Why did Judas throw the thirty pieces of silver at the priests' feet?
Judas threw the thirty pieces of silver at the priests’ feet because of his own guilt. He had taken the money as the reward of iniquity, but he returned it to the temple priests and cast it down before them, and the priest recognized it as blood money.
Les explains that Judas had been with Jesus and the others for three years and even served as treasurer, holding the bag, yet he never had a spiritual part in the ministry. Jesus Himself called him a devil or demon from the beginning, so Judas fooled the other eleven men but never fooled Jesus. David by inspiration had prophesied the betrayal, but Judas still had free will and full opportunity to accept. When he took his thirty pieces of silver, he brought them back to the priest at the temple and threw them at their feet because of his own guilt. The priest, knowing it was blood money, and Judas purchased the field with the reward of iniquity.