Matthew 27 · Verse 5

Matthew 27:5

And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
Matthew 27:5, King James Version

Matthew 27:5 in other translations

BSBSo Judas threw the silver into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
WEBHe threw down the pieces of silver in the sanctuary and departed. Then he went away and hanged himself.
ASVAnd he cast down the pieces of silver into the sanctuary, and departed; and he went away and hanged himself.
YLTand having cast down the silverlings in the sanctuary, he departed, and having gone away, he did strangle himself.
DARBYAnd having cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, he left the place, and went away and hanged himself.
BBEAnd he put down the silver in the Temple and went out, and put himself to death by hanging.
WebsterAnd he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

What does Matthew 27:5 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
5. And he cast down the pieces of silver--The sarcastic, diabolical reply which he had got, in place of the sympathy which perhaps he expected, would deepen his remorse into an agony. in the temple--the temple proper, commonly called "the sanctuary," or "the holy place," into which only the priests might enter. How is this to be explained? Perhaps he flung the money in after them. But thus were fulfilled the words of the prophet--"I cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord" (Zec 11:13). and departed, and went and hanged himself--For the details, see on Ac 1:18.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 5. And he cast down, etc, This was an evidence of his remorse of conscience for his crime. His ill-gotten gain now did him no good. It would not produce relief to his agonized mind. He attempted, therefore, to obtain relief by throwing back the price of treason. But he attempted it in vain. The consciousness of guilt was fastened to his soul; and Judas found, as all win find, that to cast away or abandon ill-gotten wealth will not alleviate the guilty conscience.

In the temple, It is not quite certain what part of the temple is here meant. Some have thought it was the place where the sanhedrim was accustomed to sit; others, the treasury; others, the part where the priests offered sacrifice. It is probable that Judas cared little, or thought little, to what particular part of the temple he went. In his deep remorse he hurried to the temple, and probably cast the money down in the most convenient place, and fled to some situation where he might take his life.

And went and hanged himself. The word used in the original, here, has given rise to much discussion, whether it means that he was suffocated or strangled by his great grief, or whether he took his life by suspending himself. It is acknowledged on all hands, however, that the latter is its most usual meaning, and it is certainly the most obvious meaning. Peter says, in giving an account of the death of Jesus, Acts 1:18 that Judas, "falling headlong, burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out." There has been supposed to be some difficulty in reconciling these two accounts, but there is really no necessary difference. Both accounts are true. Matthew records the mode in which Judas attempted his death by hanging. Peter speaks of the result. Judas probably passed out of the temple in great haste and perturbation of mind. He sought a place where he might perpetrate this crime. He would not, probably, be very careful about the fitness of the means he used. In his anguish, his haste, his desire to die, he seized upon a rope and suspended himself; and it is not at all remarkable, or indeed unusual, that the rope might prove too weak, and break. Falling headlong--that is, on his, face--he burst asunder, and in awful horrors died--a double death, with double pains and double horrors--the reward of his aggravated guilt.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 5 In the temple - Ναος signifies, properly, the temple itself, into which none but the priests were permitted to enter; therefore εν τῳ ναῳ must signify, near the temple, by the temple door, where the boxes stood to receive the free-will offerings of the people, for the support and repairs of the sacred edifice. See this amply proved by Kypke. Hanged himself - Or was strangled - απηγξατο. Some eminent critics believe that he was only suffocated by excessive grief, and thus they think the account here given will agree with that in Act 1:18. Mr. Wakefield supports this meaning of the word with great learning and ingenuity. I have my doubts - the old method of reconciling the two accounts appears to me quite plausible - he went and strangled himself, and the rope breaking, he fell down, and by the violence of the fall his body was bursted, and his bowels gushed out. I have thought proper, on a matter of such difficulty, to use the word strangled, as possessing a middle meaning between choking or suffocation by excessive grief, and hanging, as an act of suicide. See the note on Mat 10:4. Dr. Lightfoot is of opinion that the devil caught him up into the air, strangled him, and threw him down on the ground with violence, so that his body was burst, and his guts shed out! This was an ancient tradition.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 27:1-10

Wicked men see little of the consequences of their crimes when they commit them, but they must answer for them all. In the fullest manner Judas acknowledged to the chief priests that he had sinned, and betrayed an innocent person. This was full testimony to the character of Christ; but the rulers were hardened. Casting down the money, Judas departed, and went and hanged himself, not being able to bear the terror of…

Read the full comment on Matthew 27:1-10 →

Matthew 27:5 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.

καὶkaiAndG2532
ῥίψαςrhipsashaving cast downG4496
τὰtatheG3588
ἀργύριαarguriapieces of silverG694
εἰςeisintoG1519
τὸνtontheG3588
ναὸνnaontempleG3485
ἀνεχώρησεν,anechōrēsenhe withdrew,G402
καὶkaiandG2532
ἀπελθὼνapelthōnhaving gone awayG565
ἀπήγξατο.¶apēgxatohanged himself.G519

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

Cross references for Matthew 27:5

  • Acts 1:18-19

    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.

  • 2 Samuel 17:23

    And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.

  • 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.

  • Luke 1:9

    According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

  • Luke 1:21

    And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.

  • 1 Kings 16:18

    And it came to pass, when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the palace of the king’s house, and burnt the king’s house over him with fire, and died,

  • Job 2:9

    Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.

  • 1 Samuel 31:4-5

    Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it. And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.

  • Job 7:15

    So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life.

  • Judges 9:54

    Then he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
and departed.
Jud 9:54; 1Sa 31:4,5; 2Sa 17:23; 1Ki 16:18; Job 2:9; 7:15; Ps 55:23
Ac 1:18,19

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

Context

  • Matthew 27:4

    Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.

  • Matthew 27:5

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

  • Matthew 27:6

    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.

Read all of Matthew 27

Matthew 27:5 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y arrojando las piezas de plata en el templo, partióse; y fué, y se ahorcó.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et ayant jeté l’argent dans le temple, il se retira; et s’en étant allé, il se pendit.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und er warf die Silberlinge in den Tempel und machte sich davon und ging hin und erhängte sich.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et projectis argenteis in templo, recessit: et abiens laqueo se suspendit.