Judas was one of the disciples of Jesus. He was in charge of the money, as stated in John 12:6. The chief priests and elders who were against Jesus were delighted when Judas offered to hand over Jesus to them. They offered to give Judas money, Luke 22:1-6. So, how much did Judas betray Jesus for?
Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. The chief priests and the elders who wanted to seize Jesus, by all means, counted 30 pieces of silver when Judas asked them what he would get in return if he showed them Jesus. Judas did not bargain for a different price.
Where in the bible does it say Judas sold Jesus for 30 silver coins? Why did Judas take 30 silver coins for Jesus? Did Judas betray Jesus for any other reasons other than money? Is there a significance of 30 coins? This post will answer these questions and give you more information about the betrayal of Jesus by Judas.
Where in the bible does it say Judas sold Jesus for 30 silver coins?
Mathew 26:15 states that Judas received 30 pieces of silver to hand over Jess to the chief priests.
In Mathew 26:14, Judas went to the chief priests and asked them what they would give him if he delivered Jesus to them. Mathew 26:15 states that the chief priests counted 30 silver coins and gave them to Judas. Judas took the money and looked for a suitable moment to hand Jesus to the chief priests.
Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So, they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on, Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over. Mathew 26:14-16.
Where else in the bible does it talk about 30 silver coins?
Zechariah 11:12-13 talks about 30 pieces of silver coins.
I told them, “If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.” So they paid me thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the Potter at the house of the Lord. Zechariah 11:12-13.
This context reminds us of Judas Iscariot and the betrayal of Jesus. It is a messianic prophecy that comes to pass in the New Testament. Earlier, in the same chapter, Zachariah 11, Zachariah asks his employers to pay him his wages after taking care of the flock out of their own will. They pay him 30 pieces of silver as an insult. Zechariah sarcastically calls it ‘a handsome price.’ He then gives the coins to the Potter in the temple of the Lord as commanded by God.
Mathew 27:3 also talks about 30 silver coins. Judas got remorseful after realizing the chief priests would kill Jesus because of his betrayal. He took the 30 pieces of silver and went to church to give it back to the chief priests and elders.
Mathew 27:9 talks about 30 silver pieces. When the elders and priests refused to take the money back from Judas, He threw them in the temple and left. The chief priests did not put the money back into the treasury as it was blood money. They decided to buy a field as a burial site for foreigners.
Why did Judas take 30 silver coins for Jesus?
Pastor John MacArthur argues that Judas took 30 silver coins to betray Jesus because his motive to follow Christ was out of selfish interest. Pastor MacArthur explains that Judas was after prestige, wealth, and power. He says Judas followed Jesus physically, but his heart was not with Jesus.
Along the way, Judas grew resentful and bitter toward Jesus. It is not clear whether Judas felt Jesus failed to increase his influence and wealth. Another speculation is that Jesus may not have lived up to the expectations of Judas.
Did Judas betray Jesus for any other reasons other than money?
Apart from greed for money, Judas betrayed Jesus because Satan entered him. Jesus gave Judas bread, and when Judas ate it, Satan entered him.
And the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. Luke 22:2-4
The gospel of John13:21-27 also talks about Satan entering Judas. Jesus predicted that one of His disciples would betray Him. Some of the disciples were curious and asked Him who would betray Him. He answered he would give him a piece of bread after dipping it in the dish. Dipping a piece of bread into the dish, He gave it to Judas Iscariot. Immediately Judas took the bread, and Satan entered him. Judas then went out to complete his betrayal mission.
Theologians argue that Judas was fore-ordained as a traitor. He, therefore, had no control over his actions. Jesus knew he would betray him, and He communicated this to His disciples.
Is there a deeper significance of 30 coins?
According to the Hebrew culture, a slave owner got 30 pieces of silver as payment if one of his slaves got gored by an ox. Thirty pieces of silver were to compensate for the death and burial of the slave, Exodus 21:32.
When Judas asks the chief priests what they would give him if he showed them Jesus, and they quickly count 30 coins of silver. Bible scholars believe that by doing this, the chief priests equated the value of Jesus to that of an enslaved person.
Were 30 silver coins a lot of money when Judas betrayed Jesus?
No, 30 pieces of silver was not a lot of money when Judas betrayed Jesus.
In that period, 30 pieces of silver were equal to the value of an enslaved person. When a slave faced demise, his owner would get 30 pieces of silver as compensation.
Giving out 30 pieces of silver for the life of Jesus despite Him being God indicated that the Jewish leaders demeaned Him and valued Him as a slave.
How much would Judas’ 30 silver coins be worth today?
The current value of the 30 silver coins Judas sold Jesus is between USD91 and USD441, depending on the type of coins they were. Donald Wiseman, a bible scholar, argues that the coins Judas received could have been Tyrian shekels or Antioch Staters.
Other alternatives to the type of silver coins Judas received are Ptolemaic Tetradrachms and Athenian Tetradrachms. See the table below for the current value of 30 pieces of silver.
| Silver Type | 30 Coins Value |
| Ptolemaic tetradrachms | USD91.28 |
| Antioch Staters | USD303.80 |
| Tyrian shekels | USD355.32 |
| Athenian Tetradrachms | USD441.28 |
What did Judas do with the 30 silver coins he got from betraying Jesus?
Judas returned the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. After betraying Jesus, Judas felt remorseful when he saw Jesus condemned. He acknowledged his sin of betraying innocent blood and returned the 30 silver coins to the chief priests and elders.
When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. Matthew 27:3.
What happened to the silver coins Judas got for selling Jesus?
The silver coins Judas got for selling Jesus were used to purchase a piece of land. Matthew 27:3-7 says that Judas, realizing his mistake, took the 30 silver coins back to the chief priests and elders.
They refused to take the money back, and Judas threw it in the temple and left. The chief priests took the money but did not put it in the treasury as it was blood money. They used the money to buy the Potter’s field, which became a burial place for foreigners.
References
- Why was Jesus Betrayed by Judas Iscariot
- Why did Judas Betray Jesus
- What is the significance of 30 pieces of silver?
- 30 Pieces of Silver
- Why did Judas take 30 pieces of silver for Jesus
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