5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. 6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. 7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. 8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. 9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. 10 Then 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. 11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things. (Acts 5:5-11 KJV)
William Burkitt’s Commentary
Observe here, 1. The justice of the punishment inflicted upon Ananias for his sin; he is struck dead upon the spot for his sacrilege, covetousness, hypocrisy and lying: Doubtless it was a very heinous sin which God so severely punished, and it was the first sin of this kind under the New Testament. This was the first consecration of goods that ever was made unto Christ our Lord, after he was exalted at the right hand of God in heaven; and this was the first sacrilege: The first sin of this kind, and therefore the first persons that were found guilty of it met with this severity, in terrorem, to make all others afraid of it. The first transgressors in any kind have been made public examples. Thus the angels befoe the Jewish church; Nadab and Abihu at the beginning of the Jewish church; and here Ananias and Sapphira, at the beginning of the Christian church.
Observe, 2. How Sapphira, the wife’s, subjection to her husband, doth not excuse her from partaking in his sin, nor exempt her from the severity of the punishment.
God’s authority in commanding or forbidding, must be first observed and obeyed, otherwise we put the creature in God’s place, debase him and set up and idol, which the jealousy and holiness of God will never endure.
Observe, 3. How the same sin meets with the same punishment. Husband and wife had here agreed both what to do and what to say, and they that sinned together suffered together.
God is no respector of persons, male and female, Jew or Gentile, prince or subject, husband or wife; the soul that sinneth, it shall die; Then fell she down straightaway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost, Acts 5:10.
Observe, 4. That this miraculous way of punishing offenders with immediate death by the apostles, was not common: This is the only instance in the New Testament of so severe a punishment inflicted by the mouth of the apostles for any sin whatsoever; and it seems accommodated and suited to that particular time, in which magistrates were so far from defending the church, that they furthered the persecution, and endeavoured the extirpation of it.
Observe lastly, The effect which this tremendous miracle had upon the whole church; it awfully affected them with fear and trembling; Great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
God’s extraordinary providences, either judgments or mercies, towards ourselves or towards others, ought to affect us with holy fear, and that fear which works righteousness, When his judgments are abroad in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness; Isaiah 26:9 that is, they ought to do so, and, if ever they will do it, they will do it then: Judgments work fear, and fear works righteousness.