None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse contrasts the hesitation of "the rest" from joining the apostles with the people's high esteem, suggesting that religious leaders and the influential were deterred by the visible judgment on Ananias and Sapphira. This fear prevented them from publicly aligning with the apostles, even if they were secretly impressed.
None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After Ananias and Sapphira were struck down for lying to the Holy Spirit, the apostles continued performing powerful signs, drawing a crowd who gathered in Solomon's Porch. This miraculous display created a division: the common people were in awe and held the apostles in high regard, while others, likely those who were not yet committed believers or perhaps those in positions of authority, were too afraid to associate themselves with the apostles.
Ananias and Sapphira's fate sent shockwaves through Jerusalem. What made people suddenly hesitant to join the early church?
The dramatic judgment on Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11) served as a powerful, public warning. The verse highlights that 'none of the rest dared join themselves to them.' This 'rest' likely refers to those outside the immediate circle of believers, particularly those who might have been considering joining for the wrong reasons, perhaps like Ananias and Sapphira themselves – seeking status or acceptance without genuine commitment.
Their hesitation wasn't necessarily about fearing the apostles, but about fearing God's immediate and severe judgment on dishonesty within His community. It was a divine deterrent, ensuring that those who joined the burgeoning church did so with sincerity, not with hidden agendas. The community's purity was being actively, and strikingly, protected.
While some hesitated, the common people held the apostles in deep respect. What fueled this public admiration?
In contrast to the hesitant 'rest,' the verse declares, 'but the people held them in high esteem.' This 'magnified them' in the original language means they regarded them with awe and wonder. This esteem wasn't just for the apostles' teaching, but was deeply connected to the powerful signs and wonders God was performing through them (Acts 5:12). The healing of the sick and the evident power of God at work made the apostles stand out.
This public admiration contrasted sharply with the fear and suspicion shown by the religious authorities. For the ordinary people, seeing God's power displayed so openly and the apostles acting with such divine authority meant they held them in profound respect, distinguishing them from the religious leaders of the day.
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The dramatic judgment on Ananias and Sapphira created a climate of awe and fear. This event distinguished true, committed believers from those with ulterior motives, causing hesitant outsiders to keep their distance while elevating the apostles' authority in the eyes of the general populace.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection
The central events of Christian faith, leading to the formation of the early church and the commissioning of the apostles.
c. AD 33
Pentecost and the Holy Spirit's Arrival
The Holy Spirit empowers the apostles, leading to a significant increase in the number of believers and the start of public preaching.
c. AD 33— this verse
Ananias and Sapphira's Deception
Ananias and Sapphira lie about their financial contribution and are struck dead, serving as a stark warning against hypocrisy within the early church.
c. AD 33
Apostles Imprisoned and Freed
The apostles are arrested for teaching but are miraculously released from prison by an angel, strengthening their resolve and public perception.
c. AD 33
Apostles Arrested and Freed Again
The apostles are arrested again by the Sanhedrin but are released through the counsel of Gamaliel, who advises caution in dealing with them.
This passage describes many in power who believed in Jesus but didn't confess him publicly for fear of being cast out by the religious leaders, mirroring the 'rest' in Acts 5 who dared not join the apostles publicly after the judgment on Ananias and Sapphira.
Acts 4:21This verse shows the council's fear of the people's reaction to the apostles' preaching, illustrating the dynamic of the common people holding the apostles in high esteem, even as the authorities were wary.
1 Corinthians 1:27Paul speaks of God choosing the weak and lowly things of the world to shame the wise and strong, which resonates with how the common people ('the people') magnified the apostles, while those of perceived status ('the rest') held back.
Luke 21:38This verse mentions people coming early to hear Jesus teach in the temple, showing a historical pattern of the populace seeking out and valuing spiritual instruction from God's messengers, similar to how they 'magnified' the apostles in Acts 5.
ellicottActs 5:13: "And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them."
(13) Of the rest. —We are left to conjecture who these were who are contrasted with the Apostles on the one side and with the people on the other. Does it mean that the Apostles stood aloof in an isolated majesty, and so that none of the other disciples dared associate himself with them? or is this St. Luke’s way of speaking of the Pharisees and other teachers, who also resorted to the portico, but, a…
vincentActs 5:13: "And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them."
The restUnbelievers, deterred by the fate of Ananias from uniting themselves to the church under false pretences.Join himself (κολλᾶσθαι)See on Luke 15:15; and Luke 10:11. In all but two instances (Romans 12:9; 1 Corinthians 6:17), the word implies a forced, unnatural, or unexpected union. Thus Philip would not, without a special command, have "joined himself" to the chariot of the Ethiopian prince (…
The verse contrasts the hesitation of "the rest" from joining the apostles with the people's high esteem, suggesting that religious leaders and the influential were deterred by the visible judgment on Ananias and Sapphira. This fear prevented them from publicly aligning with the apostles, even if they were secretly impressed.
After Ananias and Sapphira were struck down for lying to the Holy Spirit, the apostles continued performing powerful signs, drawing a crowd who gathered in Solomon's Porch. This miraculous display created a division: the common people were in awe and held the apostles in high regard, while others, likely those who were not yet committed believers or perhaps those in positions of authority, were too afraid to associate themselves with the apostles.
After Ananias and Sapphira were struck down for lying to the Holy Spirit, the apostles continued performing powerful signs, drawing a crowd who gathered in Solomon's Porch. This miraculous display created a division: the common people were in awe and held the apostles in high regard, while others, likely those who were not yet committed believers or perhaps those in positions of authority, were too afraid to associate themselves with the apostles.
"None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem." — The verse contrasts the hesitation of "the rest" from joining the apostles with the people's high esteem, suggesting that religious leaders and the influential were deterred by the visible judgment o…
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Last reviewed October 2026