Galatians 3:13 kjv
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Galatians 3:13 nkjv
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"),
Galatians 3:13 niv
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole."
Galatians 3:13 esv
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us ? for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree" ?
Galatians 3:13 nlt
But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."
Galatians 3 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Galatians 3:13 | Christ redeemed us...cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree. | Fulfillment of OT Law |
| Deuteronomy 21:22-23 | Anyone hung on a tree is under God's curse. | Legal precedent of curse |
| Acts 5:30 | God raised Jesus from the dead, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. | New Testament affirmation |
| Acts 10:39 | They killed him, hanging him on a cross. | Crucifixion as cursing |
| 1 Corinthians 1:23 | We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block... | Offense of the cross |
| 2 Corinthians 5:21 | For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin. | Substitutionary atonement |
| Colossians 2:14 | He canceled the written regulations...by nailing it to the cross. | Abolishing the law |
| 1 Peter 2:24 | He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross. | Bearing our sin on the cross |
| Isaiah 53:10 | Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and make his life an offering for sin. | Suffering Servant prophecy |
| Hebrews 9:22 | Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. | Blood atonement necessity |
| Hebrews 10:14 | For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. | Finality of Christ's sacrifice |
| Ephesians 1:7 | In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. | Redemption through His blood |
| Romans 3:24 | And are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. | Redemption and Justification |
| Romans 8:3 | God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to deal with sin. | Dealing with sin through Son |
| John 3:14 | As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up. | Typology of the lifted serpent |
| Numbers 21:9 | Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. | The bronze serpent story |
| Matthew 27:46 | My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? | Jesus' cry of abandonment |
| Luke 23:34 | Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. | Jesus' prayer for His persecutors |
| Revelation 13:8 | Everyone whose name was not written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb. | Lamb slain from the foundation |
| Galatians 3:10 | For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse. | Connection to previous verse |
| Galatians 3:14 | So that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles. | Purpose of redemption |
Galatians 3 verses
Galatians 3 13 Meaning
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. This is because it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."
Galatians 3 13 Context
This verse is found in Galatians, where Paul is passionately defending the gospel against those who were insisting that Gentiles must adhere to the Mosaic Law to be truly saved. Paul argues that salvation comes solely through faith in Jesus Christ, not through works of the Law. He establishes that the Law itself brings a curse upon those who do not perfectly obey it. Therefore, to escape this curse, humanity needed a Redeemer. Paul asserts that Jesus Christ, through His sacrificial death on the cross (being "hung on a tree"), bore this curse Himself, thereby redeeming all who believe in Him from its penalty. This was the divine plan to bless both Jews and Gentiles through faith, fulfilling the promises made to Abraham.
Galatians 3 13 Word Analysis
- Χριστὸς (Christos): Anointed One. Refers to Jesus as the Messiah, the divinely appointed Savior.
- ἡμᾶς (hemās): Us. Refers to believers, encompassing both Jews and Gentiles who have faith in Christ.
- ἐξηγόρασεν (exēgorasen): Redeemed, bought out. From "agora" (marketplace), implying a purchasing from bondage or sin. It signifies liberation through a price paid.
- ἐκ (ek): From. Indicates the source or origin from which we are bought out.
- τῆς (tēs): The. Definite article.
- κατάρας (katara): Curse. The penalty for disobedience to divine law. It carries the weight of condemnation and divine displeasure.
- τοῦ (tou): The. Definite article.
- νόμου (nomou): Law. Refers specifically to the Mosaic Law given through Moses.
- γενόμενος (genomenos): Having become, being. Participle indicating Christ's action and state.
- ὑπὲρ (hyper): For, instead of, on behalf of. Signifies substitution – Christ taking our place.
- ἡμῶν (hēmōn): Our. Possessive pronoun, referring to humanity under the curse.
- κατάρα (katara): Curse. Reinforces the previous usage, emphasizing Christ's bearing of this condemnation.
- γέγραπται (gegraptai): It is written. Indicates that this is a divine truth supported by Scripture.
- ἀρὰ (ara): Curse. A synonym for "katara," reinforcing the severity and reality of the curse.
- πᾶς (pās): Every, all. Emphasizes universality.
- ὁ (ho): Who. Relative pronoun.
- κρεμάμενος (kremamenos): Hanging. Specifically refers to being affixed to a pole or cross.
- ἐν (en): On, in. Preposition.
- ξύλῳ (xylō): Tree. Refers to a wooden beam or stake, specifically the cross in its early depiction or concept of crucifixion.
Word Group Analysis:
- "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law": This central phrase establishes Christ's salvific work as a transaction – buying believers out of the state of condemnation pronounced by the Law.
- "by becoming a curse for us": This highlights the means of redemption – Christ's substitutionary bearing of the curse that belonged to us due to our sin and transgression of the Law.
- "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree": This quote from Deuteronomy is Paul's direct proof text, showing that crucifixion was understood under the Mosaic Law as the ultimate mark of God's curse, a penalty Christ willingly took upon Himself.
Galatians 3 13 Bonus Section
The Old Testament practice of hanging a condemned person on a tree (Deuteronomy 21:22-23) was a visible sign of being accursed by God, marking them as uniquely offensive to the divine presence. Paul's application of this to Jesus' crucifixion powerfully communicates that Jesus, the Righteous One, endured the deepest form of divine wrath and public shame on behalf of sinners. This refutes any notion that adherence to the Law is a means to merit salvation or remove the curse; instead, the Law’s curse is entirely dealt with by Christ's finished work. The "tree" is interpreted not just as wood, but as the instrument of a public, shameful execution that carried the gravest spiritual implications. This substitutionary death makes it possible for the Gentiles to receive Abraham's blessing through faith, breaking down the barriers the Law created.
Galatians 3 13 Commentary
Paul articulates the foundational concept of the atonement: Christ's redemptive act secured our freedom from the penalty of the Law. Because all humanity fails to keep the Law perfectly, we are all under its curse. Jesus, sinless Himself, willingly identified with sinners by becoming a curse, suffering the divine judgment deserved by us. He was crucified, fulfilling the prophecy that "cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." This act of substitution on the cross completely satisfied divine justice, liberating all who place their faith in Him from condemnation. His curse-bearing enables our blessing.