Acts 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? is a Hebrew word meaning adversary or opponent, whether in war (1 Kings 5:4) or litigation (Psalm 109:6), often applied to human enemies, but in one place to an angel (Numbers 26:22), and with the article (2 Samuel 24:1), was a proper name without it (1 Chronicles 21:1), to the evil spirit or prince of the fallen angels, as the adversary and accuser of mankind (Job 1:7; Job 2:2; Zechariah 3:1, 2; cf. Revelation 12:9, 10). In this sense and application it is nearly equivalent to Diabolus (Revelation 12:9; Revelation 20:2), meaning slanderer, informer, false accuser; to which the English devil may be easily traced back, through the intermediate forms of the French Diable and Italian Diavolo. As the same being is the tempter of our race from the beginning (2 Corinthians 11:3), the name Satan sometimes has that special meaning (Matthew 4.. 10, 16:23; Mark 8:33), and so it is used here. (J. W. Alexander, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? |
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