Thirty pieces of silver

Thirty pieces of silver is an expression used to denote selling off someone who is innocent for profit, or a personal betrayal for profit. It traces its origins to the Bible and Judas' betrayal of Jesus for "30 pieces of silver" (Matt 26:15). The original passage is in the Old Testament (Zec 11:12-13) and the betrayal of Jesus is considered to be the fulfillment of that prophecy.