Passage

Acts 1.18-19

Book: Acts · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV

16. Brethren, it was needful that the Scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spake before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was guide to them that took Jesus. 17. For he was numbered among us, and received his portion in this ministry.

18. (Now this man obtained a field with the reward of his iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. 19. And it became known to all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch that in their language that field was called Akeldama, that is, The field of blood.)

For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be made desolate, And let no man dwell therein: and, His office let another take. 21. Of the men therefore that have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and went out among us, (Acts 1:16-21, ASV)

WEB

16. “Brothers, it was necessary that this Scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was guide to those who took Jesus. 17. For he was counted with us, and received his portion in this ministry.

18. Now this man obtained a field with the reward for his wickedness, and falling headlong, his body burst open, and all his intestines gushed out. 19. It became known to everyone who lived in Jerusalem that in their language that field was called ‘Akeldama,’ that is, ‘The field of blood.’

For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘Let his habitation be made desolate. Let no one dwell therein;’ and, ‘Let another take his office.’ 21. “Of the men therefore who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, (Acts 1:16-21, WEB)

KJV

16. Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. 17. For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.

18. Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. 19. And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.

For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take. ^{bishoprick: or, office, or, charge} 21. Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, (Acts 1:16-21, KJV)

YLT

16. 'Men, brethren, it behoved this Writing that it be fulfilled that beforehand the Holy Spirit spake through the mouth of David, concerning Judas, who became guide to those who took Jesus, 17. because he was numbered among us, and did receive the share in this ministration,

18. this one, indeed, then, purchased a field out of the reward of unrighteousness, and falling headlong, burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed forth, 19. and it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem, insomuch that that place is called, in their proper dialect, Aceldama, that is, field of blood,

for it hath been written in the book of Psalms: Let his lodging-place become desolate, and let no one be dwelling in it, and his oversight let another take. 21. 'It behoveth, therefore, of the men who did go with us during all the time in which the Lord Jesus went in and went out among us, (Acts 1:16-21, YLT)

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Setting

Speaker: Luke, as narrator, in a parenthesis inside Peter's speech
Audience: Theophilus and Luke's readers
Location: Jerusalem
Time period: the narrated events fall between the ascension and Pentecost, c. AD 30

Theological reading

Luke breaks into Peter's speech to explain, for readers who were not there, how the field outside Jerusalem got its name. That parenthetical character matters, because the verses are the New Testament's most cited internal discrepancy.

Matthew 27:3-10 has Judas throw the money into the temple, hang himself, and the priests buy the field with the returned silver. Acts has Judas acquire the field and fall headlong so that he burst open. The standard harmonisation is that the priests bought the field in Judas's name with money legally still his, which is why Luke can say he acquired it, and that the fall followed the hanging when the rope or branch gave way. That reconciliation is possible and is not forced, but it should be presented as a reconstruction rather than as something either text states.

What both accounts independently agree on is the harder and more interesting datum: a member of the Twelve betrayed Jesus and died badly, and the money bought a field near Jerusalem that locals still called by an Aramaic name meaning Field of Blood. No early movement invents a traitor in its founding leadership, and no invented detail acquires an independently attested local place-name. The disagreement is in the manner of death; the embarrassment is common to both. See Bible Contradictions Objection and Minimal Facts Argument.

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word.

G1096 - ginomai, ginomai, Strong's G1096
G3956 - pas, pas, Strong's G3956

Quoted in

Arguments and defeaters:

Concepts:

Apostle, via Acts 1.15-26
Apostolic Succession, via Acts 1.15-26

Notes

Your annotations.

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.