Thirty Pieces Of Silver
Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI
Biblical Authority Ministries, October 22, 2026 (Donate)
Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him. (Matthew 26:14-16, NKJV)
Silver is a beautiful and precious metal. It has hosts of
uses beyond the common jewelry and coins. It’s used in classic film photography
for instance.
The Value Of Gold, Silver, And Precious Stones
The value of silver, as well as gold, and precious stones,
goes back to the earliest chapters of Genesis. Genesis 2:11-12 describes the pre-Flood,
pre-Fall land of Havilah, where there was gold, bdellium, and onyx stone. Even
before the Fall, God had created a world containing valuable and beautiful
materials. These weren’t products of evolutionary development but part of God's
original creation.
Following the Fall, mankind continued to recognize the value
of these rare materials and it was used as currency. Abraham possessed silver
and gold (Genesis 13:2), and Abraham's servant presented precious gifts when
seeking a wife for Isaac (Genesis 24:22, 53). Scripture also describes silver
being used in commercial transactions, including Abraham's purchase of a burial
property for Sarah for 400 shekels of silver (Genesis 23:15-16).
The biblical foundation of precious metals is a Christian
concept predicated on God's creation. However, their use as money and measures
of wealth developed throughout man’s history.
Silver Was Secondary To Gold
Throughout biblical history, gold was generally more
valuable than silver. That still rings true today by a large gap! Both served
as measures of wealth, but gold often represented greater riches, royalty, and
splendor.
During Solomon's reign, Israel experienced extraordinary
prosperity. God’s Word says that the king made silver as common in Jerusalem as
stones (1 Kings 10:27). Furthermore, 1 Kings 10:21 states that silver wasn’t
considered valuable in Solomon's days because of the abundance of gold!
Nevertheless, silver remained important for commerce,
offerings, and everyday transactions. Its value also yields an important
background prophecy for understanding the betrayal of Jesus Christ.
The Prophecy Of Thirty Pieces Of Silver
Several centuries before Christ's crucifixion, Zechariah,
God’s servant, recorded an prophetic passage:
Then I said to them, “If it is
agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.” So they
weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said to
me, “Throw it to the potter” — that princely price they set on me.
So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of
the LORD for the potter. (Zechariah 11:12-13, NKJV).
The following verse describes the money being thrown to the
potter in the house of the LORD (Zechariah 11:13). This prophetic passage
contains an intriguing parallel to silver for which Judas sold Christ. It included
the precise amount of silver and its eventual movement to a potter!
Thirty pieces of silver is also the compensation specified
in Exodus 21:32 when an ox killed another person's male or female servant. Do
realize the significance of this? This shows a striking contrast between the
monetary value assigned to the death of a servant. Jesus came to serve even
though His value is beyond an infinite worth being the Creator and the Son of
God.
Nevertheless, Jesus was literally treated as a lowly servant.
Jesus came into the world in a lowly fashion and laid in a manger and when was
put to death at the end of His earthly life He was still treated and sold into
death as lowly servant.
Judas Betrays Christ
Matthew 26:14-16 reveals that Judas Iscariot—influenced by
Satan—approached the chief priests and asking what they would give him to
betray Jesus. They agreed upon thirty pieces of silver—a servant’s price. Understand
that this was pocket change to the chief priests at the Temple.
Judas then sought an opportunity to betray Christ. He eventually
betrayed Him with a kiss in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:47-50). The
religious leaders who should have recognized their Messiah instead conspired to
have Him arrested and killed.
Judas willingly participated in their wicked scheme for a
relatively modest sum. It shows the heart of Judas, He didn’t value Christ—even
after seeing miracles and even raising people from the dead (e.g., Lazarus). Judas
had a heart so easily sifted by Satan. Satan tried to sift Peter as well, but
Jesus wouldn’t let him (Luke 22:31).
Yet none of this surprised God. The betrayal fulfilled
Scripture and was part of the events leading to Christ's sacrificial death.
What Became Of The Thirty Pieces Of Silver?
After Jesus was condemned, Judas experienced remorse and
returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, declaring
that he had betrayed innocent blood (Matthew 27:3-4).
When they refused to accept the silver back, Judas threw the
silver into the Temple and departed. He subsequently hung himself (Matthew
27:5) and then his body fell and was split open by rocks (Acts 1:18).
The chief priests refused to place the money into the Temple
treasury because it was blood money—and they knew it (and Judas knew he
betrayed innocent blood too, but it was too late for him). Instead, they
purchased the potter's field as a burial place for strangers (Matthew
27:6-8).
Matthew 27:9-10 directly connects with the imagery of
Zechariah 11:12-13. The field became known as the Field of Blood, a
lasting reminder of the terrible transaction.
Conclusion
Thirty pieces of silver became one of history's most
infamous payments. Judas exchanged loyalty to the sinless Son of God for a
small amount of earthly wealth. He traded his own eternal soul for thirty
pieces of silver that he didn’t even keep! This deal was infinitely worse than
the rash and ungodly deal Esau did with Jacob—where he sold his birthright (and
thus, his blessing) for a bowl of soup (Genesis 25:29-34)!
Yet even this betrayal couldn’t overthrow God's plan. Christ
willingly and sacrificially went to the Cross, bore the infinite punishment
for our sin, and rose victoriously from the grave.
The silver purchased a burial field, but Christ's precious
blood purchased eternal redemption for His people (1 Peter 1:18-19). The lesson
is unmissable: earthly silver and gold are temporary, but salvation through
Jesus Christ is eternal.
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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist
defending 6-day creation and opposing evolution since 1998. He spent 21 years
working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and
researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He
was also head of the Oversight Council.
Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in
2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a
501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in
churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.
Mr. Hodge earned a Bachelor and Master of Science degrees
from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught
at SIUC for a couple of years as a Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of
undergraduate engineering and running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did
research on advanced ceramic materials to develop a new method of production of
titanium diboride with a grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test
Engineer for Caterpillar, Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.
His love of science was coupled with a love of history,
philosophy, and theology. For about one year of his life, Bodie was editing and
updating a theological, historical, and scientific dictionary/encyclopedia. Mr.
Hodge has over 25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in
these fields.
*Image by generative program as requested by Bodie Hodge
