So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers.
English Standard Version (ESV)
It's easy to overlook that the chief priests bought the field, not Judas himself; they used his blood money because they considered it tainted and unlawful for their treasury. This shows their deep spiritual blindness: they could recognize the impurity of the money, but not the profound sin they had committed in condemning Jesus.
So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following Judas's desperate return of the blood money, the chief priests and elders debated what to do with it. They decided to purchase a field known for its clay, suitable for making pottery, to serve as a burial site for foreigners who died in Jerusalem, thus fulfilling a prophecy and ironically using the price of Jesus's life for a place to bury the marginalized.
Judas's betrayal money wasn't just blood money; it became a testament to God's grace, even in the face of immense sin.
The chief priests wrestled with what to do with the 30 pieces of silver. They knew it was 'the price of blood,' tainted by Judas's betrayal and their own complicity. Yet, instead of simply discarding it, they decided to use it to buy a field. This act, though driven by a desire to distance themselves from the sin and fulfill a prophecy, ultimately served a merciful purpose: providing a burial place. It's a powerful reminder that God can take the worst human actions and, through His providence, weave them into a tapestry of good, extending mercy even to 'strangers.'
The 'strangers' buried in this field weren't just foreigners; they represented a broader category that hints at the reach of God's kingdom.
The purchasing of the potter's field for 'strangers' raises an interesting question: who were these individuals?
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Understand the original words
xenous · Greek Noun
A term referring to foreign individuals or those who are not part of the covenant community of Israel. Providing a burial place for them reflects the priests' desire to dispose of the 'unclean' money in a way that had perceived religious utility.
The purchase of the Potter's Field with the money Judas received for betraying Jesus highlights the tragic irony of sacred money being used for a common, though necessary, purpose, fulfilling ancient prophecy in the midst of profound spiritual betrayal.
c. AD 30
Judas betrays Jesus
Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus' disciples, betrays him to the chief priests and elders for thirty pieces of silver.
c. AD 30
Judas hangs himself
Overwhelmed by guilt after Jesus' condemnation, Judas returns the money and takes his own life by hanging.
c. AD 30— this verse
Chief priests buy Potter's Field
The chief priests and elders use the thirty pieces of silver to buy a field from a potter as a burial place for foreigners.
c. AD 30
Field of Blood named
The purchased field becomes known as 'Aceldama,' the Field of Blood, due to the tragic circumstances of its acquisition.
c. AD 30
Jesus is crucified
Jesus is condemned by Pontius Pilate and crucified, fulfilling prophecies and ancient scriptures.
This passage directly foreshadows the transaction, with the prophet being valued at thirty pieces of silver and the money being cast to the potter, directly fulfilling this prophecy in Matthew's account.
Acts 1:18-19This passage provides a parallel account of Judas's death and the purchase of the field, emphasizing that Judas 'purchased a field with the wages of his iniquity' and that it 'fell headlong' and 'burst open'.
Jeremiah 32:6-15This Old Testament passage describes Jeremiah buying a field as a sign of future restoration and hope, contrasting with the 'field of blood' purchased with the thirty pieces of silver, highlighting the contrasting purposes of land purchase in God's plan.
Isaiah 56:3-7This prophecy speaks of God accepting 'strangers' who join themselves to the Lord and keep His covenant, showing a broader divine intent for inclusion that resonates with the burial of 'strangers' in the potter's field, albeit in a tragic context.
henryMatthew 27:1-10: "When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:"
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 departe…
barnesMatthew 27:7: "And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in."
And they took counsel ... - They consulted among themselves about the proper way to dispose of this money. And bought with them - In Acts 1:18, it is said of Judas that "he purchased a field with the reward of his iniquity." By the passage in the Acts is meant no more than that he "furnished the means" or "was the occasion" of purchasing the field. It is not of necessity implied that Judas actu…
It's easy to overlook that the chief priests bought the field, not Judas himself; they used his blood money because they considered it tainted and unlawful for their treasury. This shows their deep spiritual blindness: they could recognize the impurity of the money, but not the profound sin they had committed in condemning Jesus.
Following Judas's desperate return of the blood money, the chief priests and elders debated what to do with it. They decided to purchase a field known for its clay, suitable for making pottery, to serve as a burial site for foreigners who died in Jerusalem, thus fulfilling a prophecy and ironically using the price of Jesus's life for a place to bury the marginalized.
Following Judas's desperate return of the blood money, the chief priests and elders debated what to do with it. They decided to purchase a field known for its clay, suitable for making pottery, to serve as a burial site for foreigners who died in Jerusalem, thus fulfilling a prophecy and ironically using the price of Jesus's life for a place to bury the marginalized.
"So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers." — It's easy to overlook that the chief priests bought the field, not Judas himself; they used his blood money because they considered it tainted and unlawful for their treasury. This shows their deep…
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Last reviewed October 2026