Matthew 27:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.

NIV: So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

NASB: And he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and left; and he went away and hanged himself.

CSB: So he threw the silver into the temple and departed. Then he went and hanged himself.

NLT: Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself.

KJV: And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

NKJV: Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.

Judas is distraught. When he heard Jesus had been condemned to death, he regretted his decision to take thirty pieces of silver as payment for turning Jesus over to His enemies (Matthew 26:14–16). He has tried to give the money back, but the Jewish religious leaders who paid him don't want it. They also don't want to hear Judas' confession that he has sinned by betraying an innocent person (Matthew 27:1–4). Whether they are denying being involved, or merely callous, the religious leaders aren't taking the money back, or changing their minds.

His conscience is shouting at him, however, so Judas will not keep the money. He throws it down in the temple on his way out. He immediately goes off and commits suicide. His chosen method is hanging, likely meaning he jumped from a high ledge with a rope tied around his neck. The Book of Acts supports this theory with grisly details: as part of this suicide—or not long after—Judas' body fell and was splattered on the ground (Acts 1:16–18).

Some cultures have seen suicide as a noble way to end one's life under specific circumstances. Highly honor-driven cultures have used it to atone for shameful actions. Others see it as an acceptable way to avoid submissive death at another's hand. The strictest religious Jews of Judas' era, however, held a similar view of suicide as that of modern Christianity. Namely, that suicide is an act of tragically misguided despair, at best. It is a sinful rebellion against God's control over life, at worst. Especially tragic is that Judas' remorse led him to suicide, but not to real repentance (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.