 5:5
New International Version
When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened.

New Living Translation
As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified.

English Standard Version
When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it.

Berean Standard Bible
On hearing these words, Ananias fell down and died. And great fear came over all who heard what had happened.

Berean Literal Bible
And hearing these words, Ananias, having fallen down, breathed his last. And great fear came upon all those hearing.

King James Bible
And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.

New King James Version
Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things.

New American Standard Bible
And as he heard these words, Ananias collapsed and died; and great fear came over all who heard about it.

NASB 1995
And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it.

NASB 1977
And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came upon all who heard of it.

Legacy Standard Bible
And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard.

Amplified Bible
And hearing these words, Ananias fell down suddenly and died; and great fear and awe gripped those who heard of it.

Christian Standard Bible
When he heard these words, Ananias dropped dead, and a great fear came on all who heard.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When he heard these words, Ananias dropped dead, and a great fear came on all who heard.

American Standard Version
And Ananias hearing these words fell down and gave up the ghost: and great fear came upon all that heard it.

Contemporary English Version
As soon as Ananias heard this, he dropped dead, and everyone who heard about it was frightened.

English Revised Version
And Ananias hearing these words fell down and gave up the ghost: and great fear came upon all that heard it.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When Ananias heard Peter say this, he dropped dead. Everyone who heard about his death was terrified.

Good News Translation
As soon as Ananias heard this, he fell down dead; and all who heard about it were terrified.

International Standard Version
When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear seized everyone who heard about it.

Majority Standard Bible
On hearing these words, Ananias fell down and died. And great fear came over all who heard what had happened.

NET Bible
When Ananias heard these words he collapsed and died, and great fear gripped all who heard about it.

New Heart English Bible
Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and died. Great fear came on all who heard it.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Ananias hearing these words, fell down, and expired. And great fear came on all them that heard these things.

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

World English Bible
Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and died. Great fear came on all who heard these things.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and Ananias hearing these words, having fallen down, expired, and great fear came on all who heard these things,

Berean Literal Bible
And hearing these words, Ananias, having fallen down, breathed his last. And great fear came upon all those hearing.

Young's Literal Translation
and Ananias hearing these words, having fallen down, did expire, and great fear came upon all who heard these things,

Smith's Literal Translation
And Ananias hearing these words, having fallen down, he expired: and great fear was upon all them hearing these things.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Ananias hearing these words, fell down, and gave up the ghost. And there came great fear upon all that heard it.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then Ananias, upon hearing these words, fell down and expired. And a great fear overwhelmed all who heard of it.

New American Bible
When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last, and great fear came upon all who heard of it.

New Revised Standard Version
Now when Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard of it.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And when An-a-ni’as heard these words, he fell down and died; and great fear came upon all of those who heard these things.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And when Khanan-Yah heard these words, he dropped dead and great fear came upon all those who heard.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And when Ananias heard these words, he fell down, and expired. And great fear came on all that heard these things.

Godbey New Testament
And Ananias hearing these words, having fallen down, breathed out his soul. And great fear came on all hearing;

Haweis New Testament
Then Ananias, hearing those words, sunk down and expired: and great dread fell upon all who heard these things.

Mace New Testament
at these words Ananias fell down dead upon the spot: which struck the minds of all that heard of it with great dread.

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

Worrell New Testament
And Ananias, hearing these words, falling down, expired; and great fear came upon all who heard it;

Worsley New Testament
And Ananias at the hearing of these words fell down and expired: and great fear came on all that heard these things.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Ananias and Sapphira
4Did it not belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? How could you conceive such a deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God!” 5 On hearing these words, Ananias fell down and died. And great fear came over all who heard what had happened. 6Then the young men stepped forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.…

Cross References
Leviticus 10:1-2
Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense, and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to His command. / So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died in the presence of the LORD.

Numbers 16:31-35
As soon as Moses had finished saying all this, the ground beneath them split open, / and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households—all Korah’s men and all their possessions. / They went down alive into Sheol with all they owned. The earth closed over them, and they vanished from the assembly. ...

Joshua 7:1-5
The Israelites, however, acted unfaithfully regarding the things devoted to destruction. Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was set apart. So the anger of the LORD burned against the Israelites. / Meanwhile, Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and spy out the land.” So the men went up and spied out Ai. / On returning to Joshua, they reported, “There is no need to send all the people; two or three thousand men are enough to go up and attack Ai. Since the people of Ai are so few, you need not wear out all our people there.” ...

2 Samuel 6:6-7
When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen had stumbled. / And the anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down on the spot for his irreverence, and he died there beside the ark of God.

1 Chronicles 13:9-10
When they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark, because the oxen had stumbled. / And the anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah, and He struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.

2 Kings 1:9-12
Then King Ahaziah sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. So the captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king declares, ‘Come down!’” / Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And fire came down from heaven and consumed the captain and his fifty men. / So the king sent to Elijah another captain with his fifty men. And the captain said to Elijah, “Man of God, the king declares, ‘Come down at once!’” ...

Ezekiel 11:13
Now as I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell facedown and cried out in a loud voice, “Oh, Lord GOD, will You bring the remnant of Israel to a complete end?”

Ezekiel 18:4
Behold, every soul belongs to Me; both father and son are Mine. The soul who sins is the one who will die.

Ezekiel 18:20
The soul who sins is the one who will die. A son will not bear the iniquity of his father, and a father will not bear the iniquity of his son. The righteousness of the righteous man will fall upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked man will fall upon him.

Ezekiel 33:8
If I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ but you do not speak out to dissuade him from his way, then that wicked man will die in his iniquity, yet I will hold you accountable for his blood.

Matthew 7:21-23
Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. / Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ / Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’

Matthew 23:27-28
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity. / In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

Luke 12:20
But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’

John 8:44
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.

John 12:6
Judas did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money bag, he used to take from what was put into it.


Treasury of Scripture

And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.

hearing.

Acts 5:10,11
Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband…

Acts 13:11
And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.

Numbers 16:26-33
And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins…

great.

Acts 5:11,13
And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things…

Acts 2:43
And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

Leviticus 10:3
Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.

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Ananias Anani'as Awe-Struck Breathed Dead Died Earth Expire Expired Fallen Fear Fell Ghost Great Heard Hearing Last Present Seized Words
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Acts 5
1. After that Ananias and Sapphira his wife,
3. at Peter's rebuke had fallen down dead;
12. and that the rest of the apostles had wrought many miracles;
14. to the increase of the faith;
17. the apostles are again imprisoned;
19. but delivered by an angel bidding them preach openly to all;
21. when, after their teaching accordingly in the temple,
29. and before the council,
33. they are in danger to be killed;
34. but through the advice of Gamaliel, they are kept alive, and are only beaten;
41. for which they glorify God, and cease no day from preaching.














On hearing these words
This phrase refers to the words spoken by Peter, who confronted Ananias about his deceit. The context is the early church in Jerusalem, where believers were selling possessions and sharing the proceeds. Ananias, along with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property but kept back part of the money while pretending to donate the full amount. This act of deception was not just against the apostles but against the Holy Spirit, highlighting the seriousness of lying to God.

Ananias fell down and died
The sudden death of Ananias serves as a divine judgment and a warning to the early church about the holiness and purity required in the community of believers. This event underscores the seriousness of sin, particularly hypocrisy and deceit within the church. It parallels Old Testament instances where God's immediate judgment was executed, such as the deaths of Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10:1-2) and Uzzah (2 Samuel 6:6-7). It also foreshadows the final judgment where all will be held accountable for their actions.

And great fear came over all
The fear that spread among the people was a reverent awe and recognition of God's holiness and justice. This fear was not just terror but a profound respect for the power and presence of God within the church. It served to purify the community and deter others from similar deceitful actions. This fear is akin to the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10).

who heard what had happened
The news of Ananias's death spread quickly among the believers and the wider community, serving as a powerful testimony to the reality and seriousness of God's presence among His people. This event would have reinforced the authority of the apostles and the divine nature of the church's mission. It also highlights the communal aspect of the early church, where news and events were shared and had a collective impact on the community's faith and conduct.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Ananias
A member of the early Christian community who, along with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property but deceitfully withheld part of the proceeds while claiming to donate the entire amount to the apostles.

2. Peter
One of Jesus' apostles and a leader in the early church, who confronted Ananias about his deceit, leading to Ananias' sudden death.

3. The Early Church
The community of believers in Jerusalem who were living communally, sharing their possessions and resources as described in the preceding chapters of Acts.

4. Jerusalem
The city where these events took place, serving as the center of early Christian activity and the location of the first church.

5. The Holy Spirit
The third person of the Trinity, whose presence and power are evident in the early church and who is directly lied to by Ananias, as Peter points out.
Teaching Points
The Seriousness of Sin
Ananias' death underscores the gravity of sin, particularly deceit and hypocrisy, within the community of believers. It serves as a reminder that God sees the heart and values truthfulness.

The Role of the Holy Spirit
The incident highlights the active presence of the Holy Spirit in the church. Lying to the community is equated with lying to God Himself, emphasizing the Spirit's divine authority.

Community Integrity
The early church's communal living required trust and honesty. Ananias' actions threatened this integrity, showing the importance of transparency and accountability in Christian fellowship.

Fear of the Lord
The great fear that came over the church serves as a healthy reverence for God's holiness and justice. It reminds believers to approach God with respect and sincerity.(5) Ananias hearing these words fell down.--It is to be noted that St. Peter's words, while they press home the intensity of the guilt, do not contain any formal sentence. In such a case we may rightly trace that union of natural causation and divine purpose which we express in the familiar phrase that speaks of "the visitation of God" as a cause of death. The shame and agony of detection, the horror of conscience not yet dead, were enough to paralyse the powers of life. Retribution is not less a divine act because it comes, through the working of divine laws, as the natural consequence of the sin which draws it down. It was necessary, we may reverently say, that this special form of evil, this worst corruption of the best, should be manifestly condemned on its first appearance by a divine judgment. And we must remember that there is a silence which we may not dare to break as to all but the visible judgment. The dominant apostolic idea of such punishments was that men were delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus (1Corinthians 5:5). St. Peter himself speaks of those who are "judged according to men in the flesh," who yet "live according to God in the spirit" (1Peter 4:6).

Verse 5. - Upon all that heard it for on all them that heard these things, A.V. and T.R. Gave up the ghost (ἐξέψυξε). The same word as in ver. 10 and Acts 12:23, but found nowhere else in the New Testament. Great fear, etc. We have here an example of punishment which is remedial, not to the person punished, but to others, by displaying the just judgment of God as a warning against sin.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
On hearing
Ἀκούων (Akouōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 191: To hear, listen, comprehend by hearing; pass: is heard, reported. A primary verb; to hear.

these
τούτους (toutous)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

words,
λόγους (logous)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3056: From lego; something said; by implication, a topic, also reasoning or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, the Divine Expression.

Ananias
Ἁνανίας (Hananias)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 367: Of Hebrew origin; Ananias, the name of three Israelites.

fell down
πεσὼν (pesōn)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4098: A reduplicated and contracted form of peto; probably akin to petomai through the idea of alighting; to fall.

[and] died.
ἐξέψυξεν (exepsyxen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1634: To breathe my last, die, expire. From ek and psucho; to expire.

And
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

great
μέγας (megas)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3173: Large, great, in the widest sense.

fear
φόβος (phobos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5401: (a) fear, terror, alarm, (b) the object or cause of fear, (c) reverence, respect. From a primary phebomai; alarm or fright.

came
ἐγένετο (egeneto)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1096: A prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be, i.e. to become, used with great latitude.

over
ἐπὶ (epi)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.

all
πάντας (pantas)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

who
τοὺς (tous)
Article - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

heard [what had happened].
ἀκούοντας (akouontas)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 191: To hear, listen, comprehend by hearing; pass: is heard, reported. A primary verb; to hear.


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Acts 5:4
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