SAPPHIRA (saf-frra), (Gr. Lairoelpv, sap-fi' ray, a sapphire stone, beautiful), the wife of Ananias, and his accomplice in the sin for which he died (Acts v:I-to), A. D. 3o.
Unaware of the judgment which had befallen her husband, she entered the place about three hours after, probably to look for him; and being there interrogated by Peter, repeated and per sisted in the lie unto the Holy Ghost,' which had destroyed her husband ; on which the grieved apostle made known to her his doom, and pro nounced her own—'Behold, the feet of those who have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.' On hearing these awful words she fell dead at his feet.
As the offense of Ananias and Sapphira was not a very heinous one a number of conjectures have been formed as to the reasons which induced the Holy Spirit so visibly and suddenly to punish their falsehood. It is supposed they might pos sibly be as follows: (1) In the infancy of the church, to give a solemn publicity and a self evident sanction to the doctrine introduced ; not merely by miracles of advantage (as healing), but by miracles of punishment. (2) To deter those who through worldly motives of gain, or with a design to participate in the profits of the goods sold, might join the Christian church. (3) To deter spies, and false brethren, who could not but be aware of the danger of detection, in all cases, after this event. If Ananias only had died, he remarks, it might have seemed a mere sudden death, produced by a natural cause. By this awful
event, the Gospel was in some degree assimilated to the law. Directly after the injunction of the Sabbath was given, the Sabbath breaker was or dered to be stoned (Num. xv :35, 36) ; so, after the consecration of the holy altar, the sons of Aaron, who offered profane fire in their censers, were destroyed (Lev. x :1, 2). The same thing occurred in the case of Achan (Josh. vii), and in other instances.
It is evident that in this and similar events, there must have been a conviction produced in the minds of spectators, that some extraordinary power was exerted. Had it been thought that Peter himself slew Ananias, he had, no doubt, been rendered amenable to the laws as a mur derer. But, if it was evident that the apostle only forewarned him that he should die, then (as no man has power to kill another by his word only) it must have been equally evident that the power which attended the word of Peter did not proceed from himself, but from God, who only has the keys of life and death. So, in like ner, the power which opened the earth to swal low down Korah. was not from Moses, person ally, but from him in whose name he spake (Num. xvi :24) ; though the people afterwards stupidly accused him of having killed the people of the Lord. (See ANANIAS; PETER.)