The chief priests picked up the pieces of silver and said, “It is unlawful to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.”
6. It is not lawful for us to throw it into the treasury. Hence it plainly appears that hypocrites, by attending to nothing more than the outward appearance, are guilty of gross trifling with God. Provided that they do not violate their Corban, (Mark 7:11,) they imagine that in other matters they are pure, and give themselves no concern about the infamous bargain, by which...
And the chief priests took the silver pieces,.... Off of the ground, after Judas was gone, no other daring to meddle with them; for in any other it would have been deemed sacrilege; and they being the proper persons to take care and dispose of money brought into the temple: and if not, their covetous disposition would have moved them to take up the money...
Verse 6. It is not lawful, etc. It was forbidden to take what was esteemed as an abomination, and to offer it to God. The price of blood--that is, of the life of a man--they justly considered as an improper and unlawful offering. The treasury. The treasury was kept in the court of the women. See plan of the temple, .