Devine Scripture

Matthew 27:7

What does Matthew 27:7 mean?

A plain-English look at Matthew 27:7 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Matthew 27:7 means

The chief priests buy the potter’s field with the returned silver to use as a burial place for strangers. By turning the ‘price of blood’ into a practical purchase, they attempt to neutralize the taint. The choice of a potter’s field—likely a cheap, broken-ground area—shows the dishonorable end of the betrayed one’s price being put to use for burying outsiders. Their action is pragmatic, self-protective, and remote from any true repentance or moral reckoning.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

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

KJV

King James Version · 1611

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

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

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

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

And they made a decision to get with the silver the potter's field, as a place for the dead of other countries.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

and having taken counsel, they bought with them the field of the potter, for the burial of strangers;

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

And after they had consulted together, they bought with them the potter's field, to be a burying place for strangers.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

And having taken counsel, they bought with them the field of the potter for a burying-ground for strangers.

Context

This purchase follows the priests’ concern about the money in verse 6 and shows their effort to deal legally and ritually with the issue. It creates a tangible link between Judas’ betrayal, the returned silver, and a burial ground—tying the leaders’ decisions to the physical landscape and to later prophetic interpretation in the narrative.

v.6And the chief priests took the pieces of silver, and said, It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is the price of blood.

v.7This passage

v.8Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.

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