The Meaning of Acts 1:18 Explained

Acts 1:18

KJV: 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.

YLT: 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,

Darby: (This man then indeed got a field with the reward of iniquity, and, having fallen down headlong, burst in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.

ASV: (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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Acts 1:18 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 1:15-26 - Filling A Vacant Place
It may be that the Apostles were acting upon Christ's directions, when they proceeded to the election of a successor to Judas. There was awe in Peter's voice, as he describes the traitor as the guide of the arresting band, although he had been numbered with the Apostles and had obtained part in their ministry. It was as though Peter felt that it might have been himself. He and the rest had stood at the brink of the precipice over which Judas had flung himself.
Evidently there were favored and humble men who, though they did not belong to the brotherhood, had been allowed to company with the Apostles, and had been witnesses of the marvelous story as it had been unrolled before their eyes. They were thus able to give their testimony first-hand. What an honor had been theirs! And now one of them was summoned to take the place of Judas. His qualification was his ability to bear witness to the Resurrection, Acts 1:22. That was the salient point in the primitive evangel. But cannot we all bear witness to it? What but the resurrection of Jesus can account for the hot springs of religious fervor that arise in our wintry hearts! [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 1

1  Christ, preparing his apostles to the beholding of his ascension,
4  gathers them together unto the Mount of Olives,
6  commands them to expect in Jerusalem the sending down of the Holy Spirit,
9  and ascends into heaven in their sight
10  After his ascension they are warned by two angels to depart, and to set their minds upon his second coming
12  They accordingly return, and, giving themselves to prayer,
23  choose Matthias apostle in the place of Judas

Greek Commentary for Acts 1:18

Now this man [ουτος μεν ουν]
Note μεν ουν — men oun again without a corresponding δε — de as in Acts 1:6. Acts 1:18, Acts 1:19 are a long parenthesis of Luke by way of explanation of the fate of Judas. In Acts 1:20 Peter resumes and quotes the scripture to which he referred in Acts 1:16. [source]
Obtained [εκτησατο]
First aorist middle indicative of κταομαι — ktaomai to acquire, only in the middle, to get for oneself. With the covenant money for the betrayal, acquired it indirectly apparently according to Matthew 26:14-16; Matthew 27:3-8 which see. Falling headlong (πρηνης γενομενος — prēnēs genomenos). Attic form usually πρανης — pranēs The word means, not “headlong,” but “flat on the face” as opposed to υπτιος — huptios on the back (Hackett). Hackett observes that the place suits admirably the idea that Judas hung himself (Matthew 27:5) and, the rope breaking, fell flat on his face and burst asunder in the midst (ελακησεν μεσος — elakēsen mesos). First aorist active indicative of λασκω — laskō old verb (here only in the N.T.), to clang, to crack, to crash, like a falling tree. Aristophanes uses it of crashing bones. Μεσος — Mesos is predicate nominative referring to Judas. Gushed out First aorist passive indicative of εκχεω — ekcheō to pour out. [source]
Falling headlong [πρηνης γενομενος]
Attic form usually πρανης — pranēs The word means, not “headlong,” but “flat on the face” as opposed to υπτιος — huptios on the back (Hackett). Hackett observes that the place suits admirably the idea that Judas hung himself (Matthew 27:5) and, the rope breaking, fell flat on his face and burst asunder in the midst First aorist active indicative of λασκω — laskō old verb (here only in the N.T.), to clang, to crack, to crash, like a falling tree. Aristophanes uses it of crashing bones. Μεσος — Mesos is predicate nominative referring to Judas. [source]
Gushed out [εχεχυτη]
First aorist passive indicative of εκχεω — ekcheō to pour out. [source]
Purchased [ἐκτήσατο]
See on possess, Luke 18:12. Better, as Rev., obtained. Judas did not purchase the field, but the priests did with the money which he returned to them, (Matthew 27:7). The expression means merely that the field was purchased with the money of Judas. [source]
Falling headlong [πρηνής γενόμενος]
Lit.,having become headlong. [source]
He burst asunder [ἐλάκησε]
Only here in New Testament. Lit., to crack, to burst with a noise. So Homer, of the bones cracking beneath a blow (“Iliad,” xiii., 616). Compare Aristophanes, “Clouds,” 410. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 1:18

Matthew 27:6 It is not lawful []
In such cases the Jewish law provided that the money was to be restored to the donor; and if he insisted on giving it, that he should be induced to spend it for something for the public weal. This explains the apparent discrepancy between Matthew's account and that in the book of Acts (Acts 1:18). By a fiction of the law the money was still considered to be Judas', and to have been applied by him to the purchase of the potter's field. [source]
Matthew 27:7 The potter‘s field [του αγρου του κεραμεως]
Grotius suggests that it was a small field where potter‘s clay was obtained, like a brickyard (Broadus). Otherwise we do not know why the name exists. In Acts 1:18 we have another account of the death of Judas by bursting open (possibly falling after hanging himself) after he obtained the field by the wages of iniquity. But it is possible that εκτησατο — ektēsato there refers to the rabbinical use of Korban, that the money was still that of Judas though he was dead and so he really “acquired” the field by his blood-money. [source]
Matthew 27:8 The field of blood [αγρος αιματος]
This name was attached to it because it was the price of blood and that is not inconsistent with Acts 1:18. Today potter‘s field carries the idea here started of burial place for strangers who have no where else to lie (εις ταπην τοις χενοις — eis taphēn tois xenois), probably at first Jews from elsewhere dying in Jerusalem. In Acts 1:19 it is called Aceldama or place of blood (χωριον αιματος — chōrion haimatos) for the reason that Judas‘ blood was shed there, here because it was purchased by blood money. Both reasons could be true. [source]
Mark 8:2 I have compassion [σπλαγχνίξομαι]
A peculiar verb, from σπλάγχνα , the inward parts, especially the nobler entrails - the heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys. These came gradually to denote the seat of the affections, like our word heart. This explains the frequent use of the word bowels in the A. V. in the sense of tender mercy, affection, compassion. See Luke 1:78; 2 Corinthians 7:15; Philemon 1:8; Philemon 1:7, Philemon 1:12, Philemon 1:20. The Rev. has properly rejected it in every such case, using it only in its literal sense in the single passage, Acts 1:18. [source]
Acts 1:18 Now this man [ουτος μεν ουν]
Note μεν ουν — men oun again without a corresponding δε — de as in Acts 1:6. Acts 1:18, Acts 1:19 are a long parenthesis of Luke by way of explanation of the fate of Judas. In Acts 1:20 Peter resumes and quotes the scripture to which he referred in Acts 1:16. [source]
Acts 1:20 For it is written [γεγραπται γαρ]
Luke here returns to the address of Peter interrupted by Acts 1:18, Acts 1:19. Perfect passive indicative, the usual idiom in quoting scripture, stands written. Ps 69 is often quoted as Messianic in Matthew and John. [source]
1 Peter 3:8 Pitiful [εὔσπλαγχνοι]
Only here and Ephesians 4:32. Rev., better, tender-hearted. From εὖ , well, and σπλάγχνα , the nobler entrails, which are regarded as the seat of the affections, and hence equivalent to our popular use of heart. The original sense has given rise to the unfortunate translation bowels in the A. V., which occurs in its literal meaning only at Acts 1:18. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 1:18 mean?

This [man] indeed then acquired a field out of [the] reward - of unrighteousness and headlong having fallen he burst open in [the] middle gushed out all the intestines of him
Οὗτος μὲν οὖν ἐκτήσατο χωρίον ἐκ μισθοῦ τῆς ἀδικίας καὶ πρηνὴς γενόμενος ἐλάκησεν μέσος ἐξεχύθη πάντα τὰ σπλάγχνα αὐτοῦ

Οὗτος  This  [man] 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
μὲν  indeed 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: μέν  
Sense: truly, certainly, surely, indeed.
ἐκτήσατο  acquired 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: κτάομαι  
Sense: to acquire, get, or procure a thing for one’s self, to possess.
χωρίον  a  field 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: χωρίον  
Sense: a space, a place, a region, a district.
ἐκ  out  of 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐκ 
Sense: out of, from, by, away from.
μισθοῦ  [the]  reward 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: μισθός  
Sense: dues paid for work.
τῆς  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἀδικίας  of  unrighteousness 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: ἀδικία  
Sense: injustice, of a judge.
πρηνὴς  headlong 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: πρηνής  
Sense: headlong.
γενόμενος  having  fallen 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Middle, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: γίνομαι  
Sense: to become, i.
ἐλάκησεν  he  burst  open 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λακάω 
Sense: to crack, crackle, crash.
μέσος  in  [the]  middle 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: μέσος  
Sense: middle.
ἐξεχύθη  gushed  out 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἐκχέω 
Sense: to pour out, shed forth.
σπλάγχνα  intestines 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Plural
Root: σπλάγχνον  
Sense: bowels, intestines, (the heart, lungs, liver, etc.).
αὐτοῦ  of  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.