Acts 1:18 kjv
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.
Acts 1:18 nkjv
(Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out.
Acts 1:18 niv
(With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out.
Acts 1:18 esv
(Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out.
Acts 1:18 nlt
(Judas had bought a field with the money he received for his treachery. Falling headfirst there, his body split open, spilling out all his intestines.
Acts 1 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Matt 27:3-5 | When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver... | Judas's remorse and hanging himself. |
| Acts 1:19 | And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood. | The name of the field. |
| Psa 69:25 | May their encampment be a desolation; may no one dwell in their tents. | Prophecy of desolation for betrayers (fulfilled in Judas). |
| Psa 109:8 | May his days be few; may another take his office! | Prophecy of replacing an office (fulfilled in Judas). |
| Matt 26:14-15 | Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, "What will you give me...thirty pieces of silver." | The initial betrayal agreement. |
| Zech 11:12-13 | Then I said to them, "If it seems good to you, give me my wages...I took the thirty pieces of silver...threw them into the house of the LORD." | Prophetic price for the Messiah, Judas's silver. |
| Rom 6:23 | For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. | The ultimate consequence of wickedness. |
| Gal 6:7-8 | Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. | Principle of divine retribution. |
| Prov 1:31-32 | Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices...the complacency of fools will destroy them. | The wicked reaping consequences. |
| Prov 11:5-6 | The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight, but the wicked falls by his own wickedness. | The self-destructive nature of wickedness. |
| Deut 28:15 | But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God...all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you. | Consequences of disobedience/wickedness. |
| 2 Pet 2:12 | But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters that they do not understand, will also perish in their destructive corruption. | Description of those given to depravity and their destruction. |
| 2 Pet 2:20-22 | For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them... | Warnings against apostasy and a worse end. |
| Heb 10:26-27 | For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment... | Stern warning against intentional rejection of Christ. |
| Psa 55:23 | But you, O God, will cast them down into the pit of destruction; men of blood and treachery shall not live out half their days... | The end of betrayers and violent men. |
| Jude 1:11 | Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam's error and perished in Korah's rebellion. | Parallel to seeking gain through wickedness. |
| Acts 5:1-11 | Ananias and Sapphira sold a piece of property, and with his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the proceeds... | Divine judgment for deception within the early church. |
| Mark 14:10-11 | Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. | Judas's intention to betray for money. |
| John 17:12 | While I was with them, I kept them in your name...and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. | Jesus's prophecy of Judas as the "son of destruction." |
| Rev 19:20 | And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet...These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. | Ultimate divine judgment for those against God. |
| Luke 10:1-20 | Jesus sends out the seventy-two disciples. "Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions..." | Context of miraculous works through disciples, contrasting with Judas's fate. |
| Acts 1:25 | To take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place. | Judas's "own place" refers to his condemned destiny. |
| Psa 1:4-6 | The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment... | Contrast between righteous and wicked outcomes. |
Acts 1 verses
Acts 1 18 Meaning
Acts 1:18 describes the grim end of Judas Iscariot, detailing how he came to acquire the "Field of Blood" with the money gained from betraying Jesus, and the horrific manner of his death, where he fell headlong and his body burst open, spilling his intestines. This serves as a testimony to the severe divine judgment that fell upon him for his wickedness and betrayal, highlighting the wages of unrighteousness.
Acts 1 18 Context
Acts 1:18 is part of Peter's address to approximately 120 disciples assembled in Jerusalem following Jesus' ascension and before the Day of Pentecost. Peter is explaining the divine necessity of replacing Judas Iscariot as one of the twelve apostles, referencing Old Testament prophecies concerning the fate of a betrayer (Psa 69:25; 109:8). The verse specifically recounts Judas's ultimate demise, providing an Apostolic eyewitness (or near-eyewitness) account of his fate as confirmation of his wickedness and God's just judgment. This context emphasizes Peter's authoritative interpretation of Scripture and the early church's understanding of divine judgment for treachery against the Christ. Historically, this event solidified Judas's place as a singular figure of ultimate betrayal within Christian tradition.
Acts 1 18 Word analysis
- this man: Refers directly to Judas Iscariot, who had previously been part of the twelve disciples of Jesus. His identity is well-established by this point in the narrative.
- acquired (Gk: ektēsato, ἔκτησατο): An aorist middle voice form of ktaomai, meaning "to acquire, gain for oneself, purchase." While Matthew's account (Matt 27:6-7) indicates the chief priests bought the field with Judas's returned money, Peter's wording here, "acquired for himself," emphasizes Judas's agency and ownership in the acquisition of this "reward," even if indirectly or after his death. It ties the land directly to his unrighteous gain.
- field (Gk: chōrion, χωρίον): A plot of land, specifically the "Field of Blood" or Akeldama, which became notorious due to its association with Judas's treachery and death.
- reward of his wickedness (Gk: misthou tēs adikias, μισθοῦ τῆς ἀδικίας): Literally, "wages of unrighteousness" or "payment for his injustice." This directly links the acquisition of the field to the infamous act of betraying the innocent Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. It underscores the corrupt origin of his gain, linking it to the wages of sin (Rom 6:23).
- and falling headlong (Gk: prēnēs genomenos, πρηνής γενόμενος): Prēnēs means "prone, headfirst, headlong." This description suggests a violent, downward fall, often implying a steep decline or a tumble from a height. This phrase is distinct from Matthew's account where Judas "hanged himself" (Matt 27:5). Many interpretations reconcile these by suggesting Matthew describes the initial act of suicide (hanging), and Acts describes the subsequent result—perhaps the rope broke, or decomposition led to the body falling and bursting open after hanging, particularly if the event happened on a steep or rocky area, leading to this horrific and public display of judgment. The emphasis here is on the manner of the fall.
- he burst open in the middle (Gk: elakēsen mesos, ἐλάκησεν μέσος): Elakēsen (from lasko) means "to burst asunder," "split open with a loud noise," "explode." This describes a gruesome and dramatic rupture of his body, specifically in his mid-section. It vividly conveys the catastrophic physical consequence.
- and all his intestines gushed out (Gk: panta ta splanchna autou exechythē, πάντα τὰ σπλάγχνα αὐτοῦ ἐξεχύθη): Splagchna refers to the internal organs or entrails. Exechythē means "poured out" or "gushed out." This extremely graphic detail underscores the severity and public nature of Judas's end. Such a death would be seen as a divine curse or a public humiliation, leaving no room for a quiet or dignified end for the betrayer.
Acts 1 18 Bonus Section
The two accounts of Judas's death, Acts 1:18 and Matt 27:5, are often seen as complementary rather than contradictory. Matthew emphasizes Judas's immediate remorse and the act of hanging himself, focusing on the internal guilt and direct suicide. Luke, through Peter's words in Acts, describes the physical consequences that came afterward or a later stage of the event (e.g., the rope breaking, or decomposition causing the fall and rupture from a hanging position), emphasizing the public and gruesome display of divine judgment. Both accounts agree on his ultimate demise resulting from his betrayal, but they offer different perspectives and details, serving different narrative purposes within their respective books. Acts focuses on the public revelation and theological significance for the apostolic office, reinforcing the understanding of a direct divine hand in his end. The field, Akeldama, thus becomes not just a burial place but a perpetual testament to his infamy.
Acts 1 18 Commentary
Acts 1:18 presents Peter's concise, graphic, and biblically-rooted summary of Judas Iscariot's end. Peter is not providing a journalistic account to detail every moment, but rather interpreting Judas's fate through the lens of divine judgment and the fulfillment of prophecy, as a justification for his replacement. The "reward of his wickedness" emphasizes the unholy origin of the land, purchased with the blood money of Christ, aligning with the "Field of Blood" designation (Acts 1:19). The brutal details of his death—falling headlong, bursting open, intestines spilling—serve not just as historical reporting, but as a stark theological declaration of God's just retribution for profound betrayal. It illustrates the destructive "wages of sin" (Rom 6:23) and highlights the severe consequence of rejecting Christ, standing in sharp contrast to the apostles' faith and dedication. Judas’s physical collapse mirrors his spiritual and moral collapse, leaving behind a place named for his treachery as a permanent, grim monument to apostasy.