After betraying Jesus, Judas was filled with remorse, tried to give the money back, and then died by suicide; Christian traditions also debate what happened to him spiritually afterward, from damnation to the possibility of mercy.

What the Bible Says Happened

1. Judas’ remorse and return of the money

The Gospel of Matthew says that when Judas saw Jesus was condemned, he regretted what he had done. He went back to the chief priests and elders, confessed, “I have sinned, for I have betrayed innocent blood,” and tried to return the thirty pieces of silver. They refused to take responsibility, so he threw the silver into the temple and left.

2. His death: two biblical descriptions

There are two New Testament passages that describe Judas’ death:

  • Matthew 27:3–5
    • Judas, in despair, went away and hanged himself.
* The religious leaders used the money he returned to buy a potter’s field as a burial place for strangers, which became known as the “Field of Blood.”
  • Acts 1:18–19
    • Acts says Judas acquired a field with the “wages of his wickedness,” fell headlong, his body burst open, and his intestines spilled out.
* This account also connects the place to the name “Field of Blood.”

Christians have long tried to harmonize these: one common explanation is that Judas first hanged himself, and later his body fell and burst open, which would bring Matthew and Acts together rather than put them in direct contradiction.

What Happened to the Money and the Field

  • The thirty pieces of silver are called “blood money” because they were paid to betray Jesus.
  • The priests considered the coins too tainted to put back into the temple treasury, so they used them to buy a potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners.
  • This field, associated both with Judas’ betrayal and his death, became known as the “Field of Blood” (Aramaic: Akeldama).

What About Judas’ Soul?

The Bible does not give a neat, explicit sentence like “Judas went to hell,” but several passages have shaped Christian views.

Traditional view: lost and condemned

  • Many conservative and traditional teachers argue Judas was never truly a faithful disciple and died spiritually lost.
  • They point to verses where Jesus calls him “a devil” or “the son of perdition” and passages in Acts that speak of him going “to his own place.”
  • In this view, his suicide is tragic, but the deeper issue is his rejection of Jesus, not the act of suicide itself.

More cautious or hopeful views

  • Some theologians emphasize that Scripture leaves Judas’ final judgment in God’s hands and caution against dogmatic certainty about his eternal fate.
  • A few modern Christian writers and pastors suggest it is at least possible that God’s mercy could extend even to Judas, though this is not the majority view and goes beyond what the text clearly states.

How People Talk About Judas Today

In modern preaching and discussion, Judas’ story is often used as:

  • A warning about how closeness to religious things is not the same as genuine faith or loyalty.
  • A reflection on guilt, regret, and what we do with our failures: Judas isolated himself and ended in despair instead of seeking forgiveness, in contrast to Peter, who also denied Jesus but returned and was restored.
  • A starting point for conversations about mental anguish and despair, especially around Holy Week, when people revisit the passion story each year.

In many sermons and articles, the “tragedy of Judas” is not just that he betrayed Jesus, but that he didn’t bring his remorse to God for forgiveness, choosing hopelessness instead.

Quick Scoop (TL;DR)

  • Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.
  • Overcome with remorse, he returned the money, confessed he had betrayed innocent blood, and left in despair.
  • Matthew says he hanged himself; Acts adds a grisly description of his body falling and bursting open in a field later called the “Field of Blood.”
  • The money bought that field, linking Judas’ betrayal, his death, and the place together.
  • Most Christian traditions see him as ultimately lost, though some modern voices leave more room for mystery and the possibility of divine mercy.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.