How Did Judas Die?

Name: Tony
Question: What are Matthew 27:5 and Acts 1:18 explaining? I know there are no contradictions, but I am having a hard time understanding exactly what is being said by this. Please clear that up for me. Thank you so much!

Answer: Tony, thank you for the question.

After reading the account in Matthew and Acts, it’s easy to assume there is a contradiction. In fact, two big questions form by comparing the verses.

• Did Judas Iscariot die by hanging or falling?
• Did Judas buy the field, or did the priests buy the field?

The answer to those questions is both.

We’re going to learn, when we bring Matthew and Acts together, they complete the story.

Matthew tells us Judas died by hanging, Acts indicates the gruesome nature of how it ended. Matthew tells us the priests purchased a field with 30 pieces of silver, Acts tells us the purchase price was the “reward of iniquity” paid for by Judas.

So we have complete harmony.

Now, let’s dive into the details!

Did Judas Hang Himself Or Fall?

Let’s begin by reading the full account in Matthew.

Matthew 27:3-8
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, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.

There’s no doubt about it, Judas hanged himself.

Now, in Matthew 26:14-16, we learn that Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. Once Judas saw that Christ was condemned, Judas wanted to reverse course, but it was far too late for that.

The fateful events quickly ensued.

In haste, Judas rushed back to the chief priests and elders, casting down the blood money, and immediately found a place to hang himself. It’s certain, Judas didn’t think through his death, he just made it happen as quickly as possible.

Now, where did Judas hang himself?

“The field of blood,” but Matthew doesn’t provide those details, only the Book of Acts.

So let’s go ahead and read the account in Acts.

Acts 1:16-19
Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry. 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. And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.

Now let’s harmonize both accounts.

In Matthew, Judas went to the temple and cast down the 30 pieces of silver, in haste, he then went to hang himself. Clearly, he didn’t think it through, he just wanted to end his life. So Acts tells us, during that process, Judas fell “headlong” which means,

“Leaning (falling) forward (“prone”), that is, head foremost: – headlong.”

Now ask yourself…

• If you hang yourself, how can you fall forward?
• How can you fall face-first if you’re hanging?

If the rope breaks in the process, that would certainly explain it.

So in order for Judas to “fall,” he had to be suspended or at an elevated height. Matthew tells us it was by suspension, from the end of the rope. So it’s only reasonable to conclude, during the process of Judas hanging himself, the rope snapped sending him to the ground.

However, how does that explain his guts gushing out?

The Book of Acts answers that for us.

We were told the “field of blood” is called “Aceldama,” and that’s where Judas hung himself.

This is what Aceldama looks like today.

Therefore, it’s easy to see how Judas could have hung himself from a tree branch, throwing himself off the edge of a cliff. In the process, either the rope or branch snapped, sending Judas “falling headlong” to the ground, and bursting open in the middle.

As Scripture explains it, bursting “asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.”

As you can see from the image, that’s a fair drop, and since Judas “burst asunder” which means to “crack open from a fall,” he certainly landed on sharp rocks. One last note, Acts doesn’t say that’s what killed Judas. The account in Acts simply adds insult to injury.

Now, let’s tackle the next question.

Did Judas Buy The Field, Or Did The Priests Buy The Field?

Let’s recall what we know about the purchase of the field.

In Matthew 27:6-7, we’re told the chief priests could not keep the thirty pieces of silver, it was the price of blood, so it couldn’t go into their treasury. So they took the thirty pieces of silver and bought “the potter’s field” with it.

In Acts 1:18, we’re told Judas purchased the “field with the reward of iniquity.”

Now, did Scripture say Judas purchased the potter’s field with thirty pieces of silver?

No, it didn’t.

Judas did not purchase the potter’s field with 30 pieces of silver and later hang himself there. Remember, Judas returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests. Therefore, Acts is simply telling us, the purchase was made possible by the iniquity of Judas, through his betrayal of Jesus Christ.

In fact, if it was not for the betrayal of Jesus by Judas, the field would have never been purchased. Therefore, Judas made it possible, so Judas received the credit for the purchase. The chief priests certainly were not going to take the credit.

Moreover, Romans 6:23 tells us,

“The wages of sin is death.”

“Wages” are “pay.”

The iniquity of Judas is what earned his wage, which paid for the potter’s field.