John Calvin Commentary Matthew 27:8

"Wherefore that field was called, the field of blood, unto this day." — Matthew 27:8 (ASV)

For a burying-place to strangers. The more wicked men endeavor to conceal their enormities, the more the Lord watches over them to bring those enormities to light. They hoped that, by an honorable disguise, they would bury their crime if they were to purchase a barren field for burying strangers. But the wonderful providence of God turns this arrangement to an opposite result, so that this field became a perpetual memorial of that treason, which had formerly been little known.

For it was not they themselves who gave this name to the place; but after the occurrence was generally known, the field was called, by common consent, The field of blood; as if God had commanded that their disgrace should be in every man’s mouth.

It was a plausible design to provide a burying-place for strangers, if any of those who came up to Jerusalem from distant countries for the purpose of sacrificing should happen to die there. As some of them were of the Gentiles, I do not disapprove of the opinion of some ancient writers that this symbol held out the hope of salvation to the Gentiles, because they were included in the price of Christ’s death; but as that opinion is more ingenious than solid, I leave it undetermined.

The word corbana, (treasury), is Chaldaic and is derived from the Hebrew word (קרבן), (corban), of which we have spoken elsewhere.