{
  "id": "dict_000612",
  "term": "Betrayal for Thirty Pieces of Silver",
  "slug": "betrayal-for-thirty-pieces-of-silver",
  "letter": "B",
  "entry_type": "biblical_event_and_motif",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "The Gospel account of Judas Iscariot betraying Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. The phrase highlights Judas’s treachery and the fulfillment of Scripture in the Passion narrative.",
  "simple_one_line": "Judas’s betrayal of Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.",
  "tooltip_text": "The Gospel event in which Judas Iscariot agreed to hand Jesus over for a payment of thirty pieces of silver, an act tied to prophetic fulfillment.",
  "aliases": [
    "Betrayal for 30 pieces of silver"
  ],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Betrayal of Jesus",
    "Judas Iscariot",
    "Thirty Pieces of Silver",
    "Passion of Christ",
    "Fulfilled Prophecy"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Judas Iscariot",
    "Zechariah",
    "Passion Week",
    "Arrest of Jesus",
    "Fulfilled Prophecy"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "“Betrayal for Thirty Pieces of Silver” refers to Judas Iscariot’s agreement to betray Jesus for a payment of thirty silver pieces. In the Gospels, the incident reveals both human sin and the unfolding of God’s redemptive plan.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "A Passion-narrative event in which Judas agreed to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Judas’s act was real betrayal, not mere symbolism.",
    "The payment underscores the small value placed on Jesus by His betrayer.",
    "Matthew especially connects the event with Old Testament fulfillment.",
    "The episode belongs to the lead-up to Jesus’ arrest, trial, and crucifixion."
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "“Betrayal for Thirty Pieces of Silver” refers to Judas Iscariot agreeing to hand Jesus over in exchange for thirty pieces of silver. The Gospels present this as an act of personal treachery within God’s sovereign redemptive purpose, with Matthew drawing explicit attention to prophetic fulfillment.",
  "description_academic_full": "“Betrayal for Thirty Pieces of Silver” refers to the Gospel account in which Judas Iscariot agreed to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, leading to Jesus’ arrest and, ultimately, the crucifixion. The event is presented as a genuine act of sin and disloyalty, yet it also unfolds within God’s providential plan of redemption. Matthew gives special emphasis to the payment and links the episode with Old Testament fulfillment language, especially the imagery of Zechariah 11:12-13. The phrase is best treated as a Passion-narrative event and motif rather than as a standalone doctrinal category.",
  "background_biblical_context": "The betrayal appears in the Gospel accounts of the Passion week and functions as a turning point in the arrest of Jesus. The thirty pieces of silver emphasize the shameful bargain and the low estimation Judas placed on his Master.",
  "background_historical_context": "In the ancient world, silver was a standard medium of payment and valuation. The sum given to Judas is notable not for its wealth but for its insultingly small price in relation to the one betrayed.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "Matthew’s fulfillment emphasis draws readers to the prophetic pattern of rejected shepherd imagery in Zechariah. Within Jewish Scripture, the valuation of a shepherd at thirty pieces of silver conveys contempt and rejection rather than honor.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Matt. 26:14-16",
    "Matt. 27:3-10",
    "Mark 14:10-11",
    "Luke 22:3-6"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "Zech. 11:12-13",
    "Acts 1:16-20"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "The Gospels describe the payment as “thirty pieces of silver,” a concrete valuation rather than a symbolic amount. Matthew’s wording also intentionally echoes the prophetic language of Zechariah 11:12-13.",
  "theological_significance": "The event displays the seriousness of human sin, the danger of greed and hardened unbelief, and the certainty of God’s redemptive purpose in Christ’s suffering. It also highlights how the Passion fulfilled Scripture without making Judas morally innocent.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "The episode illustrates the coexistence of divine sovereignty and human responsibility. Judas acted willingly and culpably, yet his actions did not overturn God’s saving plan.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not turn the thirty pieces of silver into speculative numerology or treat the amount as a hidden code. The emphasis is on betrayal, rejection, and fulfillment, not secret symbolism beyond the text.",
  "major_views_note": "Most evangelical interpreters understand the payment as both literal and theologically significant: a real price paid for a real betrayal, with Matthew intentionally connecting the event to Old Testament patterns of rejected leadership and fulfilled prophecy.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "This entry should not be used to support fatalism or to deny Judas’s moral responsibility. Scripture presents both divine providence and Judas’s guilt.",
  "practical_significance": "The passage warns against covetousness, hypocrisy, and outward association with Jesus without true loyalty. It also encourages confidence that God can overrule even evil acts for His saving purposes.",
  "meta_description": "Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, a Passion event linked by Matthew to Old Testament fulfillment.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/betrayal-for-thirty-pieces-of-silver/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/betrayal-for-thirty-pieces-of-silver.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}