He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Judas didn't just approach the chief priests; Luke specifies he also met with the "captains," the officers of the temple guard. This detail reveals Judas wasn't just striking a deal, but actively coordinating with the security forces responsible for the Temple itself, highlighting a more calculated and institutional betrayal. This makes his betrayal not just a personal act of treachery, but a deep infiltration into the very structures meant to protect the sacred.
He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Satan has just entered Judas, and he immediately goes to the chief priests and temple guards, seeking a way to hand Jesus over to them. They are eager for this opportunity, especially since Jesus is currently popular with the crowds, making a public arrest dangerous. Judas knows Jesus' private movements and can lead them to him when he's away from the masses.
Ever wonder who Judas actually met with to arrange Jesus' arrest? It wasn't just some random scribes. He sought out the power brokers of the Temple.
Luke highlights Judas's specific actions: 'he went away, and conferred with the chief priests and officers'. These weren't minor players. The 'chief priests' were the top religious authorities, and the 'officers' (or 'captains') were the leaders of the Temple guard.
Strategic Alliances
These Temple officers, described as 'captains of the temple' or 'generals of the Temple,' were responsible for security and order within the sacred precincts. They commanded the Levite guards who watched over the Temple day and night.
Judas's choice to meet with these groups reveals a calculated plan. He wasn't just seeking a buyer for his betrayal; he was coordinating with the very people who had the authority and the means to carry out an arrest, especially one that needed to happen discreetly, away from the crowds who still followed Jesus.
What drove Judas to betray Jesus? While money was involved, the deeper forces at play were far more sinister.
The Gospel accounts, including Luke's, point to a dark spiritual influence behind Judas's actions. Luke states directly, 'Then Satan entered into Judas' (Luke 22:3), shortly before describing his meeting with the chief priests.
The Root of All Evil
Commentaries often link Judas's betrayal to avarice, calling it the 'root of all evils.' While the agreed-upon price was thirty pieces of silver—a relatively small sum—it was the greed behind it that corrupted him.
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This wasn't just a financial transaction for Judas. It was a complete surrender to a destructive force. Satan didn't just tempt him; he 'entered into' him, suggesting a deep possession that overrode reason, shame, and his former discipleship.
The word used for Judas 'betraying' Jesus has a nuance that speaks volumes about the nature of his action.
While we often use the strong word 'betrayal,' the Greek word Luke uses here, 'paradidomi,' carries a subtle but significant meaning. It can mean 'to hand over,' 'to deliver up,' or 'to give up.'
Delivering into Enemy Hands
This word highlights the passive aspect of Jesus’s passion, where He allowed Himself to be delivered up. However, in Judas’s case, it signifies his active role in handing Jesus over to His enemies. He wasn't just informing them of Jesus's whereabouts; he was facilitating the entire operation.
Judas sought 'how he might betray him' — meaning, how he might 'give Him up' at a convenient time and place, likely away from the crowds who might intervene. This exchange was a deliberate act of delivering Jesus into the hands of those who wanted to kill Him.
Understand the original words
paradidōmi · Greek Verb
The act of delivering someone to an enemy, often involving treachery or a breach of trust. In the New Testament, it specifically refers to the handing over of Jesus to be executed.
stratēgos · Greek Noun
Temple guards or police who acted under the authority of the chief priests to maintain order and carry out arrests in the temple precincts.
Judas's betrayal was not a spontaneous act but a calculated negotiation with the religious and security authorities of Jerusalem. This occurred during the highly charged atmosphere of the Passover festival, a time when large crowds gathered, yet Judas sought to exploit a moment of vulnerability to ensure Jesus' capture without public interference.
c. AD 30— this verse
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus' twelve disciples, secretly met with the chief priests and temple guards to arrange the betrayal of Jesus. He agreed to hand Jesus over to them, motivated by greed and possibly influenced by Satan.
c. AD 30
The Passover Feast Begins
The annual Passover festival, commemorating Israel's liberation from Egypt, was being celebrated. Jesus and his disciples gathered for the Passover meal, unaware to Judas's plan to seize Jesus during the festival.
c. AD 30
Arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane
Following the Last Supper, Jesus and his disciples went to the Garden of Gethsemane. Judas led temple guards and officials to the garden, identifying Jesus with a kiss, leading to his arrest.
c. AD 30
Jesus' Trial and Crucifixion
After his arrest, Jesus was subjected to a series of trials before the Jewish Sanhedrin and Roman authorities. He was ultimately condemned and crucified on the day before the Passover feast was publicly observed.
This passage directly parallels Judas's agreement with the chief priests to betray Jesus, highlighting the transactional nature of his treachery.
Mark 14:10Mark's account also details Judas going to the chief priests to arrange the betrayal, emphasizing the conspiratorial aspect of the plot.
John 13:2This verse notes that Satan entered Judas during the Last Supper, providing a spiritual context for his actions immediately following this earthly negotiation.
Acts 1:18This verse describes Judas purchasing a field with the reward of his treachery, showing the ultimate, tragic outcome of the bargain struck in Luke 22:4.
vincentLuke 22:4: "And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them."
Captains (στρατηγοῖς)The leaders of the temple-guards Compare Acts 4:1.
barnesLuke 22:4: "And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them."
Chief priests and captains - See the notes at Matthew 26:14 . See the account of the bargain which Judas made with them explained in the Matthew 26:14-16 notes, and Mark 14:10-11 notes. Absence of the multitude - The multitude, "the people," were then favorable to Jesus. He had preached in the temple, and many of them believed that he was the Messiah. It was a hazardous thing,…
Judas didn't just approach the chief priests; Luke specifies he also met with the "captains," the officers of the temple guard. This detail reveals Judas wasn't just striking a deal, but actively coordinating with the security forces responsible for the Temple itself, highlighting a more calculated and institutional betrayal. This makes his betrayal not just a personal act of treachery, but a deep infiltration into the very structures meant to protect the sacred.
Satan has just entered Judas, and he immediately goes to the chief priests and temple guards, seeking a way to hand Jesus over to them. They are eager for this opportunity, especially since Jesus is currently popular with the crowds, making a public arrest dangerous. Judas knows Jesus' private movements and can lead them to him when he's away from the masses.
Satan has just entered Judas, and he immediately goes to the chief priests and temple guards, seeking a way to hand Jesus over to them. They are eager for this opportunity, especially since Jesus is currently popular with the crowds, making a public arrest dangerous. Judas knows Jesus' private movements and can lead them to him when he's away from the masses.
"He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them." — Judas didn't just approach the chief priests; Luke specifies he also met with the "captains," the officers of the temple guard. This detail reveals Judas wasn't just striking a deal, but actively coo…
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Last reviewed October 2026