Matthew 27 7

Matthew 27:7 kjv

And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.

Matthew 27:7 nkjv

And they consulted together and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.

Matthew 27:7 niv

So they decided to use the money to buy the potter's field as a burial place for foreigners.

Matthew 27:7 esv

So they took counsel and bought with them the potter's field as a burial place for strangers.

Matthew 27:7 nlt

After some discussion they finally decided to buy the potter's field, and they made it into a cemetery for foreigners.

Matthew 27 verses

Matthew 27 7 Meaning

Matthew 27:7 describes the decision made by the chief priests and elders after Judas returned the thirty pieces of silver. Unable to deposit the "blood money" into the temple treasury due to ritual prohibitions, they consulted together and decided to use the silver to purchase a plot of land known as the Potter's Field. Their intention was for this field to serve as a burial ground for strangers, meaning non-Jews or foreigners who died in Jerusalem and had no family plot. This act, while appearing to be an act of charity, starkly contrasted with their complicity in shedding innocent blood, highlighting their adherence to superficial legalism over true righteousness.

Matthew 27 7 Context

Matthew 27:7 immediately follows Judas's agonizing act of repentance and his return of the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders (Matt 27:3-5). After Judas cast the money into the temple and departed, the religious leaders found themselves with the "blood money" – a sum acquired from an act of treason that led to the condemnation of an innocent man. According to their strict interpretation of the Law, particularly concerning temple donations, money tainted by violence or illicit gain was considered defiled and could not be deposited into the sacred treasury. This ethical dilemma for them reveals their deep concern for ceremonial purity over the moral depravity of having conspired to murder an innocent person. Thus, Matthew 27:7 details their deliberation and the solution they devised, which simultaneously adhered to their rigid interpretation of ritual law while ironically fulfilling Old Testament prophecy concerning the price of the Messiah and the use of the money to purchase a potter's field.

Matthew 27 7 Word analysis

• And (Καὶ - Kai): A simple conjunction connecting the previous verse's action to the chief priests' response. It signals the continuity of events following Judas's remorse and the return of the betrayal money.

• they conferred (συμβουλεύσασθαι - symbouleusasthai): From the verb symbouleuō, meaning "to take counsel together," "to deliberate," or "to advise jointly." This highlights that the decision was not impulsive but a result of collective thought and deliberation among the religious leaders, emphasizing their shared responsibility and calculating nature.

• together (συμβουλεύσασθαι - symbouleusasthai): Implied in symbouleuomai, underscoring the collective, corporate decision-making of the Sanhedrin members present. It denotes a united front in finding a resolution to their peculiar financial dilemma.

• and bought (ἠγόρασαν - ēgorasan): From agorazō, meaning "to buy," "to acquire by purchase." This verb clearly indicates a commercial transaction, the direct use of the thirty pieces of silver for an acquisition. It connects directly to the silver exchanged earlier.

• with them (ἐξ αὐτῶν - ex autōn): Referring to the returned pieces of silver. This phrase unequivocally links the purchase of the field to the betrayal money, stressing that these specific "blood coins" were used for the transaction, directly fulfilling prophecy.

• the potter's field (τὸν ἀγρὸν τοῦ κεραμέως - ton agron tou kerameōs): "The field of the potter." Aagros is "field," and kerameus is "potter." This specific location is crucial. A potter's field would typically be a place where clay was dug, likely making the land exhausted and unsuitable for farming, thus cheap. This term is vital for understanding the prophetic fulfillment, as it directly relates to Zechariah 11:13 and indirectly to Jeremiah 32:6-15 concerning land purchases and broken covenants, which Matthew specifically mentions later.

• to bury (εἰς ταφήν - eis taphēn): "For burial." This phrase clarifies the purpose of the land acquisition. It implies a charitably motivated use, allowing for proper interment, an important aspect of Jewish custom.

• strangers (τοῖς ξένοις - tois xenois): From xenos, meaning "foreigners," "sojourners," or "strangers." This refers to non-native residents of Jerusalem, potentially Gentiles or Jews from other lands who died in the city without a family burial plot. This action, on the surface, appears as an act of piety and concern for those marginalized, starkly contrasting with their condemnation of Jesus, highlighting their profound hypocrisy in valuing outward ritual purity over inner righteousness and justice. It suggests an underlying adherence to God's law of caring for the resident alien (e.g., Deut 10:18), even if only superficially and out of ill-gotten gains.

• "They conferred together and bought": This phrase highlights the concerted, deliberated action of the religious leadership. It was a joint decision to manage the "blood money," emphasizing their shared guilt and resourcefulness in maintaining ceremonial purity while ignoring moral impurity. Their active deliberation underscores a calculated effort to legitimize funds obtained through evil means for what appeared to be a charitable purpose.

• "the potter's field to bury strangers": This grouping points to the specific prophetic fulfillment and the symbolic hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders. The choice of the "potter's field" connects directly to Zechariah 11:13 (as later cited in Matt 27:9-10). The stated purpose "to bury strangers" reveals their external piety – they could not put the money in the temple, so they used it for a public, charitable purpose. This superficial act of kindness contrasts sharply with their wicked act of sending Jesus to His death. They showed more concern for the bodies of strangers than for the life of their Messiah.

Matthew 27 7 Bonus section

The "Potter's Field" (Akel Dama) carries rich symbolic weight. Fields used by potters often had their soil depleted or unsuitable for agriculture, making them cheap. This may subtly signify the perceived worthlessness of the one whose blood funded its purchase – Jesus, who was "despised and rejected by men" (Isa 53:3). The location of the Potter's Field itself, being outside the city, aligns with Jewish burial customs. Furthermore, the act of burying strangers connects to a deeper theological point: even the ill-gotten gains of the Jewish leaders inadvertently contributed to an act of care that would often involve Gentiles. This echoes the broader biblical theme that God can work through human wickedness to fulfill His redemptive purposes, even preparing a place of rest for the outcast and non-native through a transaction meant to distance themselves from their sin. This event, prophesied centuries before, serves as a powerful testament to God's sovereign control over even the darkest human actions.

Matthew 27 7 Commentary

Matthew 27:7 encapsulates a profound irony and severe hypocrisy within the actions of the Jewish religious leadership. Faced with Judas's returned betrayal money, which they deemed "blood money" unsuitable for the temple treasury according to ritual law (Matt 27:6), they found a "solution" that simultaneously preserved their ceremonial purity and ostensibly fulfilled a societal need. By purchasing the Potter's Field as a burial ground for strangers, they demonstrated meticulous adherence to external regulations while being deeply corrupted by the crime of unjustly condemning Jesus. This act, appearing benevolent on the surface, served to rationalize and sanctify funds procured through an act of immense moral evil, illustrating their preference for legalistic righteousness over genuine justice, compassion, and discerning what God truly desires. The Potter's Field, soon named "Field of Blood," became an enduring monument not only to Jesus' betrayal but also to the spiritual blindness and hypocrisy of those who judged Him.