Original Text
Τότε ἰδὼν Ἰούδας ὁ παραδιδοὺς αὐτὸν ὅτι κατεκρίθη, μεταμεληθεὶς ἀπέστρεψε τὰ τριάκοντα ἀργύρια τοῖς ἀρχιερεῦσι καὶ πρεσβυτέροις
Literal English Translation
Then Judas, the one who betrayed him, seeing that he was condemned, regretted it and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and elders.
Nuances in Greek Motion and Emotion
The aorist participle ἰδών (“having seen”) introduces the cause of his regret. The subordinate clause ὅτι κατεκρίθη uses the aorist passive κατεκρίθη (“he was condemned”), a forensic verb used both in Classical and Koine Greek for legal verdicts. In Plato or Lysias, it often appears in courtroom orations. In this passage, the participle precedes the main verb, a stylistic trait seen in both Koine and Classical narrative prose.
This word stands at the emotional core of the verse. It is the aorist passive participle of μεταμέλομαι, distinct from μετανοέω. The former implies regret or remorse after the fact—an emotional reaction rather than moral transformation. Classical authors (e.g., Xenophon, Thucydides) use it with a sense of changed feeling, sometimes too late. In Koine, it leans toward emotional regret rather than repentance in a redemptive sense.
The verb ἀποστρέφω here is aorist active indicative, meaning “returned” (with the nuance of giving something back, often in shame or guilt). In Classical usage, it can mean “to turn back” physically or emotionally. The term ἀργύριον in plural typically refers to silver coins—a commercial term present in both registers, though Koine frequently uses it in narrative scenes with theological undertones (cf. Zechariah 11:12 LXX).
Side-by-Side Phrase Contrast
| Expression | In This Verse | In Earlier Greek | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| μεταμελεῖσθαι | Regret over an irreversible action | Emotional regret, especially political or strategic (Xenophon) | Not synonymous with repentance; implies remorse without renewal |
| ἀποστρέφειν | To return something physically | Often spatial—“to turn away from,” “to retreat” (Thucydides) | Koine shifts it to commercial or interpersonal contexts |
| κατακρίνεσθαι | Legal condemnation | Formal judicial usage in oratory (Lysias, Demosthenes) | Maintains full legal force in both eras |
Subtle Register Shift: ὁ παραδιδοὺς αὐτόν
This participial phrase (“the one who was betraying him”) highlights identity through action. The use of a present participle in apposition with a name is common in both Classical and Koine literature but carries more narrative weight in Koine. In Herodotus, such apposition is often descriptive; in the Gospels, it’s often judgmental or theological.
Numeric and Monetary Realism
τὰ τριάκοντα ἀργύρια reflects a precise monetary amount, echoing Zechariah 11:12 and functioning as both historical realism and prophetic fulfillment. In Classical drama, sums of money often symbolize betrayal, loyalty, or irony (e.g., Euripides’ use of ransom). In Koine, money terms often become charged with symbolic meaning.
Closing Perspective
Though every word in this sentence belongs comfortably within the mechanics of both Classical and Koine Greek, their arrangement, emphasis, and emotive force are distinctively Gospel-centered. It is not merely grammar—it is grief framed in syntax. Judas is not philosophizing about remorse; he is drowning in it.
