Acts 1 · Verse 18

Acts 1:18

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.
Acts 1:18, King James Version

Acts 1:18 in other translations

BSB(Now with the reward for his wickedness Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong and burst open in the middle, and all his intestines spilled out.
WEBNow this man obtained a field with the reward for his wickedness; and falling headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines gushed out.
ASV(Now this man obtained a field with the reward of his iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.
YLTthis one, indeed, then, purchased a field out of the reward of unrighteousness, and falling headlong, burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed forth,
DARBY(This man then indeed got a field with the reward of iniquity, and, having fallen down headlong, burst in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.
BBE(Now this man, with the reward of his evil-doing, got for himself a field, and falling head first, came to a sudden and violent end there.
WebsterNow 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?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 1:15-26

15-26. in those days--of expectant prayer, and probably towards the close of them, when the nature of their future work began more clearly to dawn upon them, and the Holy Ghost, already "breathed" on the Eleven (Joh 20:22), was stirring in Peter, who was to be the leading spirit of the infant community (Mt 16:19). the number ... about an hundred and twenty--Many, therefore, of the "five hundred brethren" who saw…

Read the full comment on Acts 1:15-26 →

Barnes' Notes
Verse 18. Now this man, etc. The money which was given for betraying the Lord Jesus was thrown down in the temple, and the field was purchased with it by the Jewish priests. See Mt 27:5,10, Mt 27:5, Mt 27:5. A man is said often to do a thing, when he furnished means for doing it.

The reward of iniquity. The price which he had for that deed of stupendous wickedness--the betraying of the Lord Jesus.

And falling headlong. He first hanged himself, and then fell and was burst asunder, Mt 27:5.

(a) "this man" Mt 27:5-10 (b) "reward of iniquity" 2Pet 2:15 (*) "purchased a field" or, "Caused a field to be purchased"

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 18 Purchased a field with the reward of iniquity - Probably Judas did not purchase the field himself, but the money for which he sold his Lord was thus applied, see Mat 27:6-8. It is possible, however, that he might have designed to purchase a field or piece of ground with this reward of his iniquity, and might have been in treaty far it, though he did not close the bargain, as his bringing the money to the treasury proves: the priests, knowing his intentions, might have completed the purchase, and, as Judas was now dead, applied the field thus bought for the burial of strangers, i.e. Jews from foreign parts, or others who, visiting Jerusalem, had died there. Though this case is possible, yet the passage will bear a very consistent interpretation without the assistant of this conjecture; for, in ordinary conversation, we often attribute to a man what is the consequence of his own actions, though such consequence was never designed nor wished for by himself: thus we say of a man embarking in a hazardous enterprise, he is gone to seek his death; of one whose conduct has been ruinous to his reputation, he has disgraced himself; of another who has suffered much in consequence of his crimes, he has purchased repentance at a high price, etc., etc. All these, though undesigned, were consequences of certain acts, as the buying of the yield was the consequence of Judas's treason. And falling headlong, he burst asunder - It is very likely that the 18th and 19th verses are not the words of Peter, but of the historian, St. Luke, and should be read in a parenthesis, and then the 17th and 20th verses will make a connected sense. On the case of Judas, and the manner of his death, see the observations at the end of this chapter.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Acts 1:15-26

The great thing the apostles were to attest to the world, was, Christ's resurrection; for that was the great proof of his being the Messiah, and the foundation of our hope in him. The apostles were ordained, not to wordly dignity and dominion, but to preach Christ, and the power of his resurrection. An appeal was made to God; "Thou, Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men," which we do not; and better than they know…

Read the full comment on Acts 1:15-26 →

Acts 1:18 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

οὗτοςhoutosThis [man]G3778
μὲνmenindeedG3303
οὖνounthenG3767
ἐκτήσατοektēsatoacquiredG2932
χωρίονchōriona fieldG5564
ἐκekout ofG1537
μισθοῦmisthourewardG3408
τῆςtēs<the>G3588
ἀδικίας,adikiasof unrighteousness,G93
καὶkaiandG2532
πρηνὴςprēnēsheadlongG4248
γενόμενοςgenomenoshaving fallenG1096
ἐλάκησενelakēsenhe burst openG2997
μέσοςmesosin [the] middleG3319
καὶkaiandG2532
ἐξεχύθηexechuthēgushed outG1632
πάνταpantaallG3956
τὰtatheG3588
σπλάγχναsplagchnaintestinesG4698
αὐτοῦ,autouof him,G846

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Acts 1:18

  • Matthew 27:3-10

    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. …

  • Psalms 55:23

    But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.

  • Matthew 26:14-15

    Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.

  • Psalms 55:15

    Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.

  • Joshua 7:21-26

    When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it. So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it. And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the Lord. And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. …

  • 2 Peter 2:15-16

    Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet.

  • 2 Kings 5:20-27

    But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the Lord liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him. So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well? And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments. And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him. …

  • Job 20:12-15

    Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue; Though he spare it, and forsake it not; but keep it still within his mouth: Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him. He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly.

  • Numbers 22:7

    And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.

  • Matthew 25:15

    And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
this.
Mt 27:3-10
with.
Nu 22:7,17; Jos 7:21-26; 2Ki 5:20-27; Job 20:12-15; Mt 25:15
2Pe 2:15,16
and falling.
Ps 55:15,23; Mt 27:5

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Acts 1:17

    For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.

  • Acts 1:18

    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.

  • Acts 1:19

    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.

Read all of Acts 1

Acts 1:18 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Este, pues, adquirió un campo del salario de su iniquidad, y colgándose, reventó por medio, y todas sus entrañas se derramaron.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		(celui-ci donc s’était acquis un champ avec le salaire de l’iniquité, et, étant tombé la tête en avant, s’est crevé par le milieu, et toutes ses entrailles ont été répandues.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Dieser nun hat zwar von dem Lohne der Ungerechtigkeit einen Acker erworben und ist, kopfüber gestürzt, mitten entzwei geborsten, und alle seine Eingeweide sind ausgeschüttet worden.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et hic quidem possedit agrum de mercede iniquitatis, et suspensus crepuit medius: et diffusa sunt omnia viscera ejus.