Matthew 27:8 kjv
Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.
Matthew 27:8 nkjv
Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.
Matthew 27:8 niv
That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day.
Matthew 27:8 esv
Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.
Matthew 27:8 nlt
That is why the field is still called the Field of Blood.
Matthew 27 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Direct & Echo | ||
| Acts 1:18-19 | Now this man bought a field with the reward of his wickedness... And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that that field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood. | Judas's purchase & the field's name |
| Mt 27:3-5 | Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he felt remorse... he threw the silver pieces into the temple... | Judas's remorse and returning the money |
| Mt 27:6-7 | But the chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, "It is not lawful to put them into the temple treasury... and they bought with them the Potter’s Field as a burial place for strangers." | Priests' action with the blood money |
| Innocent Blood & Justice | ||
| Mt 27:4 | saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." And they said, "What is that to us? See to it yourself." | Judas's confession of innocent blood |
| Deut 21:8 | ...pardon your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, O Lord, and do not put innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel. | Consequences of shedding innocent blood |
| Jer 2:34 | Also on your skirts is found the lifeblood of the innocent poor; you did not find them breaking in. | Condemnation for shedding innocent blood |
| Ps 106:38 | They poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan... | Rejection of shedding innocent blood |
| Isa 59:3 | For your hands are defiled with blood And your fingers with iniquity; Your lips have spoken falsehood, Your tongue mutters wickedness. | Hands defiled by blood |
| Mt 23:35 | ...that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah... | Condemnation for all righteous blood shed |
| Prophetic Allusion & Fulfillment | ||
| Zech 11:12-13 | So I said to them, “If it is good in your sight, give me my wages; but if not, never mind.” So they weighed out 30 shekels of silver as my wages... I threw them into the house of the Lord for the potter. | Price of betrayal, thrown to the potter in temple |
| Jer 18:2-3 | “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will announce My words to you.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something on the wheel. | Reference to a potter |
| Jer 19:1-2 | Thus says the Lord, "Go and buy a potter's earthenware jar, and take some of the elders of the people and some of the senior priests. Then go out to the Valley of Ben-hinnom, which is by the entry of the Potsherd Gate..." | Potter, valley of Ben-hinnom, judgment |
| Jer 32:6-9 | And Jeremiah said, "The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 'Behold, Hanamel... is coming to you to buy my field...' So I bought the field from Hanamel... and weighed out the money..." | Buying a field for redemption (contrast here) |
| Exod 21:32 | If the ox gores a male or female slave, the owner shall pay 30 shekels of silver to the master... | Price of a slave, equating Jesus to a slave |
| Mt 1:22 | Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet... | Matthean theme of prophecy fulfillment |
| Mt 2:15 | ...this was to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON." | Example of Matthean fulfillment |
| Mt 2:23 | ...to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: "He shall be called a Nazarene." | Another example of Matthean fulfillment |
| Mt 21:4 | This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: "SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, 'BEHOLD, YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY...'" | Fulfillment regarding Jesus's entry into Jerusalem |
| Isa 53:3 | He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. | Jesus as the despised, innocent sufferer |
| The Nature of Betrayal & Sin | ||
| Lk 22:3-6 | Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. And he went away and discussed with the chief priests... how he might betray Him to them. | Satan's influence on Judas |
| Prov 28:13 | He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion. | Judas's lack of true repentance leading to despair |
Matthew 27 verses
Matthew 27 8 Meaning
This verse directly names the potter's field, purchased with the thirty pieces of silver that Judas Iscariot returned after betraying Jesus. It states that this field has since been, and continues to be, known as the "Field of Blood." This naming signifies its deep connection to the innocent blood of Jesus and the treacherous act of betrayal.
Matthew 27 8 Context
Matthew chapter 27 details the climax of Jesus's trial and crucifixion. Immediately preceding verse 8, Judas, overcome with remorse for betraying innocent blood, returns the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. They, with meticulous legalistic scruples, decide it is unlawful to put "blood money" into the temple treasury. Instead, they counsel together and decide to use it to buy a potter's field, specifically designated as a burial place for "strangers" or foreigners. This ironic act of using money earned from the betrayal of their Messiah to perform an act of public piety (a burial ground for non-Jews) directly sets the stage for the field to receive its notorious name in verse 8. The historical context reflects Jerusalem's religious leadership during the Roman occupation, their intense focus on ritual purity, often at the expense of moral justice, and the common practice of specific land uses like potter's fields and burial sites outside city walls.
Matthew 27 8 Word analysis
- Therefore (Greek: Dio, διό): This conjunction indicates a direct consequence or result. It explicitly links the naming of the field to the preceding events: Judas's betrayal, his return of the "blood money," and the chief priests' decision to purchase the potter's field with it. It emphasizes the direct causal relationship between the priests' actions and the field's ominous moniker.
- that field (Greek: ton agron ekeinon, τὸν ἀγρὸν ἐκεῖνον): Refers specifically to the "Potter's Field" (Mt 27:7) which the chief priests purchased. In ancient Israel, a potter's field was often unproductive land, used for extracting clay, and then sometimes abandoned or used for humble purposes, like burying strangers or the poor, highlighting its base and common nature.
- has been called (Greek: eklēthē, ἐκλήθη): This is an aorist passive indicative verb from kaleō (to call). The aorist tense denotes a completed action in the past, yet the phrasing implies a lasting name and widespread recognition that endured up to Matthew's time of writing. It underscores the public and commonly known nature of the name.
- the Field of Blood (Greek: Agros Aematos, Ἀγρὸς Αἵματος): This name carries profound significance.
- Blood-money origin: Primarily, it signifies that the field was purchased with money that was tainted by the betrayal of innocent blood (Mt 27:4, Jesus Christ). This links the field permanently to the horrific crime committed against the Son of God.
- Prophetic Fulfillment: The name directly links to the prophetic fulfillment of Zech 11:12-13, which speaks of thirty pieces of silver cast to the potter in the house of the Lord. The imagery of "blood" emphasizes the moral stain associated with the transaction.
- Judas's death: Although not explicit in Matthew, Acts 1:18 connects Judas's demise to this field, stating he "burst open" and "his bowels gushed out," leading to the field being called Akeldama (Aramaic for Field of Blood), reinforcing the association with actual blood spilled on the land.
- to this day (Greek: heōs tēs sēmeron, ἕως τῆς σήμερον): This phrase is a common historical marker in Scripture, serving as an attestation of enduring truth. It signifies that the name "Field of Blood" was still widely recognized and used at the time Matthew wrote his Gospel. This authenticates the account for his audience, lending credibility to the event and its lasting impact on the geography and memory of Jerusalem.
Matthew 27 8 Bonus section
- The naming of "Aceldama" (from the Aramaic Akeldamach meaning "Field of Blood") highlights Matthew's attention to local context and historical authenticity for his predominantly Jewish-Christian audience. The name itself would have served as a physical, ongoing reminder of the pivotal event of betrayal and its consequences.
- Matthew's method of combining and reinterpreting Old Testament prophecies (here blending Zechariah's "potter" and "thirty pieces of silver" with Jeremiah's "potter" and "buying a field") is characteristic of his approach to showing Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of Israel's scriptures. This shows God's intricate working of His plan even through the malicious actions of men.
- The priests' actions underscore the danger of legalism and hypocrisy: prioritizing ceremonial rules (not putting blood money in the temple) over fundamental moral law (murder of the innocent). Their "piety" paradoxically condemned them and revealed their moral bankruptcy.
- The designation of the field for "strangers" (non-Jews) adds another layer of tragic irony, as it hints at the very ones for whom Jesus's blood would ultimately be shed – the Gentiles. The very money of betrayal, spurned by Jewish leaders, paved the way for a burial ground for those outside the Jewish covenant.
Matthew 27 8 Commentary
Matthew 27:8 succinctly captures a profound theological irony and the lasting impact of human sin intersecting with divine plan. The chief priests, meticulous about ritual purity concerning "blood money," fail to recognize the greater moral contamination of conspiring to murder an innocent man, their Messiah. By designating the field as a burial place for strangers, they unknowingly participate in the fulfillment of prophecy (blending Zechariah and Jeremiah) while forever imprinting the stain of Jesus's betrayal and the shedding of innocent blood onto the physical landscape. The name "Field of Blood" serves as a permanent, grim monument to humanity's capacity for evil and God's sovereign hand in redeeming even the darkest deeds to accomplish His will. It reminds us that external religious observance is empty without internal moral integrity.