Chapter
Verse

Acts 1:18

ESV (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out.
NIV (With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out.
NASB (Now this man acquired a field with the price of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out.
CSB Now this man acquired a field with his unrighteous wages. He fell headfirst, his body burst open and his intestines spilled out.
NLT (Judas had bought a field with the money he received for his treachery. Falling headfirst there, his body split open, spilling out all his intestines.
KJV Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.

What does Acts 1:18 mean?

Verses 18 and 19 are an aside—a footnote from Luke. He is adding additional details to Peter's depiction of Judas' betrayal of Jesus, and Judas' subsequent death. Peter's audience doesn't need the extended version, as they most likely had heard all the details. Luke feels Theophilus, as one who was not there for those experiences, needs more context.

Matthew's account of Judas' death is somewhat circumspect. He describes how Judas realized Jesus would be executed and tried to return the blood money. When the Sanhedrin refused to take the money or exonerate him, he threw the silver into the temple and hanged himself. The chief priests determined that since the money was tainted, it couldn't remain in the temple coffers. So they bought a field as a burial ground for foreigners (Matthew 27:3–10).

Luke, a doctor, gives a more detailed account. Apparently, Judas' body fell from its hanging place. It's entirely possible that he'd been left there—either undiscovered or deliberately ignored—for some time. In such a case, gasses would have collected in Judas' abdomen. The impact of the corpse hitting the ground apparently caused his stomach to burst open. Luke also insinuates that when the chief priests bought the land, they did so in Judas' name.

"The reward of his wickedness" refers literally to the thirty pieces of silver Judas received for betraying Jesus (Matthew 26:14–16). Figuratively, it insinuates Judas' gruesome death outside a saving relationship with Jesus. Incidentally, thirty pieces of silver is the amount of money the owner of an ox had to give the owner of a slave the ox killed (Exodus 21:32). It is as if the Sanhedrin uses the Roman government as their murderous beast of burden and Judas uses Jesus as his slave—just another way to make money.
Expand
Expand
Expand
What is the Gospel?
Download the app: