Matthew 26:15 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

They covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver— Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, (a circumstance of such high aggravation, that each of the evangelists has marked it out in this view) having been more forward than the rest in condemning the woman, or, most probably, the only one who did so, thought himself peculiarly affronted by the rebuke which Jesus gave. Rising up, therefore, he went straightwayinto the city, to the high-priest's palace, where he found the whole council seasonably assembled, and, being in a passion, he promised to put his Master into their hands for the reward of thirty pieces of silver, τριακοντα αγυρια. The Αργυριον is commonly supposed to have been the Jewish shekel, which, properly speaking, was the denomination of a weight equal to twenty gerahs, (Exodus 30:13.) each weighing sixteen barley-corns. The shekel therefore was equal to the weight of 320 barley-corns, or half a Roman ounce; consequently in silver was equal to two shillings one farthing and a half sterling. Thirty shekels were the price of a slave: see Zechariah 11:13. It deserves to be remarked, that Judas did not fix this price himself, but the Jewish Sanhedrim; and therefore, as it was the very price predicted by a prophet, no collusion could be suspected between Christ and his disciples, to make an appearance of his resembling the Messiah in such circumstances, as otherwise he might not have resembled him. This price was fixed by his enemies, who would have done all they could to prevent any resemblance between the circumstances of our Lord's life, and those which were foretold of the life of the Messiah. It was chosen, above all other prices, to shew their enmity, and to disgrace the character of Christ, as it was the price and ransom of the meanest slave: but their malice counteracted itself; and the circumstance which they pitched upon to vilify our Lord's character, served to exalt and ennoble it, by shewing him really to be the person of whom the prophet had spoken. As the treachery of Judas Iscariot must raise the astonishment of every reader, who has any just notion of our Lord's character, some particular considerations will be found at the end of this chapter, respecting the motives which swayed him to be guilty of such an atrocious crime, and the circumstances that attended it.