Acts 5:9But Peter asked her, "How is it that you have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out."
The setting
Jerusalem, ~33 AD. Early morning. The newly formed church is meeting in Solomon's Portico when Peter confronts Sapphira about the conspiracy with her husband to lie about their land sale...
The emotion here: holy authority mixed with grief at having to pronounce judgment
The original word
peirazō (πειράσαι) — to test or tempt with malicious intent, same word used for Satan tempting Jesus
Why it matters
This happened in the same portico where Jesus had taught, now the gathering place for 5,000+ believers
Read with care
What most readers miss in Acts 5:9
Peter gave Sapphira a chance to tell the truth - he asked 'for how much' before pronouncing judgment
Common misconceptionPeople think this is about tithing amounts, but it's about lying. They could have given any amount honestly and been fine.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Acts 5:9
Bible Genome reading
Acts 5:9 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Acts 5:9 comes from the book of Acts, written during the early_church period. These words are attributed to Peter. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is prophetic. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include divine judgment, conspiracy. Notable phrases: tempt the Spirit; feet of those; will carry you out. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same anxious
“And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
— 2 Timothy 3:12
“The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"”
— Acts 19:15
“I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'”
— Acts 22:7
“When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is har…”
— Acts 26:14
Your reflection
What does Acts 5:9 mean to you, today?
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