Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 27:7

"And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter`s field, to bury strangers in." — Matthew 27:7 (ASV)

And they took counsel—As before, they held a council.

The potter’s field—In Jeremiah 18:2, we read of the “potter’s house” as being outside the city, likely in the Valley of Hinnom (Gehenna) on the south side of Jerusalem, based on Jeremiah 19:2. It is probable that the field had been depleted over time and was now a disused quarry.

It had become necessary to provide a burial place for foreigners, since Roman soldiers were often stationed in the city and people from all nations visited. However, no Jew would permit their bones to be placed in his ancestral tomb. Furthermore, every devout Jew would shrink from burying their dead in this foul and hateful place, which had become symbolic of the unseen Gehenna (see the notes on Matthew 5:22).

Therefore, there was a subtle and fitting association in the policy the priests adopted. The place itself was accursed, it was bought with accursed money, and it was to be used for the burial of the accursed strangers.