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Judas the Betrayer - Mark 14:10
Judas the Betrayer - Mark 14:10
In Mark 14 we read that "Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them" (Mark 14:10). "Betray" and "betrayer" are the translation of the word 'paradidomai' – which literally means to 'give over'. It doesn't always have a sinister meaning, but such IS included within the different meanings given to it. It is translated 'treacherous' in 2 Tim. 3:4 (ESV) where we read of the vices of people: "…treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God." Stephen used it of the unbelieving Jews in Acts 7:52 when he spoke of Jesus as "the righteous one - 'whom you have now betrayed and murdered'…" Josephus used it this way when he wrote "that Cherea at first suspected that some one of the conspirators had betrayed him,"…. (Josephus., Ant. 19,61).
As is so often the case, the context where the word is used must determine the nuance of its meaning in THAT text. Sometimes the context is an over arching one encompassing a whole chapter, a whole book, or even the whole of the story concerning someone.
In our generation, there have been some who want to recast the image of Judas into a 'nice guy'. In that spin he is said to have thought to HELP Jesus by more quickly bringing Him to announce and display His kingship. Judas is thus seen not as evil but as simply misguided in his understanding of the kingdom and plan of God for Jesus.
Such seems not to be the case. In most translations where this word is used in conjunction with Judas, the translators chose the word betray and not 'give over'. Such was the use also in several other passages that are not about Judas.
The idea is said to come from the devil, Satan. John states that as they gather for the last supper, " the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him" (John 13:2). He then records Jesus as saying: "It is the one who I will give this morsel of bread… he gave it to Judas. THEN Satan entered into him" (John 13:26-27).
The ending of doing this is that of being condemned. Jesus spoke of this act by saying that Judas had "lifted his heal against me" (John 13:18). Again Jesus said: "The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” (Matt. 26:24). The apostles applied the statement of Psalm 69:25 to Judas saying: “For it is written in the Book of Psalms, “ ‘May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it’; and “ ‘Let another take his office'" (Acts 1:20).
Such betrayal is in agreement with what we know of his character for he was a 'lover of money'. He was in position to carry the common moneybag from which the disciples supported themselves. He 'used to help himself to what was put into it' (John 12:4-6). We would speak of such a betrayal of the friendship of his comrades and a betrayal of the trust they put in him. Such desire for money is also evident in the betrayal of Jesus. He sought to and did make money out of this betrayal as he agreed for 30 pieces of silver to turn Jesus over. He even plotted to do this when the crowds would not be there to intervene.
It is impossible in light of all of this to think that Judas was actually just trying to help Jesus become king. The translators are correct in their choice of words: traitor and betrayer.
Hugh DeLong
