Acts 1:18 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Now this man purchased a field, &c.— It means, Occasioned the purchasing a field. It is worth observing, that an action is sometimes said in scripture to be done by a person who was the occasion of doing it. See Genesis 42:38. Exodus 23:8. Romans 14:15. 1 Corinthians 7:16 and 1 Timothy 4:16. To what has been said in the note on Matthew 27:5 on the death of Judas, we subjoin the following observationsof different writers. Casaubon observes, that Judas hanged himself; but the rope breaking, he fell down, and, by the fall, broke his belly. He supposes therefore, that St. Matthew relates only the beginning of the history, and St. Luke the conclusion. Stephanus, in his Lexicon, says, that when Judas had put the rope about his neck, throwing himself forward from the place where he stood, he burst his belly by the shock which he received; and with this opinion Dr. Whitby seems to agree. Hensius interprets the word απηγξατο in Matthew, he was suffocated by the anguish of his mind; to which he applies what is said by the LXX. 2 Samuel 17:23 and Job 7:15 and adds, "such a suffocation is wont to occasion a rupture;" which he thinks is applicable to St. Luke's account. Gronovius understands the word to signify he hung himself, but then he interprets the expression πρηνης εγεντο, falling headlong, in a passive sense, as if Judas's body, when dead, was cut down by some other person, and so burst by the fall. Lastly, Perizonius, agreeing with Hensius, understands St. Matthew as speaking only of a suffocation arising from a melancholy disorder; which sense of the word he proves from a variety of examples, But then he supposes, that thisdid not kill Judas, who afterwards threw himself down from an eminence upon his face, and broke his belly by the fall; which is what is referred to by St. Luke.