5:1 Now a man named Ananias, together with Sapphira his wife, sold a piece of property. 5:2 He 9 kept back for himself part of the proceeds with his wife’s knowledge; he brought 10 only part of it and placed it at the apostles’ feet.
1 tn Or “poor.”
2 tn Grk “houses, selling them were bringing.” The participle πωλοῦντες (pwlounte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
3 tn The word “them” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
4 tn Grk “It” (or “They,” plural). The referent of the understood pronoun subject, the proceeds from the sales, of the verb διεδίδετο (diedideto) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. Note how the actions of Barnabas are in keeping with the meaning of his nickname. He stands in contrast to Ananias and Sapphira in 5:1-11.
6 tn Grk “selling a field that belonged to him, brought” The participle πωλήσας (pwlhsa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
7 tn Or “a farm.”
8 tn Normally a reference to actual coins (“currency”). See L&N 6.68.
9 tn Grk “And he.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
10 tn The participle ἐνέγκας (enenka") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
11 tn So BDAG 410 s.v. εὐπορέω.
12 tn Or “determined,” “resolved.”
13 tn Grk “to send [something] for a ministry,” but today it is common to speak of sending relief for victims of natural disasters.
14 sn The call to sell your possessions is a call to a lack of attachment to the earth and a generosity as a result.
15 tn Grk “give alms,” but this term is not in common use today.
16 tn Grk “in the heavens.”
17 tn Or “an unfailing treasure in heaven,” or “an inexhaustible treasure in heaven.”
18 tn The term σής (shs) refers to moths in general. It is specifically the larvae of moths that destroy clothing by eating holes in it (L&N 4.49; BDAG 922 s.v.). See Jas 5:2, which mentions “moth-eaten” clothing.
19 sn Seeking heavenly treasure means serving others and honoring God by doing so; see Luke 6:35-36.
20 tn Grk “unrighteous mammon.” Mammon is the Aramaic term for wealth or possessions. The point is not that money is inherently evil, but that it is often misused so that it is a means of evil; see 1 Tim 6:6-10, 17-19. The call is to be generous and kind in its use. Zacchaeus becomes the example of this in Luke’s Gospel (19:1-10).
21 sn The passive refers to the welcome of heaven.
22 tn Grk “eternal tents” (as dwelling places).
23 sn See Luke 14:33.
24 tn The words “the money” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
25 sn See Luke 1:50-53; 6:20-23; 14:12-14.
26 sn The call for sacrifice comes with a promise of eternal reward: …you will have treasure in heaven. Jesus’ call is a test to see how responsive the man is to God’s direction through him. Will he walk the path God’s agent calls him to walk? For a rich person who got it right, see Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10.
27 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the conversation.
28 sn Zacchaeus was a penitent man who resolved on the spot to act differently in the face of Jesus’ acceptance of him. In resolving to give half his possessions to the poor, Zacchaeus was not defending himself against the crowd’s charges and claiming to be righteous. Rather as a result of this meeting with Jesus, he was a changed individual. So Jesus could speak of salvation coming that day (v. 9) and of the lost being saved (v. 10).
29 tn This is a first class condition in the Greek text. It virtually confesses fraud.