Silver Pieces

One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver, and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples approached Jesus and said, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?” He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The teacher says, My appointed time draws near; in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples.” The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered, and prepared the Passover.

When it was evening, he reclined at table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” Deeply distressed at this, they began to say to him one after another, “Surely it is not I, Lord?” He said in reply, “He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me is the one who will betray me.

The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born.” Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” He answered, “You have said so.” (Matthew 26:14-25)

Judas was paid 30 pieces of silver for his betrayal of Jesus, according to Matthew.  The chief priests offered that payment after Judas approached and made his request.  Jesus knew of Judas’ betrayal when he seemed to blurt out, “Amen I say to you, one of you will betray me.”  Judas claimed ignorance: “Surely it is not I Rabbi?”

Matthew would have known the Old Testament writings of the prophet Zechariah, i.e., part of the Hebrew Bible.  According to our Bible, “Zechariah portrays the messianic future under the figure of a prosperous land to which the nations come in pilgrimage, eager to follow the God of Israel.” Zechariah may have been the source for Matthew’s 30 pieces of silver, as well as Judas.   

Zechariah wrote: Thus, says the LORD, my God: Shepherd the flock to be slaughtered. For they who buy them slay them and are not held accountable; while those who sell them say, “Blessed be the LORD, I have become rich!” Even their own shepherds will not pity them. For I will no longer pity the inhabitants of the earth…Yes, I will deliver them into each other’s power, or into the power of their kings; they will crush the earth, and I will not deliver it out of their power. 

So, I shepherded the flock to be slaughtered for the merchants of the flock. I took two staffs: one I called Delight [Mosaic covenant], and the other Union [Israel and Judah]. Thus, I shepherded the flock. In a single month, I did away with the three shepherds, for I wearied of them, and they disdained me. “I will not shepherd you,” I said. “Whoever is to die shall die; whoever is to be done away with shall be done away with; and those who are left shall devour one another’s flesh.” Then I took my staff Delight and snapped it in two, breaking my covenant which I had made with all peoples. So it was broken on that day. 

The merchants of the flock, who were watching me, understood that this was the word of the LORD. Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, withhold them.” And they counted out my wages, thirty pieces of silver. (Zechariah 11:4-16)

According to our New American Bible, “In this allegory the prophet becomes the good shepherd of God’s flock, which is being slaughtered.  He is the defender of the people exploited by bad rulers.  The three shepherds, rulers, in general, are to destroy one another in a short time (in a single moth).  The service of the good shepherd is contemptuously valued at 30 pieces of silver, the legal indemnity for a gored slave.  The prophet is thus a type of Christ whose mission of salvation to his people was appraised by the Sanhedrists, the false prophets, at the same base price.”

Therefore, Jesus being our good shepherd was sold for 30 pieces of silver.  Matthew emphasized the prophesy fulfilled through the betrayal of Jesus who later was “slaughtered” on the cross.  He was a defender of the people exploited by Jewish religious rulers and the Romans.

Of special interest and significance, later in the Judas story he repents and throws the 30 pieces of silver into the Temple.  Zechariah (11:13) took his 30 shekels of silver and threw them into the treasury of the house of the Lord. 

Apart from this better understanding of Judas betrayal and prophecy fulfilled, we are left with questions. At what price would we betray our friends?  For how many pieces of silver?  We all carry staffs capable of giving delight and promoting union.  Unlike Zechariah, we must never break them in two or the covenants (promises) we make to each other.

Deacon David Pierce