Topical Encyclopedia
Definition and Etymology:Aceldama, also known as the "Field of Blood," is a term derived from the Aramaic words "ḥăqēl dĕmā'," which translates to "field of blood." This name is associated with a plot of land in Jerusalem that holds significant biblical and historical importance.
Biblical References:Aceldama is mentioned in the New Testament, specifically in the Book of Acts. In
Acts 1:19 , it is written: "This became known to all the residents of Jerusalem, so they called that field in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood." The field is also indirectly referenced in
Matthew 27:7-8 : "So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day."
Historical Context:The field gained its name due to its association with the betrayal of Jesus Christ by Judas Iscariot. According to the Gospel of Matthew, Judas, filled with remorse after betraying Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, returned the money to the chief priests and elders. Unwilling to keep the blood money, they used it to purchase the potter's field as a burial place for foreigners, thus giving it the name "Field of Blood."
Theological Significance:Aceldama serves as a poignant reminder of the consequences of sin and betrayal. Judas Iscariot's actions, driven by greed and later regret, led to his tragic end and the purchase of this field. The field symbolizes the fulfillment of prophecy and the unfolding of God's sovereign plan, even through human actions that appear to be driven by evil intentions.
Prophetic Fulfillment:The purchase of the potter's field is seen as a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. In
Matthew 27:9-10 , the event is linked to the words of the prophet Jeremiah, although it more closely aligns with
Zechariah 11:12-13. This connection underscores the continuity and coherence of Scripture, highlighting how events in the New Testament fulfill the prophecies and foreshadowings of the Old Testament.
Location and Tradition:Traditionally, Aceldama is located in the Hinnom Valley, south of Jerusalem. It has been identified with a specific site that has been used as a burial ground for centuries. The field's association with death and burial further emphasizes its somber significance in biblical history.
Cultural Impact:Aceldama has captured the imagination of Christian tradition and literature, often symbolizing the price of betrayal and the tragic consequences of sin. It serves as a moral and spiritual lesson, reminding believers of the gravity of their choices and the redemptive power of repentance and forgiveness through Christ.
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary
Aceldamafield of blood
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Aceldama(the field of blood) (Akeldama in the Revised Version), the name given by the Jews of Jerusalem to a field near Jerusalem purchased by Judas with the money which he received for the betrayal of Christ, and so called from his violent death therein. (Acts 1:19) The "field of blood" is now shown on the steep southern face of the valley or ravine of Hinnom, "southwest of the supposed pool of Siloam."
ATS Bible Dictionary
AceldamaField of blood, a small field south of Jerusalem, which the priest purchased with the thirty pieces of silver that Judas had received as the price of our Savior's blood,Matthew 27:8;Acts 1:19. Pretending that it was not lawful to appropriate this money to sacred uses, because it was the price of blood, they purchased with it the so- called potter's field, to be a burying-place for strangers. Judas is said,Acts 1:8, to have purchased the field, because it was bought with his money. Tradition points out this field on the steep side of the hill of Evil Counsel overhanging the valley of Hinnom on the south. It appears to have been used, since the time of he crusaders, as a sepulchre for pilgrims, and subsequently by the Armenians. At present it is not thus used.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
The name which the Jews gave in their proper tongue, i.e., in Aramaic, to the field which was purchased with the money which had been given to the betrayer of our Lord. The word means "field of blood." It was previously called "the potter's field" (
Matthew 27:7, 8;
Acts 1:19), and was appropriated as the burial-place for strangers. It lies on a narrow level terrace on the south face of the valley of Hinnom. Its modern name is Hak ed-damm.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(
n.) The potter's field, said to have lain south of Jerusalem, purchased with the bribe which Judas took for betraying his Master, and therefore called the field of blood. Fig.: A field of bloodshed.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
ACELDAMAa-sel'-da-ma. SeeAKELDAMA.
Greek
184. Hakeldamach -- Hakeldama, a field appar. located south of the......Aceldama. Of Chaldee origin (meaning field of blood; corresponding to kathairesis
and exapatao); Akeldama, a place near Jerusalem --
Aceldama.
...Library
Walamir and Eutyches
... purify. On such anAceldama no church could ever be built again. In the
capital of the East the era of the Goths was at an end....
"And Truly Our Fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son...
... It is a strange thing, and much to be lamented, that Christendom should be a field
of blood, anaceldama, beyond other places of the world, that where the...
Index of Subjects.
... Abraham, humility of, [2]175, [3]439; heartiness of, [4]237; varied life of,
[5]330; craft of, [6]350.Aceldama, how a witness of the truth, [7]508....
Letter Liii. To the Chorepiscopi.
... For alike the lands and the hands of all that make such gain shall be calledAceldama.
[2198]. Footnotes: [2192] Placed in the beginning of the episcopate....
Anathema and Grace
... of Paul, and to which belong, for the most part, the other untranslated words that
are scattered up and down the Gospels, such as 'Aceldama,' 'Ephphatha,' and...
Acts i. 12
... [63] "And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field
is called in their proper tongueAceldama, that is to say, the field of blood...
Philip and St. Jerome
... He mused for many solemn moments under the ragged and wind-swept tree onAceldama,
the scene of the suicide of Judas; and one night, never to be forgotten"it...
The Desolations of the Lord, the Consolation of his Saints
... Oh! I say, then, come and see the Lord's hand in "Aceldama, the field of blood."
Come ye, and behold the Lord's hand in every shake of the pillars of the...
Practical Observations.
... extending miles of grave-stones and ever-lengthening pavement of tombs and sepulchres,"
have become little more than one vast cemetery"anAceldama, a field...
The War of Truth
... with Christ's church will be degraded into a mere battle of brute force and garments
rolled in blood; and so the world will again be anAceldama"a field of...
Thesaurus
Aceldama (1 Occurrence)... Fig.: A field of bloodshed. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
ACELDAMA.
a-sel'-da-ma. See AKELDAMA. Multi-Version Concordance
Aceldama (1 Occurrence).
...Accustomed (15 Occurrences)
Achaia (11 Occurrences)
Inhabitants (254 Occurrences)
... Acts 1:19 And it was known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that that field
was called in their own dialectAceldama; that is, field of blood.) (DBY RSV...
Insomuch (24 Occurrences)
... Acts 1:19 And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that
field is called in their proper tongue,Aceldama, that is to say, The field of...
Dialect (6 Occurrences)
... Acts 1:19 And it was known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that that field
was called in their own dialectAceldama; that is, field of blood.) (DBY YLT...
Dwelling (340 Occurrences)
... Acts 1:19 and it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem, insomuch that
that place is called, in their proper dialect,Aceldama, that is, field of blood...
Dwellers (12 Occurrences)
... Acts 1:19 And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that
field is called in their proper tongue,Aceldama, that is to say, The field of...
Akeldama (1 Occurrence)
... a-kel'-da-ma (Akeldama, or, in many manuscripts, Akeldamach; the King James Version,
Aceldama): A field said in Acts 1:19 to have been bought by Judas with the...
Field (390 Occurrences)
... For Ramathaim-zophim see RAMAH. FIELD. feld. See AGRICULTURE. POTTER'S FIELD.
pot'-erz. SeeACELDAMA. Multi-Version Concordance Field (390 Occurrences)....
Resources
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