John Calvin Commentary Acts 1:18

"(Now this man obtained a field with the reward of his iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out." — Acts 1:18 (ASV)

And he truly—it seems to me likely true that this narration of Judas's death was inserted by Luke. Therefore, it seems good to me to enclose it in parentheses so that it may be separated from Peter’s sermon. For what purpose would Peter list for the disciples those things they already knew quite well? Secondly, it would have been absurd for Peter to have said among them that the field bought with the money given to betray Christ was called by the Hebrews, in their own native language, Aceldama.

While some answer that Peter spoke this to the Galileans, whose speech differed from the Jewish tongue, this is merely vain and frivolous. Indeed, they did differ somewhat in pronunciation, yet not so much that they could not understand one another well, just as those from Paris and the men of Rouen do. Furthermore, how could this be a fitting term for Jerusalem, where Peter delivered his sermon? For what purpose would he interpret their own native language in Greek among the Hebrews? Therefore, Luke himself inserts this sentence concerning Judas’s death, lest Peter’s words might seem strange due to ignorance of that history.

He possessed a field. This phrase has a double meaning; in my opinion, it signifies in this place "to possess" rather than "to acquire," though it matters little which way we read it, so I leave it undecided. Luke speaks in this way not because Judas ever had the use of the field, or that he himself bought it, since it was bought after his death.

Rather, Luke’s meaning was that this outcome—Judas's burial place becoming a perpetual mark of ignominy—was the "possession" and reward he received for his treachery and wicked act. He did not so much sell Christ for thirty pieces as he sold his apostleship. He never enjoyed the money; he only "possessed" the field in this infamous sense. Furthermore, it came to pass through the marvelous providence of God that the common name of that field would also be a mark of infamy for the priests, who had bought the innocent blood from the traitor.

Luke says that the Hebrews called it by that name in their language because he himself was a Greek by birth. And he calls the language the Jews used after the Babylonian captivity "the Hebrew tongue," namely, a language mixed with the Assyrian and Chaldean tongues.

It is written in the book of Psalms. With this quotation from Scripture, Peter removes all offense that might have arisen from Judas’s falling away. Yet this application of the Psalms might seem greatly distorted. First, David did not wish for these things to happen to any particular person but, in the plural, wishes them upon his enemies. Secondly, it seems that Peter misapplies to Judas these words, which were spoken of David's enemies. I answer that David subsequently speaks there of himself, so that he may describe the condition and state of Christ’s kingdom.

In that Psalm, I say, is contained the representative image of the whole Church, which is the body of the Son of God. Therefore, the things set down there must necessarily have been fulfilled in the Head. These things are indeed fulfilled, as the evangelists testify.

Now, if anyone objects that those things spoken there against David's enemies do not fittingly apply to Judas, we may easily gather that they apply to him all the more because David does not consider himself separate from the body of the Church. Rather, as he was one of the members of Christ, and so taking upon himself Christ's image, he steps forth in His name.

Whoever notes that this unique role was attributed to David—that he should be a figure of Christ—will not marvel if all these things prefigured in David are applied to Christ. Although, therefore, David’s psalm includes the whole Church, yet it begins at its Head and especially describes what things Christ would suffer at the hands of the wicked.

For we learn from Paul’s doctrine that whatever afflictions the godly suffer are part of the afflictions of Christ and serve to fulfill them (Colossians 1:14). David observed this order and connection—or rather, the Spirit of God did, who intended by the mouth of David to instruct the whole Church.

But concerning the persecutors of Christ, all that is commonly spoken of them is rightly referred to their standard-bearer, Judas. Since his impiety and wickedness are most notorious, his punishment ought to be made known to all people.

If anyone objects again that what is recited in the Psalm consists only of certain curses and not prophecies, and that Peter, therefore, improperly infers that it necessarily had to be fulfilled, the answer is straightforward.

For David was not moved by any perverse or corrupt impulse of the flesh to crave vengeance; rather, he had the Holy Spirit as his guide and director. Therefore, whatever he prayed for there, being inspired by the Holy Spirit, has the same force as prophecy, because the Spirit requires nothing other than what God has determined with Himself to perform and will also promise to us.

Now, Peter cites two different testimonies from the Scriptures. By the first, it is meant that Judas, together with his name and family, should be completely extinguished, so that his place might be empty. The other, which he draws from Psalm 109, tends to this end: that another should be chosen to supply his place.

These two outcomes—a desolate habitation and a successor—seem at first to be contradictory. Yet, because the Spirit says only in the former passage that the adversaries of the Church should be taken away, so that their place might be empty and without an inhabitant with respect to themselves, this is no hindrance to another person afterward supplying their empty place.

Indeed, this succession also augments their punishment, in that the honor, after it was taken from one who was unworthy of it, is given to another.

And his bishopric—the Hebrew word for "bishopric" could not be translated more fittingly. For פכודה (pecudah) signifies a jurisdiction or government, so called from the acts of overseeing and observing. As for those who interpret this word as wife, the text refutes them, for it follows in the next verse, concerning his wife, that she is to be made a widow.

Therefore, after David had wished that the wicked person be deprived of his life, he adds, moreover, that this person also be stripped of his honor. Nor does he stop there, but he also desires that another may succeed him, by which, as I have said before, his punishment is doubled.

Meanwhile, David notes by the way that this false, treacherous, and wicked person of whom he speaks would not be someone of the common sort, but one endowed with honor and dignity, from which, nevertheless, he will fall. And from this passage, we must learn that the wicked who have persecuted the Church of God shall not escape scot-free, for this miserable and wretched end is prepared for them all.