The Meaning of Acts 5:9 Explained

Acts 5:9

KJV: 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.

YLT: And Peter said unto her, 'How was it agreed by you, to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? lo, the feet of those who did bury thy husband are at the door, and they shall carry thee forth;'

Darby: And Peter said to her, Why is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Lo, the feet of those that have buried thy husband are at the door, and they shall carry thee out.

ASV: But Peter'said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to try the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them that have buried thy husband are at the door, and they shall carry thee out.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Acts 5:9 Mean?

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 5:9

Ye have agreed together [συνεπωνητη υμιν]
First aorist passive indicative of συμπωνεω — sumphōneō (to voice together, symphony), impersonal with dative; It was agreed together by you (or for you). “Your souls were allured together respecting this deceit” (Vincent). [source]
To tempt the Spirit of the Lord [πειρασαι το πνευμα κυριου]
Like “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” It was close to the unpardonable sin which was attributing the manifest work of the Holy Spirit to Beelzebub. The feet (οι ποδες — hoi podes). Graphic picture by Peter as he heard the steps of the young men at the door. [source]
The feet [οι ποδες]
Graphic picture by Peter as he heard the steps of the young men at the door. [source]
Ye have agreed together [συνεφωνήθη ὑμῖν]
The verb is passive. Lit., was it agreed by you. The figure in the word is that of concord of sounds. Your souls were attuned to each other respecting this deceit. See on music, Luke 15:25. [source]
To tempt [πειράσαι]
To put it to the proof whether the Holy Spirit, ruling in the apostles, could be deceived. See on Acts 5:3. [source]
The feet []
Graphic. The steps of the young men returning from the burial are heard at the door. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 5:9

Acts 28:25 Agreed not []
See on agreed together, Acts 5:9. [source]
Acts 15:15 To this agree [τουτωι συμπωνουσιν]
Associative instrumental case (τουτωι — toutōi) after συμπωνουσιν — sumphōnousin (voice together with, symphony with, harmonize with), from συμπωνεω — sumphōneō old verb seen already in Matthew 18:19; Luke 5:36; Acts 5:9 which see. James cites only Amos 9:11, Amos 9:12 from the lxx as an example of “the words of the prophets” (οι λογοι των προπητων — hoi logoi tōn prophētōn) to which he refers on this point. The somewhat free quotation runs here through Acts 15:16-18 of Acts 15 and is exceedingly pertinent. The Jewish rabbis often failed to understand the prophets as Jesus showed. The passage in Amos refers primarily to the restoration of the Davidic empire, but also the Messiah‘s Kingdom (the throne of David his father,” Luke 1:32). [source]
Acts 5:4 After it was sold [πρατεν]
First aorist passive of πιπρασκω — pipraskō to sell. How is that thou hast conceived (Τι οτι ετου — Ti hoti ethou). Quid esto quod. See note on Luke 2:49. See also Acts 5:9. Second aorist middle indicative second person singular of τιτημι — tithēmi The devil filled his heart (Acts 5:3), but all the same Ananias did it too and is wholly responsible. [source]
Acts 5:4 How is that thou hast conceived [Τι οτι ετου]
Quid esto quod. See note on Luke 2:49. See also Acts 5:9. Second aorist middle indicative second person singular of τιτημι — tithēmi The devil filled his heart (Acts 5:3), but all the same Ananias did it too and is wholly responsible. [source]
Romans 10:15 Feet []
Emphasizing the rapid approach of the messenger. “In their running and hastening, in their scaling obstructing mountains, and in their appearance and descent from mountains, they are the symbols of the earnestly-desired, winged movement and appearance of the Gospel itself” (Lange). Compare Nahum 1:15; Ephesians 6:15; Romans 3:15; Acts 5:9. Paul omits the mountains from the citation. Omit that preach the gospel of peace. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 5:9 mean?

- But Peter [said] to her Why [is it] that have agreed together you to test the Spirit of [the] Lord Behold the feet of those having buried the husband of you [are] at the door and they will carry out you
δὲ Πέτρος πρὸς αὐτήν Τί ὅτι συνεφωνήθη ὑμῖν πειράσαι τὸ Πνεῦμα Κυρίου ἰδοὺ οἱ πόδες τῶν θαψάντων τὸν ἄνδρα σου ἐπὶ τῇ θύρᾳ καὶ ἐξοίσουσίν σε

  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Πέτρος  Peter  [said] 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Πέτρος  
Sense: one of the twelve disciples of Jesus.
αὐτήν  her 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
Τί  Why  [is  it] 
Parse: Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: τίς  
Sense: who, which, what.
ὅτι  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
συνεφωνήθη  have  agreed  together 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: συμφωνέω  
Sense: to agree together.
πειράσαι  to  test 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: πειράζω  
Sense: to try whether a thing can be done.
Πνεῦμα  Spirit 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: πνεῦμα  
Sense: a movement of air (a gentle blast.
Κυρίου  of  [the]  Lord 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
ἰδοὺ  Behold 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἰδού  
Sense: behold, see, lo.
πόδες  feet 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: πούς  
Sense: a foot, both of men or beast.
τῶν  of  those 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
θαψάντων  having  buried 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: θάπτω  
Sense: to bury, inter.
ἄνδρα  husband 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀνήρ  
Sense: with reference to sex.
σου  of  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
ἐπὶ  [are]  at 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐπί  
Sense: upon, on, at, by, before.
θύρᾳ  door 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: θύρα  
Sense: a door.
ἐξοίσουσίν  they  will  carry  out 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἐκφέρω  
Sense: to carry out, to bear forth.