Prior Book | Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | Acts 4:37 and who owned a tract of land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Acts 4:37 sold a field belonging to him and brought the money and set it at the apostles' feet. |
Bible Question:
In Acts 4:36 and 37 we have the account of Barnabas, a Levite, who had land Levites were NOT to own land and sold it and brought the proceeds to the Apostles. In Chapter 5 we have the story of Annanias and Sapphira dying for their hypocrisy in keeping back part of the proceeds of the sale of their property and acting as thought they gave it all. Why was their sin greater than Barnabas? Barnabas sinned by owning land. Levites were not to own land. Why didn't he die and why did Annanias and Sapphira die? |
Bible Answer: Greetings Dweaver! The Bible Knowledge Commentary says this about your question. ************* How could a Levite own property as Barnabas did? Were not Levites prohibited from owning property? (Num. 18:20, 24) The answer may be that whereas the Levites were not to hold land in Israel, they could own land elsewhere. Apparently Barnabas, being from the island of Cyprus, owned land there. It is also possible that his wife owned land in Israel and that they together sold it. Most probably the restriction in Numbers 18:20, 24 was no longer observed, as seen in the case of Jeremiah (cf. Jer. 1:1; 32:6-15). ********* So, what Barnabas did may or may not have been a sin. However, we know for sure that lying to God is a sin. :-) Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |
Up | View Branch | ID# 175401 | ||
Questions and/or Subjects for Acts 4:37 | Author | ||
|
dweaver | ||
|
Morant61 |