Matthew 27:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders,

NIV: When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders.

NASB: Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

CSB: Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned, was full of remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.

NLT: When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders.

KJV: Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

NKJV: Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

As before, Matthew shifts the scene away from Jesus to one of His disciples. The previous chapter ended with Peter denying Jesus three times before the rooster crowed, just as the Lord said he would (Matthew 26:69–75). He then escaped, weeping bitterly at his failure to stand with Jesus at the risk of his own life.

Now the scene turns to Judas, again labeled as a disloyal traitor. Unlike Peter, Judas did not lose a struggle with himself to stay true to Jesus. He made a commitment to betray Jesus, in advance, then followed through with it (Matthew 26:14–16). Only after the betrayal was complete did Judas begin to regret his choice.

Seeing Jesus' death sentence from the Sanhedrin apparently changed Judas' mind. It is unknown what he expected to happen to Jesus. Perhaps he could not imagine any crime for which Jesus could be found guilty. Perhaps he wanted to force Jesus to use His extraordinary powers in a confrontation that would finally bring Him to the throne of Israel. He might simply have come to realize the hateful evil of what he had done. In any case, it is only now, after the fact, that Judas seems to believe Jesus should not die (Matthew 27:4).

The chief priests and elders had given Judas thirty pieces of silver for his role as a traitor. Now Judas brings it back, hoping to reverse his action in some way. Here, as well, it's unclear what he hoped to accomplish.

Matthew 27:3–10 reveals Judas' deep regret for betraying Jesus. He brings the 30 pieces of silver back to the chief priests and elders who paid him for his cooperation. They don't want the money back, and they're not interested in Judas' confession. Judas throws the money down in the temple and hangs himself. The priests use the money to buy a field for burying foreigners. They call it the Field of Blood. Matthew states that this fulfills prophesy and quotes from Zechariah. The book of Acts also recounts Judas' death (Acts 1:16–20).

When Judas learns Jesus has been condemned, he regrets betraying the Lord. He throws down his ill-gotten money and hangs himself. Jesus is taken to Pilate, who finds nothing to charge Him with. Given the choice, the people shout for the release of a convicted murderer and insist on Jesus' death. Jesus is mocked by a battalion of soldiers and then taken to be crucified. On the cross, He is mocked for not being able to save Himself. After three hours of darkness, Jesus dies. He is buried by a rich follower in a new tomb. This location is tightly guarded to prevent anyone from stealing the body.

Matthew 27 begins with an official meeting of the Jewish ruling council. They affirm Jesus' condemnation from the previous night, described in chapter 26. Judas confesses his betrayal and hangs himself. Pilate tries to release Jesus, but the mob shouts for Jesus to be crucified. Jesus is humiliated by Roman soldiers and marched to be executed. On the cross, He is mocked by Jewish religious leaders and others. He dies and is buried in a never-used tomb. Extensive efforts to secure His body from being stolen only serve to prove the miraculous nature of His resurrection, which is detailed in chapter 28.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.