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.

ACTS 5:9KJV
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Acts 5:9 (KJV)

What does Acts 5:9 mean?

Acts 5:9 shows Peter confronting Sapphira about her and her husband’s decision to test God’s Spirit by lying about their gift, warning her that those who buried her husband are about to carry her out as well. The verse highlights the seriousness of their deception and the immediate consequences that follow.

Peter is speaking directly to Sapphira after her husband Ananias has already died for lying about the proceeds of a land sale. Peter asks how she and Ananias could agree to "tempt the Spirit of the Lord," meaning to deliberately test or challenge God’s presence and truthfulness. He then tells her that the men who buried her husband are at the door, signaling that she will face the same fate.

The Greek behind Acts 5:9

  • The word "tempt" (πειράζω, peirazō) in Greek often means to test or try, especially in the sense of putting someone or something to the proof. Here, it suggests that Sapphira and Ananias were not just lying to people but were daring to see if God would notice or act.
  • The phrase "agreed together" (συμφωνέω, sumphōneō) carries the idea of making a joint decision or being in harmony about a plan. This emphasizes that Sapphira was fully aware and complicit in the deception, not an innocent bystander.
  • The term "Spirit of the Lord" (πνεῦμα τοῦ κυρίου, pneuma tou kyriou) makes clear that the offense is not just against the apostles or the church, but directly against God’s own Spirit.

Why Acts 5:9 matters

  • Acts 5:9 clarifies that both Ananias and Sapphira knowingly participated in the deception, which removes any doubt about Sapphira’s awareness or intent.
  • The verse underscores the seriousness of testing or challenging God, not just breaking a human rule, which is a key theme in this early church story.
  • Acts 5:9 connects directly to the dramatic events earlier in the chapter, showing the unity of the couple’s actions and the swift, visible consequences that follow when the community’s integrity is threatened.

Where else these words appear

“together” Greek G4856 · used in 6 verses

  • Matthew 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
  • Matthew 20:2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
  • Luke 5:36 And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old.

“carry” Greek G1627 · used in 7 verses

  • Luke 15:22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
  • Acts 5:10 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.
  • 1 Timothy 6:7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

“buried” Greek G2290 · used in 11 verses

  • Matthew 8:21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
  • Luke 9:59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
  • Acts 2:29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.

“tempt” Greek G3985 · used in 35 verses

  • Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
  • Luke 11:16 And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven.
  • Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.