Sapphira
femaleNew TestamentMeaning: “Beautiful; sapphire”
The wife of Ananias who shared in his lie about the price of their land and, repeating it to Peter, fell dead as he had.
Biography
Sapphira was the wife of Ananias and his partner in one of the most sobering episodes of the early church. Together they sold a piece of property but agreed to keep back part of the money while claiming to have given it all to the apostles (Acts 5:1–2).
"How is it that ye have agreed together?"
Three hours after her husband had fallen dead, Sapphira came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter gave her the chance to tell the truth, asking whether they had sold the land for the stated price. When she repeated the lie, Peter said, "How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord?" and she fell down at his feet and died (Acts 5:7–10).
Fear upon the church
Her death, with her husband's, brought "great fear" upon the whole church (Acts 5:11). Their story stands as a vivid warning that God sees the heart, and that pretended devotion — hypocrisy before the Holy Spirit — is a grave thing.
Life Timeline
Repeats the lie to Peter and falls dead
On the Bible timeline
Sapphira belongs to the The Early Church era (c. AD 30 – 100).
- c. AD 30 – 33The Crucifixion & Resurrection
- c. AD 30 – 33Pentecost
- c. AD 34 – 36The Conversion of Paul
- c. AD 46 – 57Paul's Missionary Journeys
- AD 70The Destruction of the Temple
Family Tree
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Themes & lessons from Sapphira
Biblical themes that run through the passages where Sapphira appears.
Scripture Appearances
1 verses in 1 bookActs1 verse
Acts 5:1
But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
Frequently asked about Sapphira
Who was Sapphira in the Bible?
The wife of Ananias who shared in his lie about the price of their land and, repeating it to Peter, fell dead as he had.
What does the name Sapphira mean?
The name Sapphira means “Beautiful; sapphire”.
Where does Sapphira appear in the Bible?
Sapphira is mentioned 1 time across 1 book: Acts.
What can we learn from Sapphira?
The story of Sapphira touches on themes of ananias, communism, covetousness, hypocrites — explore each to study the lessons drawn from Sapphira's life.
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