Matthew Chapter 27, Verse 3
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3: τοτε ιδων ιουδας ο παραδιδους αυτον οτι κατεκριθη μεταμεληθεις απεστρεψεν τα τριακοντα αργυρια τοις αρχιερευσιν και τοις πρεσβυτεροις
3: Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was
condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty
pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
3: Then Judas, who betrayed him, seeing that he was condemned,
repenting himself, brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief
priests and ancients,
Then Judas - when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself. This shows that Judas did not suppose that the affair would have results in this calamitous manner. He probably expected that Jesus would have worked a miracle to deliver himself, and not have suffered this condemnation to come upon him. When he saw him taken, bound, tried, and condemned; when he saw that all probability that he would deliver himself was taken away, he was overwhelmed with disappointment, sorrow, and remorse of conscience. The word rendered repented himself, it has been observed, does not of necessity denote a change for the better, but any change of views and feelings. Here it evidently means no other change than that produced by the horrors of a guilty conscience, and by deep remorse, for crime at its unexpected results. It was not saving repentance; that leads to a holy life: this led to an increase of crime in his own death. True repentance leads the sinner to Jesus: this led away from Jesus to the gallows. Judas, if he had been a true penitent, would have come then to Jesus, confessed his crime at his feet, and sought for pardon there. But, overwhelmed with remorse, and the conviction of vast guilt, he was not willing to come into his presence, and added to the crime of a traitor that of self-murder. Assuredly, such a man could not be a true penitent.
