How did Judas die? Matthew 27:5 says he hanged himself, while Acts 1:18 says he fell and burst open.

Background and Key Passages

Matthew 27:5 records: “So Judas threw the silver coins into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.” Acts 1:18 states: “In his wickedness Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, and his body burst open, spilling his intestines.” On an initial reading, questions can arise about how exactly Judas died. A comprehensive look at the context and timeline of these events helps to reconcile both descriptions.

Overview of Judas’s Actions and Their Aftermath

Judas first appears conspicuously when he agrees to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14–16). After Jesus’s arrest, Judas experiences great remorse, returns to the religious authorities, and throws the silver coins into the temple. He then departs and “hanged himself” (Matthew 27:3–5).

Acts 1:18 adds a subsequent detail: once Judas had bought or secured the potter’s field (likely through the chief priests’ use of his returned blood money in Matthew 27:7–8), he “fell headlong” in that field, and his body burst open. The two passages do not present opposing versions of his death but rather indicate sequential components of the same tragedy.

Reconciling Matthew 27:5 and Acts 1:18

1. Immediate Cause (Hanging): Matthew focuses on Judas’s decision to hang himself, emphasizing the immediate cause of death—Judas’s intentional act in a moment of despair.

2. Subsequent Condition (Falling Headlong): Acts highlights the condition of Judas’s body after the hanging. Because of decomposition or a failed hanging apparatus (some traditions suggest the rope or branch broke), his corpse fell to the ground, splitting open.

The two narratives fit together when read as describing different moments surrounding his death. There is no contradiction in the text: Matthew provides the simplest description of the suicide, while Acts offers an additional outcome of that suicide in the field later known as Akeldama (the Field of Blood).

Historical and Cultural Considerations

• Potter’s Field Purchase: Matthew 27:7 explains that the chief priests purchased the potter’s field with the money Judas returned, associating the field with Judas’s betrayal. Acts 1:18 can thus use language that Judas “bought a field,” acknowledging it was his blood money that facilitated the purchase.

• Possible Geographic Features: Fields around Jerusalem often had rocky, uneven terrain. A body left suspended could easily fall into a rocky area, resulting in the details described in Acts.

• Manuscript Consistency: Modern scholarship references numerous manuscripts, including early Greek papyri and codices, which preserve this narrative. These texts remain consistent in attributing Judas’s death to both hanging (Matthew) and the horrific aftermath (Acts). The language is direct, and the key words in Greek (apegxato in Matthew for “hanged” and prēnēs genomenos in Acts for “fell headlong”) reaffirm the same storyline when examined within their respective contexts.

Theological Reflections

• Human Responsibility and Divine Sovereignty: Judas’s betrayal highlights the tension between human choices and the unfolding of divine prophecy (cf. John 17:12). Although his treachery was foreknown, Judas acted willfully.

• Consequences of Sinful Decisions: Judas’s remorse did not lead him to genuine repentance (Matthew 27:3–5). Instead, his despair culminated in suicide, a tragic result of unremedied guilt. The subsequent detail in Acts describes complete physical ruin, conveying the stark outcome of his betrayal.

• Scriptural Consistency and Church Tradition: Early church writings cite both Matthew’s and Acts’ records to show how Judas’s end was marked by both an intentional hanging and a grisly aftermath. This twofold record serves as a sobering testament to the seriousness of betrayal.

Archaeological and Extra-Biblical Corroborations

• Ancient References to Akeldama: Early Christian commentators (e.g., Eusebius) mention a location outside Jerusalem linked to Judas’s betrayal money. The field’s name, “Field of Blood,” is still historically associated with a site traditionally identified as Akeldama.

• Geological Features and Burial Customs: Scholars have noted Jerusalem’s rocky environs have led to consistent traditions of certain sites bearing historical names for centuries. Such consistency supports the biblical references to the potter’s field as a place with real geographical and historical basis.

Conclusion

Matthew 27:5 and Acts 1:18 describe complementary details of Judas’s death. He died by hanging himself in a state of remorse, and circumstances surrounding his corpse’s fall in the potter’s field led to the gruesome scene described in Acts. The two accounts fit within a coherent timeline, showing that Scripture supplies a unified and solemn portrayal of his end.

By presenting both moments—the act of Judas’s suicide and the subsequent consequences—these passages highlight the gravity of his betrayal and demonstrate the reliability of biblical testimony in portraying historical events. The tragedy of Judas’s death, preserved from the earliest Gospel manuscripts to the records of Acts, underscores the cautionary message that remorse without repentance can lead to devastating outcomes.