Why Are Judas and Judah So Similar?

In this video I look at why Judah and Judas are so similar.

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| Transcription |
Welcome back to The Bible is Art where we explore the literary artistry of the Bible and this week we’re talking about how Judas is a counterfeit Judah.

We normally name our children for aesthetic reasons but in the Bible characters names reveal something about their character and they normally have a plot function, and this is especially true if their names are repeated more than is necessary for good concise writing as in the case of Judas.

First, a linguistic note. Judas is the same name as Judah. Whenever you transliterates words from one language to another they go through changes. So, for instance, Isaiah becomes Isaias and Elijah becomes Elias, and Judah becomes Judas.

So if Judas is just Judah, what’s the significance? It’s such a famous name that it’s unlikely that it’s just happenstance.

Well, let’s think about Judah in the Old Testament.

Judah was one of the twelve sons of Jacob who sold his brother into slavery for silver. He is then transformed when he sees an innocent person suffer (Tamar) because of something he did. His transformation is then demonstrated by his willingness to be replaced in jail for his brother Benjamin, reversing his first act.

Notice the similarities to Judas. Like Judah he is one of twelve who sells his brother, Jesus, for silver. When he sees an innocent person suffer (Jesus) he changes his mind and gives the money back.

Even the first words of each character are strangely similar.

The first words of Judah - Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? (Gen 27)

The first words of Judas - Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” (Matthew 26:14-15).

Both are questions and both are schemes against a brother that concern how they will profit from the betrayal of their brother.

Now with these similarities you might think that he is an image of Judah, but he is actually a false image, a parody. You see, his repentance is a false repentance. You can judge the nature of a repentant action by its results, what actions follow and are a result of the repentance.

Judah’s action after his repentance was his self-sacrifice for his brother, Judas’ action is self-murder, suicide. Like most evil, it mimics goodness, it is deceptive so it appears to be one thing when in reality it is the opposite.

Judas appears to be like Judah, but he is the inverse. He has a specious repentance that issues in murder. Judah’s repentance results in life, the giving of life to a brother. And that, my friends, is why, the Bible is Art.