Matthew 27:7
New International Version
So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners.

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

English Standard Version
So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers.

Berean Standard Bible
After conferring together, they used the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners.

Berean Literal Bible
And having taken counsel, they bought with them the potter's field, for a burial place for strangers.

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

New King James Version
And they consulted together and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in.

New American Standard Bible
And they conferred together and with the money bought the Potter’s Field as a burial place for strangers.

NASB 1995
And they conferred together and with the money bought the Potter’s Field as a burial place for strangers.

NASB 1977
And they counseled together and with the money bought the Potter’s Field as a burial place for strangers.

Legacy Standard Bible
And taking counsel together, they bought with the money the Potter’s Field as a burial place for strangers.

Amplified Bible
So after consultation they used the money to buy the Potter’s Field as a burial place for strangers.

Christian Standard Bible
They conferred together and bought the potter’s field with it as a burial place for foreigners.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So they conferred together and bought the potter’s field with it as a burial place for foreigners.

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

Contemporary English Version
Then they had a meeting and decided to buy a field that belonged to someone who made clay pots. They wanted to use it as a graveyard for foreigners.

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

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So they decided to use it to buy a potter's field for the burial of strangers.

Good News Translation
After reaching an agreement about it, they used the money to buy Potter's Field, as a cemetery for foreigners.

International Standard Version
So they decided to use the money to buy the Potter's Field as a burial ground for foreigners.

Majority Standard Bible
After conferring together, they used the money to buy the potter?s field as a burial place for foreigners.

NET Bible
After consulting together they bought the Potter's Field with it, as a burial place for foreigners.

New Heart English Bible
They took counsel, and bought the potter's field with them, to bury strangers in.

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

Weymouth New Testament
So after consulting together they spent the money in the purchase of the Potter's Field as a burial place for people not belonging to the city;

World English Bible
They took counsel, and bought the potter’s field with them to bury strangers in.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and having taken counsel, they bought the potter’s field with them, for the burial of strangers;

Berean Literal Bible
And having taken counsel, they bought with them the potter's field, for a burial place for strangers.

Young's Literal Translation
and having taken counsel, they bought with them the field of the potter, for the burial of strangers;

Smith's Literal Translation
And having taken counsel, they purchased with them the potter's field, for the interment to strangers.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And after they had consulted together, they bought with them the potter's field, to be a burying place for strangers.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then, having taken counsel, they bought the potter’s field with it, as a burying place for sojourners.

New American Bible
After consultation, they used it to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners.

New Revised Standard Version
After conferring together, they used them to buy the potter’s field as a place to bury foreigners.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And they took counsel, and bought with it the potter’s field, for a cemetery for strangers.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And they took counsel, and they bought with it the field of a potter as a graveyard for the burial of strangers.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And they took counsel, and bought with it the potter's field, as a burial-place for foreigners.

Godbey New Testament
And taking counsel, they purchased with them the field of the potter, for a burying place for strangers.

Haweis New Testament
So taking counsel, they bought with them a potter?s field, as a burial-place for strangers.

Mace New Testament
and having consulted together, they laid out the money in buying the potter's field, to serve for a burying place for strangers.

Weymouth New Testament
So after consulting together they spent the money in the purchase of the Potter's Field as a burial place for people not belonging to the city;

Worrell New Testament
And, taking counsel, they bought with them the field of the potter, for a burial-place for the strangers.

Worsley New Testament
so they consulted together, and bought with them the potter's field for a burying-ground for strangers:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Judas Hangs Himself
6The chief priests picked up the pieces of silver and said, “It is unlawful to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” 7After conferring together, they used the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. 8That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day.…

Cross References
Acts 1:18-19
(Now with the reward for his wickedness Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong and burst open in the middle, and all his intestines spilled out. / This became known to all who lived in Jerusalem, so they called that field in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

Zechariah 11:12-13
Then I told them, “If it seems right to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” So they weighed out my wages, thirty pieces of silver. / And the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—this magnificent price at which they valued me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the LORD.

Jeremiah 19:1-13
This is what the LORD says: “Go and buy a clay jar from a potter. Take some of the elders of the people and leaders of the priests, / and go out to the Valley of Ben-hinnom near the entrance of the Potsherd Gate. Proclaim there the words I speak to you, / saying, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah and residents of Jerusalem. This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such disaster on this place that the ears of all who hear of it will ring, ...

Jeremiah 32:6-9
Jeremiah replied, “The word of the LORD came to me, saying: / Behold! Hanamel, the son of your uncle Shallum, is coming to you to say, ‘Buy for yourself my field in Anathoth, for you have the right of redemption to buy it.’ / Then, as the LORD had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and urged me, ‘Please buy my field in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for you own the right of inheritance and redemption. Buy it for yourself.’” Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD. ...

Matthew 26:14-16
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 hand Him over to you?” And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver. / So from then on Judas looked for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

Matthew 26:24
The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed. It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

Matthew 28:15
So the guards took the money and did as they were instructed. And this account has been circulated among the Jews to this very day.

John 12:5-6
“Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” / Judas did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money bag, he used to take from what was put into it.

John 13:29
Since Judas kept the money bag, some thought that Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the feast, or to give something to the poor.

Exodus 21:32
If the ox gores a manservant or maidservant, the owner must pay thirty shekels of silver to the master of that servant, and the ox must be stoned.

Leviticus 27:2-7
“Speak to the Israelites and say to them, ‘When someone makes a special vow to the LORD involving the value of persons, / if the valuation concerns a male from twenty to sixty years of age, then your valuation shall be fifty shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel. / Or if it is a female, then your valuation shall be thirty shekels. ...

Deuteronomy 23:18
You must not bring the wages of a prostitute, whether female or male, into the house of the LORD your God to fulfill any vow, because both are detestable to the LORD your God.

2 Kings 5:26
But Elisha questioned him, “Did not my spirit go with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to accept money and clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, menservants and maidservants?

2 Kings 12:4-5
Then Joash said to the priests, “Collect all the money brought as sacred gifts into the house of the LORD—the census money, the money from vows, and the money brought voluntarily into the house of the LORD. / Let every priest receive it from his constituency, and let it be used to repair any damage found in the temple.”

2 Kings 22:4-7
“Go up to Hilkiah the high priest and have him count the money that has been brought into the house of the LORD, which the doorkeepers have collected from the people. / And let them deliver it into the hands of the supervisors of those doing the work on the house of the LORD, who in turn are to give it to the workmen repairing the damages to the house of the LORD— / to the carpenters, builders, and masons—to buy timber and dressed stone to repair the temple. ...


Treasury of Scripture

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

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Belonging Bought Burial Bury Buy City Conferred Consulting Counsel Countries Dead Decided Decision Field Foreigners Money Potter Potter's Purchase Silver Spent Strangers Together Use
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Belonging Bought Burial Bury Buy City Conferred Consulting Counsel Countries Dead Decided Decision Field Foreigners Money Potter Potter's Purchase Silver Spent Strangers Together Use
Matthew 27
1. Jesus is delivered bound to Pilate.
3. Judas hangs himself.
19. Pilate, admonished of his wife,
20. and being urged by the multitude, washes his hands, and releases Barabbas.
27. Jesus is mocked and crowned with thorns;
33. crucified;
39. reviled;
50. dies, and is buried;
62. his tomb is sealed and watched.














After conferring together
This phrase indicates a deliberative process among the chief priests and elders. It reflects the Jewish leadership's attempt to resolve the issue of what to do with the thirty pieces of silver returned by Judas. The act of conferring suggests a formal decision-making process, which was typical of the Sanhedrin, the ruling council in Jerusalem. This decision-making process highlights the leaders' concern for maintaining ritual purity, as the money was considered blood money and could not be placed in the temple treasury.

they used the money
The money in question is the thirty pieces of silver that Judas Iscariot received for betraying Jesus. This sum was significant, equivalent to the price of a slave, as noted in Exodus 21:32. The use of this money for a specific purpose underscores the leaders' desire to distance themselves from the guilt associated with Jesus' death, while also fulfilling their legal and religious obligations.

to buy the potter’s field
The potter's field was likely a piece of land used by potters to extract clay for their work. Such fields were often left barren and considered of little value once the clay was exhausted. The purchase of this field with the blood money fulfills the prophecy found in Zechariah 11:12-13, which speaks of thirty pieces of silver being cast to the potter. This act also foreshadows the redemptive work of Christ, who transforms what is considered worthless into something of eternal value.

as a burial place for foreigners
The designation of the field as a burial place for foreigners, or "strangers," reflects the Jewish customs of the time, which required separate burial grounds for non-Jews. This practice ensured that the land remained ritually pure for Jewish use. The choice to use the field in this way demonstrates a practical solution to a religious problem, while also symbolizing the inclusive nature of Christ's sacrifice, which extends beyond the Jewish people to all nations, as seen in passages like Isaiah 56:6-8.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Chief Priests and Elders
Religious leaders of the Jewish community who were responsible for making decisions regarding temple practices and legal matters. In this context, they are the ones who decide to use the thirty pieces of silver to buy the potter's field.

2. Potter’s Field
A piece of land purchased with the money returned by Judas Iscariot. It was used as a burial place for foreigners, indicating its association with outsiders and those not part of the Jewish community.

3. Judas Iscariot
One of Jesus' twelve disciples who betrayed Him for thirty pieces of silver. His actions led to the return of the money, which was then used to buy the potter's field.

4. Foreigners
Non-Jewish individuals who would be buried in the potter's field. This highlights the field's purpose as a place for those who were not part of the covenant community of Israel.

5. Thirty Pieces of Silver
The amount of money given to Judas for betraying Jesus. This sum was later returned by Judas and used to purchase the potter's field.
Teaching Points
The Consequences of Sin
Judas' betrayal and the subsequent purchase of the potter's field illustrate the far-reaching consequences of sin. Sin often leads to unintended outcomes that affect not only the sinner but also the community.

Fulfillment of Prophecy
The purchase of the potter's field fulfills Old Testament prophecies, demonstrating God's sovereignty and the reliability of Scripture. Believers can trust that God's plans will come to pass.

God's Provision for Outsiders
The use of the field as a burial place for foreigners reflects God's heart for all people, including those outside the covenant community. Christians are called to extend grace and hospitality to outsiders.

Repentance and Redemption
Judas' remorse led to the return of the silver, but not to true repentance. Believers are encouraged to seek genuine repentance and redemption through Christ.(7) And they took counsel.--As before, they held a council.

The potter's field.--In Jeremiah 18:2 we read of the "potter's house" as being outside the city, probably, from Jeremiah 19:2, in the Valley of Hinnom (Gehenna), on the south side of Jerusalem. It is probable that it had been worked out in course of time, and was now in the state of a disused quarry. It was necessary, now that Roman soldiers were often stationed in the city, and men of all nations came to it, to provide some burial-place for them; but no Jew would admit their bones into the sepulchre of his fathers. On the other hand, every devout Jew would shrink from the thought of burying his dead in the foul and hateful spot which had become the type of the unseen Gehenna. (See Notes on Matthew 5:22.) There was, therefore, a subtle fitness of association in the policy which the priests adopted. The place was itself accursed; it was bought with accursed money; it was to be used for the burial of the accursed strangers.

Verse 7. - They took counsel. They deliberated how to dispose of this blood money. This deliberation may have taken place after the Crucifixion. The potter's field. The spot was well known at the time. It is traditionally said to have lain on the south of Jerusalem - on the hillside across the valley of Hinnom, on what is called the Hill of Evil Counsel. Here is found a tract of clay, which is still used by the potters of the city. In the time of our Lord. the clay probably was considered to be exhausted, and the area, excavated in all directions, and useless for agricultural purposes, was sold for a trifling price. To bury strangers in. The "strangers" are probably not pagans, but foreign Jews and Gentile proselytes, who came to Jerusalem to attend the festival, and died there. Others think that foreigners (Greeks and Romans, etc.) exclusively are meant, the Jews regarding their very presence in the holy city as defilement, and a cemetery purchased by unclean money a fitting spot for their interment. The "field" was set apart in the Crusaders' times as a burial place for pilgrims, and to this day contains a charnel house wherein are deposited the poor and unhonoured dead of Jerusalem.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
[After]
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

conferring together,
λαβόντες (labontes)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 2983: (a) I receive, get, (b) I take, lay hold of.

[they used]
ἐξ (ex)
Preposition
Strong's 1537: From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out.

[the money]
αὐτῶν (autōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Neuter 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

to buy
ἠγόρασαν (ēgorasan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 59: To buy. From agora; properly, to go to market, i.e. to purchase; specially, to redeem.

the
τὸν (ton)
Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

potter’s
κεραμέως (kerameōs)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2763: A potter. From keramos; a potter.

field
ἀγρὸν (agron)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 68: From ago; a field; genitive case, the country; specially, a farm, i.e. Hamlet.

as
εἰς (eis)
Preposition
Strong's 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.

a burial place
ταφὴν (taphēn)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5027: A burial, burial place. Feminine from thapto; burial.

for
τοῖς (tois)
Article - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

foreigners.
ξένοις (xenois)
Adjective - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3581: Apparently a primary word; foreign; by implication, a guest or entertainer.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 27:7 They took counsel and bought the potter's (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 27:6
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