Matthew 27:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." They said, "What is that to us? See to it yourself."

NIV: "I have sinned," he said, "for I have betrayed innocent blood." "What is that to us?" they replied. "That’s your responsibility."

NASB: saying, 'I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.' But they said, 'What is that to us? You shall see to it yourself!'

CSB: "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood," he said. "What’s that to us?" they said. "See to it yourself!"

NLT: I have sinned,' he declared, 'for I have betrayed an innocent man.' 'What do we care?' they retorted. 'That’s your problem.'

KJV: Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.

NKJV: saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!”

Matthew's gospel is the only one to reveal that Judas came to regret betraying Jesus to the chief priests and elders. Luke also takes note of Judas' eventual suicide in his second volume (Acts 1:16–20). Once Judas understood that Jesus had been condemned to death, he was devastated. It's not known what Judas expected to happen. For whatever reason, he either did not expect that Jesus would be killed, or he finally scrapes up enough of a conscience to see his error.

Judas has returned to the Jewish religious leaders who gave him the thirty pieces of silver to turn Jesus over to them (Matthew 26:14–16). He wants to give the money back, seeming to wish he could reverse what he has done. He confesses to them openly that he was wrong, and that Jesus is innocent. In a courtroom setting, Judas would have been condemned to death for this (Deuteronomy 19:18–19). Now, far too late, he tried to convince those who could do something about it.

The religious leaders Judas meets with, however, are not interested in his confession. Their response can be taken in more than one way. In Greek, expressions such as "what does this have to do with me?" implied the speaker had no reason to be involved (John 2:4). Now that the deed is done, Jesus' enemies might have been pretending that it never happened. If Jesus' innocence is clear, their payment to Judas could be seen as a bribe (Exodus 23:8). If they acknowledge that Judas worked under their orders, it will stir suspicion. While that seems unlikely, these men would have every reason to want Judas to take his guilty conscience elsewhere.

The other possibility is that their response is coldly literal: "oh, well, that's not our problem." They may simply be telling Judas to "deal with it."

Bible teachers disagree about the extent of Judas' repentance. He clearly feels remorse and confesses he is guilty of genuine sin. On the other hand, he does not express belief that Jesus is the Messiah or that he was wrong to abandon his master and the rest of the twelve. Mostly, he seems shocked and surprised by what has come from his actions. Only the degree of punishment Jesus suffers appears to be Judas' motivation for a change of heart. The only clear point is that whatever remorse Judas experienced was not enough to lead him to genuine faith in Christ (Matthew 26:24; Mark 14:21).

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.