Acts 5:3

body { font-family: ‘Times New Roman’, serif; line-height: 1.6; max-width: 800px; margin: auto; padding: 20px; }
h1, h2, h3 { color: #333; }
blockquote { border-left: 4px solid #ccc; margin: 1.5em 10px; padding: 0.5em 10px; }
b { font-weight: bold; }
i { font-style: italic; }
ul { list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 20px; }
ol { margin-left: 20px; }

An Exegetical Study of Acts 5:3-4: The Syntactic and Semantic Implications of ψεύδομαι with Accusative and Dative Cases

This exegetical study of The Syntactic and Semantic Implications of ψεύδομαι in Acts 5:3-4 is based on a b-greek discussion from February 26, 2008. The initial query highlights the consistent translation of Acts 5:3 as “Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart (for) you to lie to the Holy Spirit?” This translation is brought into question by the observation that “the Holy Spirit” (**τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον**) in Acts 5:3 is in the accusative case, while the subsequent verse, Acts 5:4, employs the dative case (**ἀνθρώποις**, **τῷ θεῷ**) when referring to lying “to” men and God. The perceived discrepancy raises questions about the precise nuance of ψεύδομαι when construed with an accusative object, prompting an investigation into alternative interpretations such as “to lie about [or to misrepresent] the Holy Spirit.”

The main exegetical issue under examination is the variation in case usage for the direct or indirect object of the verb ψεύδομαι (“to lie”) within the immediate context of Acts 5:3-4. Specifically, Acts 5:3 states that Ananias intended to lie regarding “the Holy Spirit” (τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, accusative), while Acts 5:4 declares that he did not lie “to men” (ἀνθρώποις, dative) but “to God” (τῷ θεῷ, dative). This shift from accusative to dative prompts a critical inquiry into whether a semantic distinction is intended by the author of Acts. Possible implications range from differentiating between lying about a subject versus lying to a person, to a more subtle distinction in the nature or impact of the falsehood. Understanding this grammatical choice is crucial for accurately translating the passage and appreciating its theological significance, particularly concerning the identity of the Holy Spirit and the gravity of Ananias’s deception.

Greek text (Nestle 1904)

Acts 5:3
Εἶπεν δὲ ὁ Πέτρος· Ἀνανία, διὰ τί ἐπλήρωσεν ὁ Σατανᾶς τὴν καρδίαν σου, ψεύσασθαί σε τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον, καὶ νοσφίσασθαι ἀπὸ τῆς τιμῆς τοῦ χωρίου;

Acts 5:4
οὐχὶ μένον σοὶ ἔμενεν καὶ πραθὲν ἐν τῇ σῇ ἐξουσίᾳ ὑπῆρχεν; τί ὅτι ἔθου ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτο; οὐκ ἐψεύσω ἀνθρώποις, ἀλλὰ τῷ Θεῷ.

Key differences with SBLGNT (2010):

• In Acts 5:3, Nestle 1904 includes a comma after καρδίαν σου and after Ἅγιον, which is absent in SBLGNT.
• In Acts 5:3, Nestle 1904 capitalizes Ἅγιον, while SBLGNT uses lowercase ἅγιον.
• In Acts 5:4, Nestle 1904 includes a comma after ἀνθρώποις, which is absent in SBLGNT.

Textual Criticism (NA28) and Lexical Notes (KITTEL, BDAG):

The Greek text of Acts 5:3-4 is remarkably stable across major critical editions, including the Nestle-Aland 28th Edition (NA28) and the United Bible Societies Greek New Testament (UBS5). The primary variations are minor orthographical and punctuation differences, which do not alter the fundamental grammatical construction or vocabulary relevant to this exegetical inquiry. The consistent textual tradition confirms the presence of the accusative object with ψεύσασθαι in v. 3 and the dative object with ἐψεύσω in v. 4.

Lexical analysis of ψεύδομαι is crucial. BDAG (Bauer, Danker, Arndt, Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature) notes two primary usages. The second, more pertinent here, defines ψεύδομαι as “to attempt to deceive by lying, tell lies to, impose upon τινὰ (someone).” It explicitly lists Acts 5:3 as an example of this usage with the accusative. This entry is supported by parallels in classical and Koine Greek literature, such as Euripides, Plutarch, Josephus (Antiquities 3, 273; 13, 25), and Appian (Libyca 27 §113), where the accusative object denotes the person deceived. For example, Appian’s phrase ψεύσασθαι θεοὺς οὓς ὤμοσας is translated as “to lie to the gods by whom you swore,” reinforcing the direct recipient sense for the accusative. Similarly, an example from Aeschylus (Agamemnon 1210-11, cited in the discussion) has Cassandra stating ξυναινέσασα Λοξίαν ἐψευσάμην, meaning “having consented, I deceived Apollo” or “I played Apollo false.” These examples strongly suggest that ψεύδομαι with an accusative object typically signifies deceiving a person directly.

In contrast, the usage of ψεύδομαι with the dative, as seen in Acts 5:4 (ἀνθρώποις, τῷ θεῷ), is described by some as potentially indicating a more indirect sense of “acting or speaking falsely to someone” or “telling a lie to someone.” This distinction, proposed in the discussion, suggests that the accusative might imply a direct act of deception or betrayal, whereas the dative might denote the recipient of the false statement. However, the BDAG entry and external examples tend to blur this strict line, often translating both with “to lie to” or “to deceive.”

From a theological perspective, KITTEL’s Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (TDNT) entry on ψεύδομαι (and related terms like ψευδής, ψεῦδος) emphasizes lying as a fundamental ethical and spiritual transgression, often against divine truth and God’s nature. In the biblical context, lying is depicted as an act originating from Satan (John 8:44) and directly opposing God’s truthfulness. Therefore, to lie *to* or *about* the Holy Spirit, whom Acts 5:4 explicitly equates with God, constitutes a profound sacrilege and a betrayal of the divine presence within the community.

Translation Variants

The grammatical analysis of ψεύδομαι with both accusative and dative objects in Acts 5:3-4 presents several interpretative possibilities for translation. The traditional rendering of Acts 5:3 as “to lie to the Holy Spirit” treats the accusative object (τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον) as the direct object of deception, implying a direct confrontation with the divine person. This interpretation aligns with the general understanding of ψεύδομαι with an accusative object in many ancient Greek texts, where it denotes deceiving or playing someone false.

An alternative interpretation, suggested in the initial query, proposes that the accusative in Acts 5:3 might signify “to lie about the Holy Spirit” or “to misrepresent the Holy Spirit.” This would mean Ananias was falsely claiming the Holy Spirit was the motivator behind his actions, rather than directly lying to the Spirit as a person. Analogies were drawn to verbs like πιστεύω (“to believe”) and ἀκούω (“to hear”), where the case of the object can differentiate between believing a thing (accusative) and believing a person (dative), or hearing a sound (accusative) versus hearing a speaker (genitive). However, while these analogies highlight the flexibility of Greek case usage, the lexical evidence for ψεύδομαι itself, particularly from BDAG and classical parallels, more strongly supports the “deceive someone” sense for the accusative, rather than “lie about something.”

The discussion also explored the distinction between the accusative and dative. Some scholars suggest that the accusative (v. 3, “the Holy Spirit”) might emphasize the directness of the deceptive act or the victim of the deceit, akin to “cheat” or “play false.” Conversely, the dative (v. 4, “to men,” “to God”) might focus on the recipient of the false statement, similar to “tell a lie to.” This nuanced view maintains that while Ananias’s immediate lie involved the Holy Spirit, its ultimate recipient and the one harmed was God. The rhetorical progression from “lying to the Holy Spirit” (v. 3) to “you did not lie to men but to God” (v. 4) reinforces the profound theological implication: the Holy Spirit is implicitly identified with God, making the lie an offense of ultimate spiritual gravity, regardless of the subtle grammatical distinction between the cases.

Conclusions and Translation Suggestions

The grammatical evidence, supported by lexical resources like BDAG and comparative ancient Greek usage, indicates that ψεύδομαι with an accusative object typically refers to deceiving or playing false with a person. While the precise nuance can be debated, the context of Acts 5:3-4 strongly suggests that Ananias’s action was a direct act of deception aimed at the divine presence, identified as the Holy Spirit, which is then explicitly equated with God. The shift from accusative in v. 3 to dative in v. 4 for the divine recipient highlights the gravity and multifaceted nature of the offense, but does not necessarily imply a radical semantic shift from lying “to” to lying “about.” Instead, it underscores the direct spiritual affront. The following translation suggestions capture different facets of this profound deception:

1. “Why has Satan filled your heart so that you would lie to the Holy Spirit?”
   This translation retains the traditional and most common interpretation, emphasizing the Holy Spirit as the direct object of the falsehood, indicating a personal offense against the divine.
2. “Why has Satan filled your heart so that you would deceive the Holy Spirit?”
   This rendering highlights the active nature of Ananias’s intention to mislead and defraud, aligning with the “cheat” or “play false” nuance often associated with ψεύδομαι plus accusative.
3. “Why has Satan filled your heart so that you would be false to the Holy Spirit?”
   This option emphasizes the betrayal and breach of trust inherent in Ananias’s action, encompassing both the act of lying and its direct impact on the integrity of his relationship with the Spirit/God.