Two Accounts of Judas' death

[Ron_Conte]

[Matthew]
{27:3} Then Judas, who betrayed him, seeing that he had been condemned, regretting his conduct, brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the leaders of the priests and the elders,
{27:4} saying, “I have sinned in betraying just blood.” But they said to him: “What is that to us? See to it yourself.”
{27:5} And throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed. And going out, he hanged himself with a snare.

[Acts]
{1:16} “Noble brothers, the Scripture must be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit predicted by the mouth of David about Judas, who was the leader of those who apprehended Jesus.
{1:17} He had been numbered among us, and he was chosen by lot for this ministry.
{1:18} And this man certainly possessed an estate from the wages of iniquity, and so, having been hanged, he burst open in the middle and all his internal organs poured out.

Are these two accounts of the death of Judas in conflict?
The Clementine Latin has ‘et suspensus’ (and having been hanged), but other versions have ‘and falling headlong’ or a similar phrasing.

Judas hung himself, as Matthew states, for he despaired of the mercy of God. But he hung himself on the Day of Preparation of the Passover (which textends from Thursday at sundown to Friday at sundown). No one could take his body down, lest they by defiled by touching a dead body and be unable to participate in the Passover. So his body remained hanging for the preparation day plus the 7 days of Passover, i.e. 8 days. By then, his body would have decayed substantially. The result is described in Acts, that “he burst open in the middle and all his internal organs poured out.”

So the two accounts are correct.

 

[JeanneH]

[Matthew]
{27:3} Then Judas, who betrayed him, seeing that he had been condemned, regretting his conduct, brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the leaders of the priests and the elders,
{27:4} saying, “I have sinned in betraying just blood.” But they said to him: “What is that to us? See to it yourself.”
{27:5} And throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed. And going out, he hanged himself with a snare.

[Acts]
{1:16} “Noble brothers, the Scripture must be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit predicted by the mouth of David about Judas, who was the leader of those who apprehended Jesus.
{1:17} He had been numbered among us, and he was chosen by lot for this ministry.
{1:18} And this man certainly possessed an estate from the wages of iniquity, and so, having been hanged, he burst open in the middle and all his internal organs poured out.

Are these two accounts of the death of Judas in conflict?
The Clementine Latin has ‘et suspensus’ (and having been hanged), but other versions have ‘and falling headlong’ or a similar phrasing.

Judas hung himself, as Matthew states, for he despaired of the mercy of God. But he hung himself on the Day of Preparation of the Passover (which textends from Thursday at sundown to Friday at sundown). No one could take his body down, lest they by defiled by touching a dead body and be unable to participate in the Passover. So his body remained hanging for the preparation day plus the 7 days of Passover, i.e. 8 days. By then, his body would have decayed substantially. The result is described in Acts, that “he burst open in the middle and all his internal organs poured out.”

So the two accounts are correct.

Yes.
From the Haydock commentary

Acts1:18

Ver. 18. Possessed a field. Judas is here said to have done, what was done by others, with the thirty pieces of money, the reward of his iniquity. And being hanged, that is, as St. Matthew says, (chap. xxvii. 5.) having hanged himself, he burst asunder. The Greek has it, falling headlong,[3] as perhaps he did, by his judgment of God, from the place or tree where he hanged himself. (Witham) — Judas did not possess the potter’s field, but he furnished the price to buy it, giving back the thirty pieces of silver. (Menochius) — We often say in common, that we have done what happens in consequence of any action of ours, though it was not in our first intention. (Calmet)

Matt27:3

Ver. 3. Then Judas, … repenting himself. A fruitless repentance, accompanied with a new sin of despair, says St. Leo. (Witham) — Perceiving that Jesus was delivered up, and remembering what our divine Saviour had said concerning his resurrection, he repented of his atrocious wickedness. Perhaps Satan, who assisted and urged him on to betray his Master, deserted him, not that he had prevailed upon the unhappy miscreant to perpetrate what he had so passionately desired. But how could Judas see that Jesus was condemned? He certainly did not see it, but foreboded in his despairing mind what would be the event. But some are of opinion that this passage is referred to Judas himself, who then became sensible of his crime, and saw his condemnation impending over his head. (Origen) — For the devil does not blind his agents in such a manner, as to leave them insensible of the crime they are about to commit, till it is perpetrated. (St. Chrysostom) — Although Judas conceived a horror at his crime, and confessed it, and made satisfaction to a certain degree by restoring the money, still many essential conditions were wanting to his repentance: 1. Faith in Christ, as God, as a redeemer, as the sole justifier from sin; 2. besides this, there was also wanting hopes of pardon, as in Cain, and a love of a much injured and much offended God. Hence his grief was unavailing, like that of the damned. If Judas, says an ancient Father, had had recourse to sincere repentance, and not to the halter, there was mercy in store even for the traitor. (Haydock)

Hope this helps.
Jeanne

 

[Ron_Conte]

Judas died, and he went to Hell (according to Bl. A.C. Emmerich). But the actual mortal sin for which he is punished in Hell is not the betrayal of Christ. He repented from that sin. It was the sin of despair from the mercy of God, for which he is punished in Hell.

 

[Mijoy2]

Judas died, and he went to Hell (according to Bl. A.C. Emmerich). But the actual mortal sin for which he is punished in Hell is not the betrayal of Christ. He repented from that sin. It was the sin of despair from the mercy of God, for which he is punished in Hell.

I don’t understand this. How does one despair “from” something (such as mercy)?

He repented from the sin of betrayal, then was in despair not trusting God would (or could) show him mercy for this sin?

He simply refused to accept God’s Mercy (possibly)? If so, why would anyone refuse mercy?

 

[LilyM]

I don’t understand this. How does one despair “from” something (such as mercy)?

He repented from the sin of betrayal, then was in despair not trusting God would (or could) show him mercy for this sin?

He simply refused to accept God’s Mercy (possibly)? If so, why would anyone refuse mercy?

Exactly so - some people DO think that their sins are unforgivable and they can’t bring themselves to believe that God will forgive them even if they repent.

And yes, some people do refuse mercy as well, simply because accepting mercy means facing the full extent of their wrongdoing, which is incredibly painful for those who have sinned greatly.

 

[patrick457]

If I might add, in the original Greek, Matthew uses the word ‘Metamelētheis’ (base form: ‘Metamellomai’, Meta- + Melō ‘[take] care’) to describe Judas’ ‘repentance’ (which can also be translated as ‘to regret’, ‘to change one’s mind’ or ‘to have remorse’).

In other cases where the word appears, the word is used in the meaning ‘to change one’s mind’ or ‘to regret’; the word does not have the almost technical religious meaning of the word commonly used for the action ‘to repent’ in the New Testament, ‘Metanoeō’ (Meta- + Noieō ‘to comprehend’, ‘to perceive’, ‘to understand’).