Barnes New Testament Notes

Verse 3. Then entered Satan into Judas. It is not necessary to suppose that Satan entered personally into the body of Judas, but only that he brought him under his influence; he filled his mind with an evil passion, and led him on to betray his Master. The particular passion of which Satan made use was avarice -- probably the besetting sin of Judas. To show its exceeding evil and baseness, it is only necessary to say that when it produced its appropriate effect in this case, it led to the betraying and crucifixion of the Son of God. We may learn, also, that when Satan tempts men, he commonly does it by exciting and raising to the highest pitch their native passions. He does not make them act contrary to their nature, but leads them on to act out their proper disposition.

Satan. This word properly means an adversary or an accuser. It is the name which in the Scriptures is commonly given to the prince or leader of evil spirits, and is given to him because he is the accuser or calumniator of the righteous (see Re 12:10; comp. Job 1:6-9), as well as because he is the adversary of God.

Being of the number of the twelve. One of the twelve apostles. This greatly aggravated his crime. He should have been bound by most tender ties to Jesus. He was one of his family -- long with him, and treated by him with every mark of kindness and confidence; and nothing could more enhance his guilt than thus to make use of this confidence for the commission of one of the basest crimes.

{c} "entered Satan" Mt 26:14; Mr 14:10; Joh 13:2,27