Acts 5:10
What does Acts 5:10 mean?
A plain-English look at Acts 5:10 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Acts 5:10 means
Sapphira immediately falls at Peter’s feet and dies, confirming the certainty of Peter’s word and the Lord’s judgment. The young men enter, find her dead, and bury her by her husband. The sobering symmetry communicates that God is impartial and that His judgments are right. The place—at Peter’s feet—reminds readers that the sin had been enacted at the apostles’ feet; now the truth is laid there as well. The community does not revel in judgment but tends to necessary duties with dignity. The paired burials become a lasting testimony to the church that God will not let entrenched hypocrisy stand.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And she fell down immediately at his feet, and gave up the ghost: and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her by her husband.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Then 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.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And she fell down immediately at his feet, and gave up the ghost: and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her by her husband.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And straight away she went down at his feet, and her life went from her: and the young men came in and saw her dead, and they took her out and put her in the earth with her husband.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and she fell down presently at his feet, and expired, and the young men having come in, found her dead, and having carried forth, they buried <FI>her<Fi> by her husband;
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Immediately, she fell down before his feet and gave up the ghost. And the young men coming in found her dead: and carried her out and buried her by her husband.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And she fell down immediately at his feet and expired. And when the young men came in they found her dead; and, having carried her out, they buried her by her husband.
Context
Following Peter’s pronouncement, the narrative concludes the Ananias and Sapphira episode with immediate fulfillment. The return of the young men and the adjacent burial draw a clear parallel to Ananias’s fate. This closes the narrative loop and prepares for the communal response in the next verse: great fear upon the whole church. The episode serves as a foundational lesson about holiness and truth at the very dawn of the church. With this purification, the narrative will move to describe renewed power and growth, showing how God both cleanses and advances His people.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Acts 5:5
And Ananias hearing these words fell down and gave up the ghost: and great fear came upon all that heard it.
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