5:4a
Did it not belong to you before it was sold?: This is a rhetorical question. It emphasizes that the land did belong to Ananias. The Greek expects the answer “yes, the land was under my (Ananias’) control.” Here are some ways to translate this emphasis:
• As a rhetorical question. For example:
Did the land/property belong to you before you sold it?
-or-
It belonged to you before it was sold, right?
• As a statement. For example:
The land/property certainly belonged to you before you sold it!
it: Here this word refers to “the land” (5:3b).
it was sold: This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. For example:
you sold it
5:4b
And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal?: The Greek word that means “not” (the phrase was it not in the front of the clause) applies to this clause too (as it does in 5:4a with “Did it not…”). With this word, it is a rhetorical question and emphasizes that Ananias could do whatever he wanted with the money. Here are some ways to translate that meaning:
• As a rhetorical question. For example:
after you had sold it, was the money yours to do with as you liked?
-or-
And after it was sold, the money was at your disposal, right?
• As a statement. For example:
And after you sold the land/property, the money was certainly yours to use as you wanted.
it was sold: This clause is passive. Some languages must translate it as an active clause. For example:
you sold it (Good News Translation)
was it…at your disposal: The Greek is literally “it was in your authority.” Ananias had control over what to do with the money from the sale of the land. Here are some other ways to translate this:
it was under your control
-or-
used the money any way you wanted (New Century Version)
5:4c
How could you conceive such a deed in your heart?: The Greek is more literally “why did you put this deed in your heart?” It indicates that Ananias planned to lie. It was not something he did without thinking.
This is a rhetorical question. It is a rebuke. Ananias should not have lied. Here are some ways to translate this as a rebuke:
• As a rhetorical question. For example:
Why…did you decide to do such a thing? (Good News Translation)
-or-
Why did you plan in your heart to do that?
-or-
Why did you think of doing this? (New Century Version)
• As a statement. For example:
You should not have decided to do that.
5:4d
You have not lied to men, but to God: In some languages, the positive is spoken first then the negative. For example:
You have lied to God, not men
lied: This refers to saying something that is not true. It does not imply that anyone believed the lie. Ananias probably said he was giving the full amount of the sale price to the apostles when it was really only part.
men: Here this word is general and includes women. For example:
people (God’s Word)
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