Acts 5:1 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

But a certain man, &c.— In Psalms 110 where our Saviour is prophetically described in the person of a king advanced to the throne of divine majesty, glorious and triumphant, it is said, that his people, in the day of his power, should offer him free-will-offerings; which alludes to the Eastern custom of bringing presents to their kings on their inauguration. This prophesy was fulfilled in some small degree, in a temporal sense, as we find in the fore-going chapter; when, after Christ's ascension into heaven, and his inauguration was proclaimed by the descent of the Holy Ghost, they, who by believing in him acknowledged him their king, dedicated their goods to his service, selling their lands, &c. and laying down the money at the apostles' feet, to be distributed for the relief of the poor. But the consecration of the heart to him, makes infinitely the superior sense of the prophesy. Among those who had joined the church, there was one Ananias, who, as if he had intended to imitate the zeal and liberality of Barnabas, sold a possession of land for the supply of this charitable fund: but, after he had sold it, he conspired with his wife Sapphira privately to keep back part of the price, and yet publicly to deliver in the remainder as the whole price. St. Peter, who had the gift of discerning spirits, and probably received a direct revelation from heaven on the present occasion, immediately detected this lying and deceitful behaviour.