in Jerusalem were doing to meet the emergency that developed after Pentecost of 33 C.E.

The sin of Ananias and Sapphira was, not that they did not give the entire amount of the price of the possession sold, but that they lyingly claimed to do so, evidently to receive plaudits of men rather than to honor God and to do good toward his congregation. Their deception was exposed by Peter, under the inspiration of holy spirit. He said: “Ananias, why has Satan emboldened you to play false to the holy spirit and to hold back secretly some of the price of the field? As long as it remained with you did it not remain yours, and after it was sold did it not continue in your control? Why was it that you purposed such a deed as this in your heart? You have played false, not to men, but to God.” On hearing Peter’s words, Ananias fell down and expired.

After about three hours Sapphira came in and repeated the lie. Peter then asked her: “Why was it agreed upon between you two to make a test of the spirit of Jehovah?” Sapphira likewise fell down and expired. This incident served as discipline for the congregation, causing them to have great fear, and doubtless great respect and appreciation of the fact that Jehovah indeed dwelt in the congregation by spirit.—Acts 4:34, 35; 5:1-11; 1 Cor. 3:16, 17; Eph. 2:22; compare 1 Timothy 1:20.

SAPPHIRE

A transparent or translucent precious stone; a variety of corundum that is just below the diamond in hardness. Although sapphires occur in many colors, the deep-blue shades are most highly esteemed. The sapphires referred to in the Bible were apparently blue. A sapphire was one of the stones in the high priest’s “breastpiece of judgment.”—Ex. 28:15-18; 39:11.

INFERIOR TO WISDOM

Job, who lived about the seventeenth century B.C.E., described the efforts of men in digging deep into the earth to mine gold and precious jewels, and mentions the sapphire among the rare stones so located. But, says Job, valuable as sapphire is and difficult to obtain, wisdom is far superior and cannot be paid for with such stones.—Job 28:4-6, 12, 16.

FIGURATIVE USE

The lustrous beauty, the pleasurable, captivating, and enthralling effect caused by viewing precious gems was used figuratively in connection with visions of God’s glory. After the Law covenant was instituted Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and seventy of the older men of Israel received a vision of Jehovah, and beneath his feet “there was what seemed like a work of sapphire flagstones and like the very heavens for purity.” (Ex. 24:8-11) In visions of the glory of Jehovah, Ezekiel twice beheld “the likeness of a throne” that was “like sapphire stone.”—Ezek. 1:1, 26-28; 10:1-4.

When Jehovah, as Zion’s husbandly Owner, spoke of her restoration and beautification he said: “I will lay your foundation with sapphires.” (Isa. 54:5, 11) Similarly, the apostle John’s vision of the heavenly New Jerusalem revealed that sapphire was part of its foundations.—Rev. 21:2, 19.

SARAH

(Sarʹah) [princess], Sarai (Sarʹai) [contentious].

Half sister and wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac. (Gen. 11:29; 20:12; Isa. 51:2) Her original name was Sarai. (Gen. 17:15) She was ten years younger than Abraham (Gen. 17:17) and married him while they were living in the Chaldean city of Ur. (Gen. 11:28, 29) She continued barren until her reproductive powers were miraculously revived after she had already stopped menstruating.—Gen. 18:11; Rom. 4:19; Heb. 11:11.

Sarah may have been in her sixties when she left Ur with Abraham and took up residence in Haran. At the age of sixty-five she accompanied her husband from Haran to the land of Canaan. (Gen. 12:4, 5)

There they spent time at Shechem, in the mountainous region E of Bethel and various other places, before famine forced them to go to Egypt.—Gen. 12:6-10.

Though advanced in years, Sarah was very beautiful in appearance. Therefore, Abraham had earlier requested that, whenever necessary in the course of their travels, Sarah identify him as her brother, lest others kill him and then take her. (Gen. 20:13) In Egypt this resulted in Sarah’s being taken into the household of Pharaoh on the recommendation of his princes. But divine intervention prevented Pharaoh from violating her. Thereafter he returned Sarah to Abraham, requesting that they leave the land. He also provided safe conduct for Abraham and his possessions.—Gen. 12:11-20.

It is noteworthy that an ancient papyrus tells of a Pharaoh who commissioned armed men to seize an attractive woman and kill her husband. Thus Abraham’s fear that he might be killed on account of Sarah was not unfounded. Rather than endangering his life in an unsuccessful attempt to save the honor of his wife in an alien land, Abraham followed what appeared to him to be the safest course. It should be remembered that Abraham was the owner of his wife. Sarah was happy to serve Jehovah and Abraham in this way. Never do the Scriptures censure Abraham for having done this.

Ten years after having originally entered Canaan, seventy-five-year-old Sarah requested that Abraham have relations with her Egyptian maidservant Hagar in order to have children from her. (Gen. 16:1-3) The resultant difficulties made it apparent that this was not Jehovah’s way for fulfilling the promise previously made to Abraham concerning the “seed.” (Gen. 15:1-16) Becoming aware of her pregnancy, Hagar began despising her mistress. When Sarah voiced complaint, Abraham granted his wife full authority to deal with Hagar as her maidservant. Humiliated by Sarah, Hagar ran away from her mistress but returned in obedience to divine direction, after which she gave birth to Ishmael.—Gen. 16:4-16.

About thirteen years after Ishmael’s birth, on the occasion of Abraham’s being divinely commanded to circumcise all the males of his household, Abraham was also instructed to call his wife, no longer by the name “Sarai,” but “Sarah,” meaning “princess.” Regarding Sarah, God said: “I will bless her and also give you a son from her; and I will bless her and she shall become nations; kings of peoples will come from her.” (Gen. 17:9-27) Not long thereafter, at Mamre, one of three angelic visitors reaffirmed that Sarah would give birth to a son. Overhearing this in her tent, “Sarah began to laugh inside herself, saying: ‘After I am worn out, shall I really have pleasure, my lord being old besides?’” Reproved for laughing, Sarah fearfully denied having done so. (Gen. 18:1-15; Rom. 9:9) Since Sarah is cited at Hebrews 11:11 as an example of faith, evidently her laughter was not an expression of complete unbelief, but merely reflected some doubt. The thought of having a son in her old age apparently struck her as somewhat humorous. Sarah’s acknowledgment (inside herself) of Abraham as her lord was indicative of her obedience and subjection to her husbandly head, and her example is recommended to Christian wives.—1 Pet. 3:5, 6.

Possibly she was pregnant when she and her husband began residing at Gerar. As previously, Abraham referred to his wife as his sister. The king of Gerar, Abimelech, then took Sarah. Again Jehovah’s intervention saved her from being violated. Upon returning Sarah to Abraham, Abimelech gave livestock and male and female servants to Abraham, perhaps in compensation for having temporarily deprived him of his wife. Additionally he gave Abraham a thousand pieces of silver. These silver pieces were to serve as evidence that Sarah was cleared of all reproach against her as a moral woman.—Gen. chap. 20.

At the age of ninety, Sarah had the joy of giving birth to Isaac. She then exclaimed: “God has prepared laughter for me: everybody hearing of it will