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Young Men carrying Ananias and Sapphira
Excerpt from the Lexham Bible Dictionary, the most advanced Bible dictionary.
A member of the church in Jerusalem who, along with his wife, Sapphira, was struck dead for lying about the sale price of a piece of property. The name may be a transcription of a Hebrew name meaning “God is merciful.”Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, sold property to give to the church. They withheld money while acting as if they had given the total amount (Acts 5:1–3). When Peter confronted Ananias, he fell dead. About three hours later, Peter asked her directly about the sale price. She lied, and was also struck dead. The stated reason for their deaths is that they lied to the Holy Spirit—to God (Acts 5:3–4, 9).For further discussion of the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira, see this article: Sapphira.
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The Lexham Bible Dictionary
Ananias of Jerusalem
Ananias of Jerusalem (Ανανίας, Ananias). A member of the church in Jerusalem who, along with his wife, Sapphira, was struck dead for lying about the sale price of a piece of property. The name may be a transcription of a Hebrew name meaning “God is merciful.”Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, sold property
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַםִ‎, yerushalami). The capital city of biblical Israel, and later of the southern kingdom of Judah. The central location for Israel’s self-understanding of life under God.
Jerusalem, Critical Issues
Jerusalem, Archaeology of Introduction to the archaeological data concerning Jerusalem in the Middle Bronze Age and the Iron Age.
Sapphira
Sapphira (Σάπφιρα, Sapphira). Early believer who was struck dead along with her husband, Ananias, for secretly holding back a portion of money from the church after they sold property (Acts 5:1–11). Sapphira’s name in Aramaic means “beautiful”; it also might indicate that she was wealthy (Pervo, “Sapphira,”
The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary
Ananias (Person)
ANANIAS (PERSON) [Gk Hananias (Ἁνανιας)]. Probably a transcription of the not uncommon Hebrew name ḥănanĕyāh, “God is merciful,” with a Greek ending. Here we are concerned with five individuals who bore this name.1. The angel Raphael claims that he is Tobit’s kinsman Azariah, the son of the great
Jerusalem (Place)
JERUSALEM (PLACE) [Heb yĕrûšālayim (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם)]. Pliny the Elder described Jerusalem as “by far the most renowned city of the ancient East” (HN V:14). Jerusalem is best known as the “holy city” (Isa 52:1), sacred to the three great monotheistic religions. Few subjects have generated so large
Sapphira (Person)
SAPPHIRA (PERSON) [Gk Sapphira (Σαπφιρα)]. Convert to Christianity who, along with her husband, Ananias, is miraculously killed after lying to the apostles about turning over all their money (Acts 5).The name is from the Aramaic šappı̄rāʾ, “good” or “beautiful,” and both Aramaic and Greek forms of
Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible
Jerusalem
Jerusalem. Historic city sacred to Christians, Jews, and Muslims; the chief city of ancient Palestine and of the modern state of Israel.
Sapphira
Sapphira. Member of the Jerusalem church and wife of Ananias (Acts 5:1).See Ananias #3.
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised
Ananias (husband of Sapphira)
1. A member of the church at Jerusalem, the husband of Sapphira (Acts 5:1–10). He and his wife sold their property, and gave to the common fund of the church part of the purchase money, pretending it was the whole. When his hypocrisy was denounced by Peter, Ananias fell down dead; and three hours later
Jerusalem
Jerusalem jə-roo̅ʹsə-ləm:-l:m [Heb. yerûšālayim, yerûšālēm—‘city of wholeness’; Gk. Ierosalēm, Hierosolyma]. The principal city of ancient Israel, location of the temple, capital of the kingdom of Judah, chief city of nascent Judaism, the city where Jesus Christ was tried and crucified,
Sapphira
Sapphira sə-fīʹrə [Gk. Sappheira; Aram šappîrāʾ—‘beautiful’; cf. cognate Heb. šip̱râ (see Shiphrah)] (Acts 5:1). A member of the early Christian community in Jerusalem. With her husband Ananias she conspired to deceive the community into believing that the two of them had turned over the entire
Tyndale Bible Dictionary
Jerusalem
JERUSALEM Historic city sacred to Christians, Jews, and Muslims; the chief city of ancient Palestine and of the modern state of Israel.Preview•Meaning of the Name•Geographical Situation•HistoryMeaning of the NameEgyptian Meaning The earliest mention of the name occurs in the Egyptian Execration
Sapphira
SAPPHIRA Member of the Jerusalem church and wife of Ananias (Acts 5:1). See Ananias #1.
The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (Revised and Updated)
Ananias
Ananias (an´uh-ni´uhs).1 According to Acts 5:1–11, an early Christian in Jerusalem who, with his wife Sapphira, fell dead shortly after falsely claiming to have given the entire proceeds of the sale of their property to the community’s common fund (see 4:32–37). Their death was interpreted as divine
Jerusalem
JerusalemTopography: Situated on the crest of the Judean mountains some twenty miles west of the Dead Sea’s northern end and thirty miles east of the Mediterranean Sea, the biblical city of Jerusalem (ji-roo´suh-luhm) was built over two hills ranging from 2,300 to 2,500 feet above sea level and surrounded
Sapphira
Sapphira (suh-fi´ruh), the wife of Ananias who, like him, died after misrepresenting a gift to the apostles (Acts 5:1–11). See also Ananias.
The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia
City of God
CITY OF GOD1. A term used to describe Jerusalem (Ps 46:4; 48:1, 8). It was the city which God chose to be His habitation among the tribes of Israel (Deut 12:5). See Jerusalem.2. This term is used also to describe heaven, or the New Jerusalem (Heb 11:10; 12:21; Rev 3:12; 21; 22). See Jerusalem, New.
Jerusalem
JERUSALEM. This city has been aptly called the “spiritual capital of the world,”. judgment underscored by the United Nations’ resolution of 1947 to designate it an international holy city. To students of the Bible and of history it is perhaps the world’s most fascinating community, being one the world’s
Sapphira
SAPPHIRA. The name appears on Jerusalem ossuaries in both Gr. and Aram. forms. In the NT only one Sapphira, the wife of Ananias (q.v.), is mentioned (Acts 5:1–11). Like her husband, she was struck dead by divine judgment for lying. Other persons in the early church at Jerusalem were contributing all
The New Bible Dictionary, Third Edition
Sapphira
SAPPHIRA (Gk. sappheira, transliteration of Aram. šappîrâ, fem. sing., ‘beautiful’). In Acts 5:1ff. wife of *Ananias, a member of the primitive Jerusalem church. The name, in Greek and Aramaic, was found on an ossuary in Jerusalem in 1923, but J. Klausner’s theory (From Jesus to Paul, 1944, pp. 289f.)
Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible
Ananias
Ananias (Gk. Hananɩ́as)1. A member of the early Christian community in Jerusalem, the husband of Sapphira (Acts 5:1–10). Ananias and his wife held back some of the proceeds of the sale of their land, giving to the community only a portion. Peter interprets this as lying to the apostolic leadership,
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (Heb. yĕrûšālayim)The primary city of ancient Israel, capital of Judah and the United Monarchy.
Sapphira
Sapphira (Gk. Sápphira)The wife of Ananias (1; from Aram. šappɩ̂rāʾ, “beautiful”). Together they agreed to withhold from the church part of the money gained from sale of property, while apparently claiming to bring it all. Since this amounted to a lie against the Holy Spirit, both were struck dead
Eerdmans Bible Dictionary
Jerusalem
Jerusalem [jə rōōˊ sə ləm] (Heb. yerûšālayim, yerûšālēm “city of peace, wholeness [or “Salem”]”).† The city of David, capital of Judah and the united monarchy; holy city of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Sapphira
Sapphira [sə fīˊrə] (Gk. Sappheirē; from Aram. šappîrā˒ “beautiful”). The wife of see Ananias 1. Together they agreed to withhold from the church part of a sum of money gained from sale of property, while claiming to bring it all. Since this amounted to a lie against the Holy Spirit, both were
The Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land
Jerusalem
JERUSALEMthe canaanite and israelite citythe site The principal remains of biblical Jerusalem have been uncovered on the City of David, the hill overlooking the Gihon Spring (the Virgin’s Fountain in the Kidron Valley. This section of the City of David is bordered on the north by the Temple Mount,
Dictionary of Paul and His Letters
Jerusalem
JerusalemThe relationship of Paul to the Jerusalem church raises a number of difficult questions. One of these involves how we are to relate the accounts found in the Acts of the Apostles with those in the Pauline letters. When apparent contradictions surface, how are they to be handled? How do we balance
See also
Related
Ananias (husband of Sapphira)
Sapphira