And Peter answered her, Tell me if ye gave the estate for so much? And she said, Yes, for so much.

and Peter answered her, 'Tell me if for so much ye sold the place;' and she said, 'Yes, for so much.'

Peter at once questioned her. "Tell me," he said, "whether you sold the land for so much." "Yes," she replied, "for so much."

And Peter said to her, Give me an answer: was this amount of money the price of the land? And she said, Yes, it was.

And Peter said to her, "Tell me, woman, if you sold the field for this amount?" And she said, "Yes, for that amount."

"Is it true," Peter asked, addressing her, "that you sold your land for such a sum?" "Yes," she answered, "we did."

Tell me. We see that God doth not by and by [1] punish her, but first he trieth the matter thoroughly, lest he should send vengeance upon any save the obstinate, and those which will not be pardoned. [2] For although Sapphira did know that the matter was hidden, she ought to have been stricken with this question of Peter, no otherwise than if she had been cited to appear before the judgment-seat of God. She hath a time granted her to repent; yea, this is, as it were, a pleasant [3] inviting unto repentance. But she, in holding on so carelessly, [4] doth declare that she was incurable, because she is touched with no fear of God. And hereby are we taught to labor diligently to bring sinners into the way. For the Spirit of God keepeth this moderation; but when as stubbornness and the stubborn contempt of God is added unto the offense, it is now high time to punish. Therefore, those men are too arrogant who are displeased with the immoderate rigor of God. It is rather our duty to consider how we shall in time to come [5] stand before the judgment-seat of God; although this is too much to despise his holy power and majesty, if we will have him mocked freely without any punishment. Moreover, so many circumstances, which before I have gathered, do sufficiently prove that Ananias and Sapphira were not worthy of one death only. For, first of all, hypocrisy is of itself very abominable to God. Secondly, whereas they are determined to lie unto God, this ariseth of great contempt, in that they do not reverence and fear Christ, being the Chief Governor of those amongst whom they were. It is ungodliness joined with impudency; because, so they can escape shame and reproach amongst men, before whom they were determined to vaunt and brag, they pass not to deny their manifest wickedness unto God. Whereas they do stubbornly deny their offense, this doth, as it were, make up the heap and measure. And whereas innumerable hypocrites do no less mock God and the Church daily, who, notwithstanding, are not punished with death, I have already showed why this ought to seem to be no inconvenient thing. [6] Forasmuch as God is the only Judge of the world, it belongeth to him to punish every man at his pleasure, when and how it seemeth good to him. Wherefore we must not prescribe unto him a certain mean and manner of punishment. But the greatness of the spiritual judgment, which is as yet hid, hath been set before us in the bodily punishment of two, as in a mirror. For if we consider what it is to be cast into eternal fire, we shall not judge that this is the greatest evil and punishment of all, to fall down dead before men. Look the 10th chapter of the First to the Corinthians, verse 5.

Footnotes

1 - "Subito impetu," by sudden impulse.

2 - "Qui sibi veniam praecidunt," who cut themselves off from pardon.

3 - "Placida," calm.

4 - "Pergendo secure," in proceeding securely.

5 - "Olim," one day.

6 - "Absurdum," absurd or strange.

For so much - That is, for the sum which Ananias had presented. This was true, that this sum had been received for it; but it was also true that a larger sum had been received. It is as really a falsehood to deceive in this manner, as it would have been to have affirmed that they received much "more" than they actually did for the land. Falsehood consists in making an erroneous representation of a thing in any way for the purpose of deceiving. And "this" species is much more common than an open and bold lie, affirming what is in no sense true.

And Peter answered unto her,.... Who might be inquiring for her husband; though such a way of speaking was common with the Jews, when nothing goes before to which the answer is made; of which there are frequent instances in the sacred writings:
tell me whether ye sold the land for so much; naming the sum of money which Ananias had brought; though the historian does not mention it. The Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions read, "tell me, O woman", &c. not calling her by her name, as he did her husband, Acts 5:3
yea, she said for so much; just that sum, and no more.

Whether ye sold the land for so much? Naming the amount offered by Ananias. Instead of the confession that would have saved her, she persisted in the lie agreed upon, died as he had died, and was buried in the same tomb.

If ye sold the land for so much - Naming the sum.