And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.

MATTHEW 26:15KJV
truelightbible.com

Matthew 26:15 (KJV)

What does Matthew 26:15 mean?

Matthew 26:15 describes Judas Iscariot asking the chief priests what they would pay him to betray Jesus, and they agree to give him thirty pieces of silver. This verse shows the moment Judas makes a deal to hand Jesus over to the religious leaders who wanted to arrest him.

Judas, one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, is speaking directly to the chief priests in Jerusalem. The situation takes place just before Jesus’ arrest, with Judas actively seeking out the religious authorities and offering to deliver Jesus to them. The mention of “thirty pieces of silver” is significant, as it was a set price and echoes Old Testament references to the value of a slave, highlighting the gravity and betrayal involved in Judas’s action.

The Greek behind Matthew 26:15

  • παραδίδωμι (paradidōmi, G3860), translated “deliver”: This Greek word often means to hand over or betray, emphasizing Judas’s active role in turning Jesus over to his enemies, not just passively allowing it to happen.
  • ἔστησαν (estēsan, G2476), translated “covenanted”: The Greek here carries the sense of making a firm agreement or setting a fixed price, showing that this was a deliberate, formal arrangement rather than a casual offer.
  • τριάκοντα (triakonta, G5144) and ἀργύρια (argyria, G694), “thirty pieces of silver”: The Greek specifies both the number and the type of coins, underlining that this was a concrete, agreed-upon sum, not a vague bribe.

Why Matthew 26:15 matters

  • Matthew 26:15 clears up that Judas was not approached or pressured, but instead took the initiative to betray Jesus for money, highlighting the personal responsibility in his choice.
  • The verse connects to Old Testament passages, especially Zechariah 11:12-13, where thirty pieces of silver is mentioned, deepening the sense of fulfillment of prophecy and the symbolic value of the amount.
  • This verse sets in motion the events leading to Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion, making it a turning point in the narrative and showing the role of betrayal within Jesus’ closest circle.