With his wife’s full knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds for himself, but brought a portion and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
The chapter begins with a melancholy but, which puts a stop to the pleasant and agreeable prospect of things which we had in the foregoing chapters; as every man, so every church, in its best state has its but. 1.
Commenting on Acts 5:1-11
And kept back part of the price,.... At which the possession was sold; he reserved it for his own use, after he had given out that he sold it for the service of the church: his wife also being privy to it; to this private reserve: and brought a certain part; whether the greater part, or an equal part, half of it, or a lesser...
Verse 2. And kept back. The word here used means, properly, to separate, to part; and then it means to separate surreptitiously or clandestinely for our own use a part of public property, as taxes, etc. It is used ut three times in the New Testament, , where it is rendered purloining. Here it means that they secretly kept back a part, while professedly devoting all to God.