Matthew 27:4

‘Saying, “I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? You see to it.”

Meeting with the Chief Priest's representatives he declared to them that he had sinned in betraying innocent blood. Compare Deuteronomy 27:25 where a curse is pronounced on the one who betrays innocent blood. Thus Judas no doubt belatedly recognised that he had come under that curse. We can, however, also compare 1 Samuel 19:5 where to kill David is to sin against innocent blood, how much more then to kill the Son of David. Furthermore innocent blood was also connected in Jeremiah 19:4 with the casting of the potter's clay vessel into the Valley of Hinnom, which connects with the prophecy in Matthew 27:10, and which to some extent parallels Judas' action in Matthew 27:5. Thus we are reminded by the phrase ‘innocent blood', that Judas has put himself under a curse, has betrayed the son of David, and has brought judgment on Jerusalem.

Perhaps Judas hoped that even now he could change their attitude towards Jesus by declaring His innocence. He quite probably actually believed that they were men of principle and conscience, who could be convinced of their error. He soon discovered his mistake. Their reply indicated his error. They could not have cared less. ‘That's your affair', was their callous reply. ‘What's it got to do with us? You see to it.' In fact it should, of course, have had a great deal to do with them, for here was a soul in torment for whom they were supposed to show concern. But they wanted to wash their hands of the whole affair. They had got what they wanted. Judas no longer mattered.

But for Matthew there is also a deliberate contrast here with Pilate's declaration of his own innocence. Compare “I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood” with “I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man” (Matthew 27:24). ‘Righteous man' indicated that Pilate agreed with Judas about Jesus' innocence. In contrast with Judas, however, he does not feel blood guilty, but he undoubtedly was. For a man given judicial responsibility cannot wash his hands in innocency when he fails to fulfil it. Note that both end with ‘see you to it' (one singular ‘you', one plural ‘you'). The Chief Priests and Elders were trying to deny responsibility, as, in a similar way, was Pilate. But both failed to achieve their purpose. Interestingly only Judas appears as honest in this sequence, even if his honesty is an admission of guilt.