David Koberstein
Active Member
In Matthew 27:3, we are told that Judas "repented himself." The Greek word used in the New Covenant for salvation repentance
is metanoia. The Greek word used in Matthew 27:3 is metamelomai, which means "remorse" or "regret." Judas is not exercising
the metanoia repentance that leads to salvation but metamelomai repentance which is simply remorse. He returns the thirty
pieces of silver, which he was paid for betraying Yeshua, and say's, "I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood." The chief
priests refuse to take the money with the words: "What is that to us? See to it yourself!" Judas then throws the coins into the
Temple sanctuary and leaves.
There now arises an apparent contradiction between Matthew 27:5 and Acts 1:18. The former states, "and he went away and
hanged himself," while the latter says, "falling headlong he burst asunder." So how did Judas die? By hanging or by falling with
his bowels gushing out?
A specific point of rabbinic law clarifies the statement of the book of Acts. By Jewish reckoning of time, a day begins at sundown.
Therefore, the first night of an event always comes before the first day of an event. For example, the first night of Passover always
comes before the first day of Passover. Jewish families ate their Seder on the first night of Passover. Then at nine o'clock in the
morning on the first day of Passover, only the priesthood ate a special Passover sacrifice called the chagigah. If, between the first
night and the first day of Passover, a dead body found within the walls of Jerusalem, the city was reckoned as ceremonially unclean.
As long as the body was within the walls, the priests could not proceed with the special sacrifice of the first day. If the corpse was
thrown over the wall facing the Valley of Hinnom, the city would be reckoned as cleansed. The priesthood could then proceed with
the morning Passover sacrifice.
When Judas hanged himself, he defiled the city. As long as his body was within the walls, the priests could not proceed with the
chagigah sacrifice, so they took it and threw it over the wall facing the Valley of Hinnom. In that fall, Judas's guts gushed out.
Therefore, no contradiction exists; Matthew recorded how Judas died, while the book of Acts described what happened to his
body after it was found.
What then, were the chief priests to do with the thirty pieces of silver? By Jewish law, money wrongfully gained could not be put
into the Temple treasury: "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is the price of blood" (Matt 27:6). The priesthood
was legally obligated to either return "the price of blood" to the donor or use it for the public good. In this situation, the first option
was impossible since Judas was now dead, so the priests had no choice but to spend the thirty pieces of silver in some way that would
benefit the whole community. They purchased a field in the Valley of Hinnom---the same place where Judas had "burst asunder"---
for the purpose of burying strangers. The first person to be buried there was Judas himself.
The Matthew account says that the potter's field was bought by the chief priests, but Acts says that "this man," meaning Judas, "obtained
a field with the reward of his iniquity." There is no contradiction here. In accordance with the requirements of the law, the field had to
be bought posthumously in the name of Judas Iscariot. It is in that sense Judas obtained a field. Legally, the chief priests were merely
viewed as purchasing agents. Matthew states the actual case while the account in Acts deals with the legal ramifications. Therefore, the
statements of Matthew and Acts are both true.
Shalom
is metanoia. The Greek word used in Matthew 27:3 is metamelomai, which means "remorse" or "regret." Judas is not exercising
the metanoia repentance that leads to salvation but metamelomai repentance which is simply remorse. He returns the thirty
pieces of silver, which he was paid for betraying Yeshua, and say's, "I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood." The chief
priests refuse to take the money with the words: "What is that to us? See to it yourself!" Judas then throws the coins into the
Temple sanctuary and leaves.
There now arises an apparent contradiction between Matthew 27:5 and Acts 1:18. The former states, "and he went away and
hanged himself," while the latter says, "falling headlong he burst asunder." So how did Judas die? By hanging or by falling with
his bowels gushing out?
A specific point of rabbinic law clarifies the statement of the book of Acts. By Jewish reckoning of time, a day begins at sundown.
Therefore, the first night of an event always comes before the first day of an event. For example, the first night of Passover always
comes before the first day of Passover. Jewish families ate their Seder on the first night of Passover. Then at nine o'clock in the
morning on the first day of Passover, only the priesthood ate a special Passover sacrifice called the chagigah. If, between the first
night and the first day of Passover, a dead body found within the walls of Jerusalem, the city was reckoned as ceremonially unclean.
As long as the body was within the walls, the priests could not proceed with the special sacrifice of the first day. If the corpse was
thrown over the wall facing the Valley of Hinnom, the city would be reckoned as cleansed. The priesthood could then proceed with
the morning Passover sacrifice.
When Judas hanged himself, he defiled the city. As long as his body was within the walls, the priests could not proceed with the
chagigah sacrifice, so they took it and threw it over the wall facing the Valley of Hinnom. In that fall, Judas's guts gushed out.
Therefore, no contradiction exists; Matthew recorded how Judas died, while the book of Acts described what happened to his
body after it was found.
What then, were the chief priests to do with the thirty pieces of silver? By Jewish law, money wrongfully gained could not be put
into the Temple treasury: "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is the price of blood" (Matt 27:6). The priesthood
was legally obligated to either return "the price of blood" to the donor or use it for the public good. In this situation, the first option
was impossible since Judas was now dead, so the priests had no choice but to spend the thirty pieces of silver in some way that would
benefit the whole community. They purchased a field in the Valley of Hinnom---the same place where Judas had "burst asunder"---
for the purpose of burying strangers. The first person to be buried there was Judas himself.
The Matthew account says that the potter's field was bought by the chief priests, but Acts says that "this man," meaning Judas, "obtained
a field with the reward of his iniquity." There is no contradiction here. In accordance with the requirements of the law, the field had to
be bought posthumously in the name of Judas Iscariot. It is in that sense Judas obtained a field. Legally, the chief priests were merely
viewed as purchasing agents. Matthew states the actual case while the account in Acts deals with the legal ramifications. Therefore, the
statements of Matthew and Acts are both true.
Shalom
