This verse has been variously expounded: 1. Some suppose that the words, that he might go to his own place, are spoken of Judas, and his punishment in hell, which they say must be the own place of such a person as Judas.

2. Others refer them to the purchase of the field, made by the thirty pieces of silver for which he had sold our Lord. So he abandoned the ministry and apostolate, that he might go to his own place, viz. that which he had purchased.

3. Others, with more seeming propriety, state that his own place means his own house, or former occupation; he left this ministry and apostleship that he might resume his former employment in conjunction with his family, &c. This is primarily the meaning of it in Num. xxiv. 25: And Balaam returned to HIS OWN PLACE, i.e. to his own country, friends, and employment.

4. Others think it simply means the state of the dead in general, independently of either rewards or punishments; as is probably meant by Eccles. iii. 20: All go unto ONE PLACE: all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

But, 5. Some of the best critics assert that the words (as before hinted) belong to Matthias-his own place being the office to which he was about to be elected. Should any object, this could not be called his own place, because he was not yet appointed to it, but hell might be properly called Judas's own place, because, by treason and covetousness, he was fully prepared for that place of torment, it may be answered, that the own or proper place of a man is that for which he is eligible from being qualified for it, though he may not yet possess such a place: so St. Paul, Every man shall receive HIS OWN reward, ton idion misqon, called there his own, not from his having it already in possession, for that was not to take place until the resurrection of the just; but from his being qualified in this life for the state of glory in the other. See the observations at the end of the chapter.

John Gill's Bible Commentary

And another of their writers f55 , on the same passage, has this remark, and he returned to his place, and he does not say, �he went on his way, for he was driven out of his way, and went down to hell.�

And agreeably to what is said of Job�s friends, the Targumist on ( Job 2:11) paraphrases the words thus; �and there came a man, or everyone from his place, and by this merit they were delivered from the place, prepared for them in hell.�

And which place the same Targumist on ( Job 8:4) calls �whydrm rta , �the place of their rebellion�; that is, procured by it: and so Judas�s own place was what he had merited by his sin, and was righteously appointed for him; and though it was not peculiar to him, but common to all impenitent sinners, yet very proper for him, as a betrayer; for it is a settled point with the Jews f56 , that �he that betrays an Israelite into the hands of the Gentiles (so Judas betrayed his master), whether in his body, or in his substance, has no part in the world to come.�

This clause is by some understood not of Judas, but of Matthias, or of him that was to come in the room of Judas; and by �his own place� it is thought is meant, the �part of the ministry and apostleship�, in the former clause, and which the Alexandrian copy reads, �the place of this ministry�, he was to take; and now Judas by his iniquity falling from it, made way for another, for Matthias to go to his own place, which God had in his counsel and purposes designed for him; or �into his place�, as the Syriac and Arabic versions render it; that is, into the place of Judas, to take his place among the apostles, in his room and stead: the Alexandrian copy reads, �into that righteous place�.

Matthew Henry Commentary

Greek Textus Receptus