Matthew 27:8
in Matthew 27That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.
KJV
Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.
⋯
This verse in Matthew 27
Commentary
16 notes on this verse(Vers. 7, 8.) However, with a plan devised, they bought a field from that potter, for the burial of strangers, therefore that field was called Acheldemach, which means the field of blood, to this day. Indeed, they acted with a different intention, that they might leave a lasting monument of their impiety from the purchase of the land. But we, who were strangers to the Law and the prophets, have embraced their corrupt practices for salvation: and we find rest in the price of his blood. But the field is called 'figulus' because our potter is Christ.
This site's exposition
It is unlawful to put this
on Matthew 27:6-8
The chief priests will not put the silver into the treasury "since it is blood money," though they paid it for the betrayal. They buy "the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners," and it takes the name "the Field of Blood," called Akeldama at Acts 1:19.
This site's exposition
called the Field of Blood
John Gill holds that the common people gave the field its name, knowing what money had bought it. Adam Clarke sees Judas and the priests raising a lasting monument together. The name kept the innocence of Jesus before the city.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Because the quality of resting places for the dead varies (for many are buried in their ancestral tombs which were secured by a pledge, but those who suffer misfortune are often buried in the graves of the homeless), those who received payment in exchange for the blood of Jesus used it to acquire a potter's field for the purpose of having a place in which to bury those foreigners who could not supply a pledge to secure a proper tomb. If it is suitable to interpret these foreigners typologically, we can consider those persons to be foreigners who remained strangers to God until the end and alien to his covenants. Vagabonds such as these meet their end buried in a potter's field acquired with blood money. The righteous are able to say, "We are buried with Christ in a new tomb cut from the rock in which no dead body had yet been laid," but those foreigners who remain finally estranged from Christ and alien to God will have to say, "We are buried with strangers in the field which is called the 'Field of Blood.' "
They thought it meet to spend upon the dead that money which was the price of blood. But as there are differences even in burial places, they used the price of Jesus' blood in the purchase of some potter's field, where foreigners might be buried, not as they desired in the sepulchres of their fathers. Or, the foreigners are they who to the end are aliens from God, for the righteous are buried with Christ in a new tomb hewn out in the rock. But they who are aliens from God, even to the end, are buried in the field of a potter, a worker in clay, which being bought by the price of blood, is called the field of blood.
What then did that man? When he saw that he was laboring to no profit, and that they would not consent to receive the pieces of silver, "he cast them down in the temple, and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the pieces of silver, 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. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, and they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of Him that was valued, and gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me." Seest thou them again self-condemned by their conscience? For because they knew that they had been buying the murder, they put them not into the treasury, but bought a field to bury strangers in. And this also became a witness against them, and a proof of their treason. For the name of the place more clearly than a trumpet proclaimed their blood-guiltiness. Neither did they it at random, but having taking counsel, and in every case in like manner, so that no one should be clear of the deed, but all guilty. But these things the prophecy foretold from of old. Seest thou not the apostles only, but the prophets also declaring exactly those things which were matters of reproach, and every way proclaiming the passion, and indicating it beforehand? This was the case with the Jews without their being conscious of it. For if they had cast it into the treasury, the thing would not have been so clearly discovered; but now having bought a piece of ground, they made it all manifest even to subsequent generations. Hear ye as many as think to do good works out of murders, and take a reward for the lives of men. These almsgiving are Judaical, or rather they are Satanical. […]
The Medieval Church2 voices
(non occ.) To this day means to the time when the Evangelist was then writing.
And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful to put them into the corban, 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 …
8 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
Then the confirmation of the deed is set forth. And first, from the name: "for this cause that field was called Haceldama, that is, the field of blood, even to this day"; namely, up to that time in which this Gospel was written.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Wherefore that field was called,.... Not by the priests and elders, but by the common people, who knew by what money it was purchased, the field of blood; or "Aceldama", which so signifies, as in Act 1:19, not called the field of the priests, the purchasers; nor the field of the strangers, for whom it was bought; but the field of blood, being purchased with that money, for which innocent blood was betrayed; and this name it bore unto this day; in which Matthew wrote his Gospel, about eight years after, as is thought.
Thus in times of ignorance people were made to believe that building churches and endowing monasteries would make amends for immoralities. Secondly, To signify the favour intended by the blood of Christ to strangers, and sinners of the Gentiles. Through the price of his blood, a resting place is provided for them after death.
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
The field of blood - In vain do the wicked attempt to conceal themselves; God makes them instrumental in discovering their own wickedness. Judas, by returning the money, and the priests, by laying it out, raise to themselves an eternal monument - the one of his treachery, the others of their perfidiousness, and both of the innocence of Jesus Christ.
The opening of this chapter describes the delivery of our Lord Jesus Christ into the hands of the Gentiles. The chief priests and elders of the Jews led him away to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. We may see in this incident the finger of God: it was ordered by his providence that Gentiles as well as Jews should be concerned in the murder of Christ; it was ordered by his providence that the priests should publicly confess that the “scepter had departed from Judah.”
The opening of this chapter describes the delivery of our Lord Jesus Christ into the hands of the Gentiles. The chief priests and elders of the Jews led him away to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. We may see in this incident the finger of God: it was ordered by his providence that Gentiles as well as Jews should be concerned in the murder of Christ; it was ordered by his providence that the priests should publicly confess that the “scepter had departed from Judah.” They were unable to put anyone to death without going to the Romans: the words of Jacob were therefore fulfilled. The Messiah, Shiloh had indeed come ( Genesis 49:10 ). The subject that principally occupies the verses we have read is the melancholy end of the false apostle, Judas Iscariot. It is a subject full of instruction: let us mark well what it contains. We see in the end of Judas a plain proof of our Lord’s innocence of every charge laid against him. If there was any living witness who could give evidence against our Lord Jesus Christ, Judas Iscariot was the man. A chosen apostle of Jesus, a constant companion in all his journeyings, a hearer of all his teaching, both in public and private—he must have known well if our Lord had done any wrong, either in word or deed. A deserter from our Lord’s company, a betrayer of him into the hands of his enemies, it was his interest for his own character’s sake, to prove Jesus guilty. It would extenuate and excuse his own conduct if he could make out that his former Master was an offender and an impostor. Why then did not Judas Iscariot not come forward? Why did he not stand forth before the Jewish council and specify his charges, if he had any to make? Why did he not venture to accompany the chief priests to Pilate, and prove to the Romans that Jesus was a malefactor? There is but one answer to these questions.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The field of blood - The field purchased by the price of blood. The name by which this field was called was “Aceldama,” Act 1:19. It was just without the walls of Jerusalem, on the south of Mount Zion. It is now used as a burying-place by the Armenian Christians in Jerusalem, who have a magnificent convent on Mount Zion - Missionary Herald, 1824, p. 66. See the plan of Jerusalem. To this day - That is, to the day when Matthew wrote this gospel, about 30 years after the field was purchased.
Modern Voices1 voice
In my daily paper this morning I read the following interesting paragraphs, which take my mind back to an England which I do not remember and which, therefore (perhaps), I admire. "Nearly sixty years ago--on 4 September, 1850--the Austrian General Haynau, who had gained an …
The words behind it
10 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| διὸ | dio | Therefore | G1352 → | |
| ἐκλήθη | eklethe | was called | G2564 → | 147 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀγρὸς | agros | field | G68 → | 35 times |
| ἐκεῖνος | ekeinos | that | G1565 → | 260 times |
| ἀγρὸς | agros | Field | G68 → | 35 times |
| αἵματος | aimatos | of Blood | G129 → | 97 times |
| ἕως | he'os | until | G2193 → | 146 times |
| τῆς | tes | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| σήμερον.¶ | semeron | this day. | G4594 → | 41 times |
διὸTherefore
dioG1352 →
ἐκλήθηwas called
ekletheG2564 →147 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
ἀγρὸςfield
agrosG68 →35 times
ἐκεῖνοςthat
ekeinosG1565 →260 times
ἀγρὸςField
agrosG68 →35 times
αἵματοςof Blood
aimatosG129 →97 times
ἕωςuntil
he'osG2193 →146 times
τῆς<the>
tesG3588 →19766 times
σήμερον.¶this day.
semeronG4594 →41 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 34:6And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab facing Beth-peor, and no one to this day knows the location of his grave.
it leads to
- Jude 1:9
But even the archangel Michael, when he disputed with the devil over the body of Moses, did not presume to bring a slanderous charge against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
- Deuteronomy 3:29
So we stayed in the valley opposite Beth-peor.
- Jude 1:9
Through
Matthew 28:15So the guards took the money and did as they were instructed. And this account has been circulated among the Jews to this very day.
it leads to
- 1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
- Matthew 26:15
and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver.
- 1 Timothy 6:10
Through
Joshua 4:9Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant stood. And the stones are there to this day.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 7:12
Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”
- 1 Samuel 7:12
Through
2 Chronicles 5:9The poles of the ark extended far enough that their ends were visible from in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are there to this day.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 8:8–9
The poles extended far enough that their ends were visible from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are there to this day.
- 1 Kings 8:8–9
Through
Acts 1:19This became known to all who lived in Jerusalem, so they called that field in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)
it leads to
- Acts 2:22
Men of Israel, listen to this message: Jesus of Nazareth was a man certified by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know.
- Matthew 28:15
So the guards took the money and did as they were instructed. And this account has been circulated among the Jews to this very day.
- Acts 2:22
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies18
About Matthew
This page draws on 15 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); GK Chesterton, Alarms and Discursions, The Field of Blood (1910); Glossa Ordinaria, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Matthew; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 85; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Lightfoot, Horae Hebraicae et Talmudicae on Matthew; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 117; Origen of Alexandria, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Matthew and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Matthew.