Acts 5:2

and kept back part of the price i.e. while at the same time they professed to be bringing the whole sum into the common fund. The portion which was kept back was probably not large, for otherwise the general sense of the value of the land would have made it conspicuous. The word translated "kept back" is the same which is rendered Titus 2:10 purloining, and in classical Greek it has frequently the meaning to rob.

his wife also 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.

and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles" feet Thus professing equal devotion with all the others who were making sacrifices for the cause of the faith. We are not told what they 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 (Judges 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.