Acts 5:1-10.
Sapphira (Gr. Sápfira or Sapféir’; transliteration of Aram. Shappîra’, “beautiful” or “sapphire”; the name appears in the Gr. and Aram. ossuaries discovered in the vicinity of Jerusalem). Wife of Ananias and who colluded with him in the sale of certain property apparently for the benefit of the church. She was a willing accomplice in the subterfuge of withholding a part of the price while giving the rest to the apostles as if it were the whole. Pedro denounced this fraudulent behavior, following which Sapphira fell dead, as her husband had done a little before (Act 5: 1-11).
Source: Evangelical Bible Dictionary
wife of Ananias, with whom he agreed to try to deceive the apostles, out of greed, for which she died, just like her husband, Acts 5, 1-10.
Digital Bible Dictionary, Grupo C Service & Design Ltda., Colombia, 2003
Source: Digital Bible Dictionary
(Aramaic, shappira†™, beautiful). She was the wife of Ananias who with her husband fell dead because they lied to God (Act 5: 1-10).
Source: Hispanic World Bible Dictionary
(beautifull).
Wife of Ananias, who for lying died suddenly at the feet of Peter, Acts 5:1-10.
Christian Bible Dictionary
Dr. J. Dominguez
http://bible.com/dictionary/
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
(Beautifull). She is the wife of † ¢ Ananias, the character of the early Jerusalem church who shortly after Pentecost sold an inheritance and tried to deceive the apostles by declaring the sale price. When Peter discovered her she † she œfell down and expired †. Then S. arrived and Pedro asked him the price of the sale. She also lied and the same thing happened to her husband (Acts 5: 1-11).
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
tip, BIOG WOMAN MUNT
vet, = “beautiful”. She is the wife of Ananias, who died for having lied to God. Sapphira suffered the same fate for having participated in the same deception (Acts 5:1-10).
Source: New Illustrated Bible Dictionary
But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold an estate, and kept part of the price, his wife also knowing it. (Acts 5:1, 2)
Read Acts 5:1-Il. God punished Sapphira with her death for having collaborated with her husband in a fraudulent act. What happened doesn’t seem like it should have led to such a tragic outcome. Let’s consider the facts together.
Ananias and Sapphira had both separated from Judaism and joined the followers of Jesus. They were not merely sympathizers: they sold their property and gave a good part of the sale to the apostles, for charity or needs of the apostles and preaching. How could an act of generosity lead to such severe punishment?
In the Jerusalem Church a spirit of extreme cooperation had developed, even involving the giving of personal possessions, to minister to the needs of the saints. Many sold their properties, houses, fields and gave the product to the apostles. It is not uncommon at the beginning of movements or revivals for followers to show great enthusiasm.
It is possible that Ananias and Sapphira were well known, and so was the fact that they owned property. Retaining it, when others sold theirs, could produce the impression of selfishness before the other faithful. Ananias and Sapphira wanted to make sure they kept up appearances and their reputation for piety. So they decided to sell the property. Once sold, they mutually agreed that, without detriment to their reputation, they were going to retain part of the proceeds from the sale. They may not have retained much, otherwise the discrepancy would have become apparent.
What we see here essentially is that his action was not spiritually motivated. And by giving the appearance that they delivered everything obtained from the sale, the action acquired the character of fraud in the eyes of the apostles, and a lie in the eyes of God. It was a real sacrilege.
We do not know if Peter learned of the price indirectly or if it was revealed to him by God. But his accusation was withering: ”Couldn’t you keep it all for yourself, the property being yours? The lie is not to men but to God that you have told it.” Ananias expired at these words. After three hours or so, Safira appeared and when Pedro asked her at what price they had sold her inheritance; Sapphira, who had agreed with her husband, repeated the lie. Sapphira “fell at Peter’s feet and expired.”
Suggested Questions for Study and Discussion
1. What charitable deed did Ananias and Sapphira decide to do?
2. How did the devil foil their plans?
3. How was this fraud punished?
Source: Women of the Bible
(from an Aramaic voice meaning: “Beautiful”).
Ananias’s wife. She participated in a conspiracy with her husband that resulted in their deaths. They sold a field of their property and hypocritically implied that they were giving the apostles all the money they had obtained for it, as other Christians in Jerusalem were doing to face the emergency that arose after Pentecost 33 CE
The sin of Ananias and Sapphira did not consist in not delivering the full amount that they had received for the sale of the field, but in falsely alleging that they had done so, apparently with the intention of attracting the congratulations of men, instead of doing so. that the honor befall God and his contribution result in the well-being of the congregation. Led by the holy spirit, the apostle Peter exposed the deception and said to the husband: “Ananias, why has Satan emboldened you to deceive the holy spirit and secretly withhold part of the price of the field? While he stayed with you, didn’t he stay yours, and after he was sold, didn’t he continue to be under your control? Why did you intend such a deed in your heart? You have not deceived men, but God† . Hearing Peter’s words, Ananias fell down and expired.
After about three hours, Sapphira showed up and repeated the same lie. Peter then asked him: “Why did you two agree between you two to put Jehovah’s spirit to the test?” As had happened to her husband, Sapphira fell and expired. This incident served as discipline for the congregation and induced great fear among its members, as well as, no doubt, respect and appreciation for the fact that Jehovah dwelt among them in spirit. (Ac 4:34, 35; 5:1-11; 1Co 3:16, 17; Eph 2:22; compare 1Ti 1:20.)
Source: Dictionary of the Bible
(gr. sapfeiratransliteration of arm. šappı̂râ, fem. sing., ‘beautiful’). In Acts. 5.1ff she is the wife of * Ananias, a member of the early church in Jerusalem. She found this name, in gr. and arm., in a Jerusalem ossuary in 1923, but J. Klausner’s theory (From Jesus to Paul, 1944, pp. 289f) that she refers to the Sapphira of Acts requires confirmation.
ffb
Douglas, J. (2000). New Biblical Dictionary: First Edition. Miami: United Bible Societies.
Source: New Bible Dictionary