Why did the chief priests consider the silver "blood money" in Matthew 27:6? Text and Immediate Context Matthew records: “The chief priests picked up the pieces of silver and said, ‘It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.’ ” (Matthew 27:6). Judas has just “thrown the pieces of silver into the temple” (v. 5) and departed. The priests recognize the coins as the price paid to secure Jesus’ arrest (v. 3–4). Temple Treasury and the Korbanás The Greek term κορβανᾶς (korbanás) in v. 6 refers to the dedicated Temple treasury chamber (cf. Josephus, War 2.295). Money deposited there was set apart (Hebrew: qōrbān) for sacrifices, incense, and maintenance of holy space. Once money was formally “consecrated,” priests believed it had to remain undefiled (Mishnah, Sheqalim 7:4). Payments associated with sin or ritual impurity were to be excluded and handled separately. Mosaic Legislation Concerning Illicit Payments 1. “Cursed is he who accepts a bribe to strike down an innocent person” (Deuteronomy 27:25). 2. “You must not bring the wages of a whore or the price of a dog into the house of the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy 23:18). Deuteronomy 27:25 speaks directly to murder-for-hire; Deuteronomy 23:18 exemplifies money gained through morally illicit means that is barred from Yahweh’s sanctuary. Rabbinic rulings extended this principle to any reward that procured human bloodshed, classifying it as דמי נקיּם (dĕmê naqiyyîm, “innocent blood money”). Rabbinic and Second-Temple Practice Early halakhic sources (Tosefta Bavot 11.14; b. Sanhedrin 47b) forbid placing “blood-price” or “hire-price for murder” into the Temple store. The Mishnah (Sheqalim 3:2) records that questionable funds were diverted to communal utility projects rather than sacrificial use—precisely what Matthew describes when the silver purchases a potter’s field (v. 7). Legal Punctiliousness and Moral Blindness The priests’ objection highlights their meticulous regard for technical purity while simultaneously ignoring their complicity in condemning the innocent Messiah. Jesus had accused them earlier: “You tithe mint and dill… yet neglect the weightier matters of the Law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness” (Matthew 23:23). Their scruple fulfills His indictment. The Thirty Pieces of Silver and the Value of a Slave Exodus 21:32 sets thirty shekels as compensation for a slain slave. By accepting exactly that amount, the priests—unwittingly—appraised Israel’s Messiah at the price of a common servant, fulfilling the prophetic sign-act of Zechariah 11:12-13, which Matthew cites (27:9-10). The “potter” and the Temple are both named in Zechariah, underscoring divine orchestration. Prophetic Fulfillment through the Potter’s Field “Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day” (Matthew 27:8). Purchasing a burial ground for foreigners with tainted funds mirrors Jeremiah’s prophecy of a defiled valley that would become a burial place (Jeremiah 19:1–6). Both Jeremiah 19 and Zechariah 11 converge: the rejected shepherd is valued at thirty silver pieces, thrown into the house of the LORD “to the potter,” and results in a place identified with blood. Archaeological Corroboration: Akeldama South-west of Jerusalem’s Old City lies ʿĒmeq Ḥaqqadrōn (“Valley of Hinnom”), historically known as Ἁκελδαμά (Akeldama). First-century rock-hewn tombs and a large Hellenistic-Roman charnel structure have been excavated there (Gibson & Tabor, 2004). Byzantine pilgrims already identified the site with the “Field of Blood.” The continuous local memory strengthens Matthew’s geographical precision. Theological Significance 1. Justice of God: The priests signal that innocent blood cries out for atonement (cf. Genesis 4:10). 2. Sovereignty of God: Their very scrupulosity fulfils prophecy, proving divine foreknowledge and control. 3. Substitutionary Atonement: Money paid for Christ’s betrayal typologically parallels ransom money for slaves, prefiguring His redemptive purchase of sinners (1 Peter 1:18–19). Practical and Evangelistic Implications Legalistic religion cannot cleanse the conscience; only the blood of the risen Christ can (Hebrews 9:14). The priestly dilemma exposes humanity’s universal problem: outward ritual cannot remove inward guilt. The empty tomb and eyewitness-anchored resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3–7) offer the only remedy—receiving the price Jesus Himself paid with His own blood (Revelation 1:5). Summary The chief priests deemed the thirty silver coins “blood money” because Torah and later halakhah forbade dedicating funds gained through the shedding of innocent blood to the Temple treasury. Their decision, while legally meticulous, spotlighted their moral culpability, fulfilled Zechariah’s prophecy, facilitated the purchase of the Field of Blood, and magnified the sovereignty of God in redeeming humanity through the crucified and risen Christ. |
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