The Meaning of Acts 5:6 Explained

Acts 5:6

KJV: And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.

YLT: and having risen, the younger men wound him up, and having carried forth, they buried him.

Darby: And the young men, rising up, swathed him up for burial, and having carried him out, buried him.

ASV: And the young men arose and wrapped him round, and they carried him out and buried him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  the young men  arose,  wound  him  up,  and  carried [him] out,  and buried  [him]. 

What does Acts 5:6 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Immediate burial was common in Palestine at this time, as the burial of Jesus illustrates. Evidently some of the younger and stronger believers disposed of Ananias" corpse by preparing it for burial. [1] Many people were buried in caves or holes in the ground that had been previously prepared for this purpose, as we see in the burials of Lazarus and Jesus.
"Burial in such a climate necessarily followed quickly after death, and such legal formalities as medical certification were not required." [2]
". . . when a man had been struck down by the hand of Heaven (as Joshua specifically says was the case with Achan: Joshua 7:25) his corpse must surely be consigned rapidly and silently to the grave. No one should mourn him. The suicide, the rebel against society, the excommunicate, tha apostate, and the criminal condemned to death by the Jewish court would be buried ... in haste and without ceremonial, and no one might (or need) observe the usual lengthy and troublesome rituals of mourning for him." [3]

Context Summary

Acts 5:1-11 - Lying To The Holy Spirit
The Spirit of God is the source of generous and liberal giving. It is a poor substitute to set up bazaars, and fairs, and ice cream suppers. When the Church is filled with the Holy Spirit, her pockets will be easily emptied before His gracious, thawing presence. Let the sun arise in the heavens, and the frozen streams are instantly liberated and begin to sing on their way to transform wildernesses into gardens.
Mark the contrast between Ananias and Barnabas. The same phrases are applied to each. The sin of Ananias was not in keeping back part of the purchase money, but in pretending to have brought all to the Apostle. He wished to pose as a saint, and at the same time to line his own nest. In the act of consecration, we must not allow one corner for Satan or selfishness to possess, because instantly we shall have to concede the right of way, and a thoroughfare will be opened, along which all manner of contraband may be smuggled in. Peter had no doubt as to the personality of the Holy Spirit. You cannot lie to an influence! Note the interchange of Holy Spirit and God in Acts 4:3-4. [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 5

1  After that Ananias and Sapphira his wife,
3  at Peter's rebuke had fallen down dead;
12  and that the rest of the apostles had wrought many miracles;
14  to the increase of the faith;
17  the apostles are again imprisoned;
19  but delivered by an angel bidding them preach openly to all;
21  when, after their teaching accordingly in the temple,
29  and before the council,
33  they are in danger to be killed;
34  but through the advice of Gamaliel, they are kept alive, and are only beaten;
41  for which they glorify God, and cease no day from preaching

Greek Commentary for Acts 5:6

The young men [οι νεωτεροι]
Literally the younger men (contrast with οι πρεσβυτεροι — hoi presbuteroi the elder men). Same as νεανισκοι — neaniskoi in Acts 5:10 and so no order in the young church. Perhaps these young men were acting as ushers or actual pallbearers. [source]
Wrapped him round [συνεστειλαν]
First aorist active indicative of συστελλω — sustellō old verb, to draw together, or contract (1 Corinthians 7:29), to roll together, to wrap with bandages, to enshroud as here. Nowhere else in the N.T. Frequent in medical writers. They may have used their own mantles. The time for burial was short in Jerusalem for sanitary reasons and to avoid ceremonial defilement. [source]
Wound him up [συνέστειλαν]
Better, as Rev., wrapped him round. The verb means to draw together, or draw in; hence used for shortening sail, reducing expenses, lowering or humbling a person. In 1 Corinthians 7:29, it occurs in the phrase, “the time is short ( συνεσταλμένος , Rev., properly, shortened );” i.e., drawn together, contracted. In the sense of wrapping up it is found in Aristophanes, of wrapping cloaks or garments about one; also of tucking up the garments about the loins, as a preparation for service. In the sense of shrouding for burial, it occurs in Euripides (“Troades,” 382): “They were not shrouded ( συνεπεστάλησαν ) by the hands of a wife.” In medical language, of bandaging a limb; of the contraction of tumors, and of organs of the body, etc. Some, however, as Meyer, refer the word here to the pressing together of the dead man's limbs. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 5:6

1 Corinthians 7:29 Short [συνεσταλμένος]
Rev., correctly, giving the force of the participle, shortened. Compare Mark 13:20, and see on hasting unto, 2 Peter 3:12. The word means to draw together or contract. Only here and Acts 5:6, where it is used of the winding up of Ananias' corpse. In classical Greek of furling sails, packing luggage, reducing expenses, etc. Applied to time, the word is very graphic. [source]
1 Corinthians 7:29 The time is shortened [ο καιρος συνεσταλμενος εστιν]
Perfect periphrastic passive indicative of συστελλω — sustellō old verb to place together, to draw together. Only twice in the N.T., here and Acts 5:6 which see. Found in the papyri for curtailing expenses. Calvin takes it for the shortness of human life, but apparently Paul pictures the foreshortening of time (opportunity) because of the possible nearness of and hope for the second coming. But in Philippians Paul faces death as his fate (Philemon 1:21-26), though still looking for the coming of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:20). That henceforth (το λοιπον ινα — to loipon hina). Proleptic position of το λοιπον — to loipon before ινα — hina and in the accusative of general reference and ινα — hina has the notion of result rather than purpose (Robertson, Grammar, p. 997). As though they had none This use of ως — hōs with the participle for an assumed condition is regular and μη — mē in the Koiné{[28928]}š is the normal negative of the participle. So the idiom runs on through 1 Corinthians 7:31. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 5:6 mean?

Having arisen then the younger [men] covered him and having carried [him] out buried [him]
ἀναστάντες δὲ οἱ νεώτεροι συνέστειλαν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐξενέγκαντες ἔθαψαν

ἀναστάντες  Having  arisen 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ἀναπηδάω 
Sense: to cause to rise up, raise up.
νεώτεροι  younger  [men] 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural, Comparative
Root: νέος  
Sense: recently born, young, youthful.
συνέστειλαν  covered 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: συστέλλω  
Sense: to place together.
ἐξενέγκαντες  having  carried  [him]  out 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ἐκφέρω  
Sense: to carry out, to bear forth.
ἔθαψαν  buried  [him] 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: θάπτω  
Sense: to bury, inter.

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