The Narrow Path Ministries

The suicide of Iscariot is referred to in Matthew as hanging. The only other reference in Acts seems to suggest a leap. My personal thought is that he was cut down and thrown into the field.

Would anyone care to edify my lowly soul?

i remember my old ryrie study bible had a note in Acts that said his bowels gushed out due to his ineptness in attempting to hang himself. i always wondered about this myself, however.

i am sure there are those here with a greek lexicon handy that can tell us if the word "hanged" used in the gospels really means "hang by the neck until dead."

TK

I saw a study years ago that shows "hanging' in the Oriental culture is throwing ones self headlong onto his sword like Saul in kings and chronicles,. I think that lines up with scripture , he killed himself by thrusting himself on a stake. and his bowels gushed out,. also I think it was after the Ascension. That is why they replaced him in acts chapter 2.

I do thank you both. I will do a bit more research starting with a Strong's that was recently given to me.

Praise God.

Jesusfollower wrote:I saw a study years ago that shows "hanging' in the Oriental culture is throwing ones self headlong onto his sword like Saul in kings and chronicles,. I think that lines up with scripture , he killed himself by thrusting himself on a stake. and his bowels gushed out,. also I think it was after the Ascension. That is why they replaced him in acts chapter 2.

Source?

The Greek word translated as "hanged" in the present active indicative is "apagchomai". The use of the word is not limited to "hang" as we know it. It's primary meaning is "strangle".

It seems possible that Judas attempted to strangle himself either with his own hands, or perhaps a rope. When a person is strangling, he can lose consciousness and fall. Perhaps Judas fell unconscious upon some sharp object that pierced his belly.

Or could it be that Matthew, a disciple of Jesus, had it right, and that Luke who received his information from Paul, who possibly had knew nothing firsthand about the event, had it wrong? Or does the "inerrancy of the Bible" preclude such a possibility?

Paidion wrote:It seems possible that Judas attempted to strangle himself either with his own hands.

That visual is kind of comical.

Judas hung himself just after Passover and at the beginning of the seven day Feast of Unleavened Bread, which was a major Jewish festival. According to Levitical Law, to touch a corpse made one unclean for seven days. As a result, no one wanted to take Judas' body down because it would make them ceremonially unclean and unable to participate in the festival. Because of this, Judas' bloated body hung for days in the hot Mediterranean sun. It was a scandal. Eventually, either the rope or the branch broke (or someone cut him down). Judas body fell to the earth and burst. Ick.

Are you expressing your theory, Mort?

Or do you have historical documentation for statements?

Asimov wrote:

Paidion wrote:It seems possible that Judas attempted to strangle himself either with his own hands.

That visual is kind of comical.

Agreed...ROFL