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.
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.
- Acts 1:16
- Acts 1:25
- John 6:71
- John 12:4
- John 13:2
- John 13:26
- John 13:29
- John 18:2
- John 18:3
- John 18:5
- Luke 22:3
- Luke 22:47
- Luke 22:48
- Matthew 10:4
- Matthew 26:14
- Matthew 26:25
- Matthew 26:47
- Matthew 27:3
- Mark 3:19
- Mark 14:10
- Mark 14:43
What else appears in these passages?
These turn up in the same passages as Judas.
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.
