Normally family would be contacted after someone’s death so that they could be present at the burial. In this instance it seems as if the practice did not apply because the death was attributed to God’s judgment.1 In such cases burial took place immediately (see Leviticus 10:4; Deuteronomy 21:23; Matthew 27:57–59; John 19:31; Galatians 3:13),2 and the individual was not to be mourned.3 Being unaware of her husband’s death, Sapphira likely expected to be greeted with gratitude and admiration when she turned up at the gathering. After all, hadn’t they just made a big contribution to the church’s diaconal fund? We do not know what she did in this three-hour period nor why she was not present with her husband from the beginning.
7 After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.