John Calvin Commentary Matthew 27:4

"saying, I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood. But they said, What is that to us? see thou [to it]." — Matthew 27:4 (ASV)

What is that to us? Here the stupidity and madness of the priests are described, for even after being warned by Judas's dreadful example, they still do not think about themselves.

I do acknowledge that hypocrites, accustomed as they are to flatter themselves, had some plausible excuse at hand for distinguishing their case from that of Judas. They did not consider themselves partakers of his crime, even though they had abused Judas's treachery.

But Judas not only confesses that he has sinned but also asserts Christ's innocence. From this, it follows that they had planned the death of a righteous man and were therefore guilty of a detestable murder.

Nor is there any room to doubt that God intended to sear their consciences with a hot iron, to expose the hidden corruption.

Let us therefore learn that when we see wicked persons—with whom we have anything in common—filled with alarm, these instances are so many prompts to repentance. Those who neglect such prompts aggravate their criminality.

We should also believe that one man's crime cannot acquit all those who are in any way involved in it. Furthermore, the leading perpetrators of a crime can gain no advantage by distinguishing between themselves and their agents, so that they might avoid suffering the same punishment.