Protos

Who was Judas in the Bible?

Apostle, in the New Testament era

Iscariot was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, known for his betrayal of Jesus, which led to His arrest and crucifixion. Judas appears in 21 verses across 5 books of the Bible.

The Kiss of Judas
The Kiss of Judas · James Tissot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

What does the Bible say about Judas?

Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, known for his betrayal of Jesus, which led to His arrest and crucifixion. He is consistently identified as "Judas Iscariot" or "Judas, the one who betrayed Him" throughout the Gospels (Mat.10.4; 26.14; Mrk.3.19; Luk.6.16; Jhn.6.71). Judas is first mentioned in the lists of the twelve apostles (Mat.10.4; Mrk.3.19; Luk.6.16). He served as the treasurer for the group, but he was also described as a thief who would take money from the common purse (Jhn.12.4-6). During the Last Supper, Jesus predicted that one of His disciples would betray Him (Mat.26.21; Mrk.14.18; Luk.22.21; Jhn.13.21). Judas was identified as the betrayer when Jesus handed him a piece of bread (Jhn.13.26-27). After this, Judas left to carry out his plan (Jhn.13.30). Judas approached the chief priests and offered to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (Mat.26.14-16; Mrk.14.10-11; Luk.22.3-6). He then led a group of armed men to the Garden of Gethsemane, where he identified Jesus with a kiss, leading to His arrest (Mat.26.47-50; Mrk.14.43-46; Luk.22.47-48; Jhn.18.2-5). After Jesus' condemnation, Judas, filled with remorse, tried to return the money to the chief priests and elders, but they refused to accept it. He then threw the money into the temple and went out and hanged himself (Mat.27.3-5). The chief priests used the money to buy a potter's field, which became known as the Field of Blood (Mat.27.6-10; Act.1.18-19). The apostles later recognized Judas' betrayal as a fulfillment of prophecy (Act.1.16) and chose Matthias to replace him among the twelve (Act.1.23-26). Judas' betrayal of Jesus played a crucial role in the events leading to Jesus' crucifixion and the ultimate fulfillment of God's plan of salvation. His actions serve as a tragic example of the consequences of greed, deceit, and turning away from God.

Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.

Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.

Where does Judas appear in the Bible?

Judas is referenced in 21 verses across 5 books. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.

John 8Matthew 5Luke 3Mark 3Acts 2

What else appears in these passages?

These turn up in the same passages as Judas.

JesusEldersDavidDevilPoorNazareth

Common questions

How many times does the Bible mention Judas?

Judas appears in 21 verses across 5 books, most often in John, which accounts for 8 of them.

Which books of the Bible mention Judas?

John, Matthew, Luke, Mark, Acts.

Where can I read every verse about Judas?

This page lists 21 of them. Protos carries all 21, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.

Read it in context

Read John with Judas explained on the verse.

Tap any name, place, or word you do not recognize and the background opens on the verse you are reading. No second tab, no search, no losing your place.

The Protos reader open on Genesis 1 with the How to Read Genesis background sheet raised over it
Download Protos

Testimonies from pastors and Bible teachers

Portrait of Darren Raynald
“Great app for diving into Scripture wherever you are. It makes it easy and convenient to study on the go.”

Darren Raynald

Pastor, MountainHouse Church · Teaches at Portland Bible College

Portrait of Jason Layantara
“Been using Protos for months now. Protos is an amazing Bible study app for anyone who wants to grow deeper in God's Word. I love how it helps me understand Scripture beyond simply reading the verses, providing helpful historical context, commentary, and insights into the original Hebrew and Greek. The resources make it easier to engage with the Bible and grow in understanding.”

Jason Layantara

Teaching Pastor, MountainHouse Church · M.A. in Christian Leadership · Bible class teacher, Lake Tahoe

"People often think they have a discipline problem because they struggle to read the Bible for more than a few minutes, while they can watch movies for hours. It may not be an attention-span problem so much as an immersion problem: when you understand the story, the people, the world, and what is happening, two hours can disappear. But when you do not understand what you are reading, even ten minutes can feel like work. So you skim past the words and jump straight to what the passage means for you before you have listened to what God is saying through the text, the story, and the voice of the writer. It happens so often that theology has a name for it: eisegesis."
Fabio Jonathan ArifinFabio JonathanFounder of Protos · Portland Bible College graduate

Protos helps you close that gap so you can stop skimming and start getting immersed in the world of the Bible.

★★★★★4.8 from 117 App Store ratings

The streak feature actually got people in my congregation excited to read, especially the youth. We've started comparing notes after service.
PhilPastor, Ohio
between work + kids i barely get time to breathe lol. but protos somehow helps making deep studies doable. i've been reading during lunch breaks again for the first time in years.
CalebA dad
been using protos for like 2 weeks now. It helps me prep for our small group without getting overwhelmed. The context snippets show up right where I need them.
Chloe ChuaSmall group leader, Singapore

Start understanding the Bible better.

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play