Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Acts 5:2

αὐτοῦ omitted with אABD.

2. ἐνοσφίσατο, kept back, withheld, bringing only a part and pretending it was the whole. The portion withheld can hardly have been large, or the disproportion between what was offered and the value of the property sold and represented as sacrificed to the common cause would have been too apparent. νοσφίζομαι is rendered (Titus 2:10) to purloin, and is used 2Ma 4:32 of the golden vessels which Menelaus stole. It has the stronger sense constantly in classical Greek.

συνειδυίης, being privy to it. This is mentioned to shew that the offence was an aggravated one, and had not been committed without deliberation and set purpose. She was a willing accomplice in the intended fraud.

παρὰ τοὺς πόδας … ἔθηκεν. Thus professing equal devotion with all the others who were making sacrifices for the cause of the faith. We are not told what Ananias and his wife hoped to gain by their act, whether in reputation among the people (Acts 2:47), or, by giving what was supposed to be their whole estate (which may be implied in the vague word possession), to procure for themselves in perpetuity a maintenance from the common funds. The former ambition was most probably what led to their offence. They thought more of the display made at the Apostles’ feet than of the offence before God’s eyes. And we know from St Peter’s Epistle (2 Peter 2:3) that it was soon foretold that men would arise in the Christian community who ‘through covetousness would with feigned words make merchandise of’ the society, and at a later date (Jude 1:11) these men are described as those who run ‘greedily after the error of Balaam for reward.’ We may therefore be convinced that in the example of Ananias we have a typical instance of the kind of offence into which at this time the Christian community was in danger of being tempted.

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Acts 5:2

Old Testament

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