Galatians 3:13-14
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”— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Christ didn't just become an "accursed person" for us, but he became the curse itself, embodying the absolute divine rejection that our sin deserved. This radical identification with our curse is what allows us to be freed from its grip.
Paul is forcefully arguing that salvation comes through faith in Christ, not by obeying the Law. He's just established that anyone who fails to keep the entire Law is cursed. Now, he explains how believers are rescued from this curse, emphasizing that Christ alone accomplished this by becoming a curse in their place, fulfilling the Old Testament prophecy about one hanged on a tree. This act, he will go on to explain, opens the blessing promised to Abraham to all people, including the Gentiles, through faith.
The Law sounds good, doesn't it? 'Do this and live!' But what happens when we can't? Paul doesn't pull any punches.
Paul lays it out clearly: the Law demands perfect obedience. If you miss even one point, you're cursed. This isn't just about the Ten Commandments; it's about upholding the entirety of God's standard. And who among us can claim perfect obedience? The passage implies that not a single person can meet this demand. This universal failure means everyone is under the Law's curse. It's a trap with no escape – you can't earn your way out, and you can't find life by trying harder. The Law reveals our sin and condemns us, not to offer a way out, but to show us our need for one.
If the Law curses everyone who fails, how can anyone be saved? Paul introduces a breathtaking exchange.
Here's the amazing part: Christ steps into our place. He doesn't just pay a fine or offer a substitute; He becomes the curse for us. The ancient Jewish law declared, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.' When Jesus was crucified, He was literally hanging on a tree (a cross). By doing this, He took upon Himself the condemnation that rightfully belonged to us. He willingly endured the penalty of God's judgment for our disobedience. This wasn't a passive suffering; it was an active, substitutionary act. He became what we are – cursed – so that we could become what He is – blessed and redeemed. It’s a divine swap, a cosmic exchange where our curse is transferred to Him, and His righteousness is imputed to us.
We've seen the curse and the exchange. Now, what's the result? Freedom, pure and simple.
The phrase 'Christ redeemed us' is key. Redemption means to buy back, to set free, often at a great cost. Here, the cost was Christ’s own life, becoming a curse on our behalf. Because He endured the curse, we are now free from it. The curse of the Law no longer has power over those who are in Christ. His death on the cross, that accursed death according to the Law, becomes the very instrument of our liberation. This redemption isn't just a legal transaction; it's a relational rescue. We are bought out of slavery to sin and the Law's condemnation, brought into God's family, and given access to the blessings promised to Abraham. The ignominious death of Jesus is the ultimate act of divine love, purchasing our freedom.
Understand the original words
Christos · Greek Noun
The Anointed One of God; the Messiah. This title signifies Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, the Savior who performs the work of redemption.
exagorazō · Greek Verb
To buy back or liberate someone from captivity or slavery, usually by the payment of a ransom or price. Theologically, it describes the work of Christ in purchasing humanity from the bondage of sin and the condemnation of the law.
katara · Greek Noun
A state of condemnation or divine judgment resulting from a violation of God’s law. It denotes being under the penalty of disobedience and separated from the blessings of God.
xylon · Greek Noun
This verse connects a specific ancient legal penalty for a capital offense (hanging on a tree) with the redemptive work of Christ, highlighting how His sacrificial death fulfilled the curse of the Law for all who believe.
c. 1446 BC
Giving of the Law at Sinai
God gives the Ten Commandments and other laws to Israel through Moses, establishing a covenant where obedience brings blessings and disobedience brings curses.
c. 1446 BC - 586 BC
Period of the Law and Prophets
Israel lives under the Mosaic Law, with prophets frequently calling them back to obedience and warning of the curses for disobedience.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Exile
The Babylonian Empire destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling many Israelites. This event is seen as a fulfillment of the curses for covenant breaking.
c. 538 BC
Return from Exile
Cyrus the Great allows the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple, signifying a partial restoration from the curse.
c. 30 AD
This passage is directly quoted by Paul and forms the basis of his argument, showing that the Old Testament Law itself declared a person hanged on a tree to be cursed.
Isaiah 53:4-6This prophetic passage describes the suffering Servant of the Lord bearing the iniquities of His people, echoing the concept of someone being punished for the sins of others, which is foundational to Christ's redemptive act.
2 Corinthians 5:21This verse parallels Galatians 3:13 by stating that God made Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, highlighting the substitutionary aspect of Christ's sacrifice.
John 3:14-15Jesus Himself references the Old Testament event of the bronze serpent being lifted up, drawing a direct parallel to His own crucifixion and its redemptive purpose for those who believe.
Romans 8:3-4This passage explains that God sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering, condemning sin in the flesh so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk according to the Spirit, which directly relates to Christ fulfilling the law's demands through His sacrifice.
bengelGalatians 3:13: "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 . Χριστὴς , Christ ) Christ alone. This is an abrupt exclamation without a conjunction, and with some degree of indignation against the doers of the law. There is an Asyndeton not unlike this, Colossians 3:4 : where the apostle is likewise speaking of Christ.— ἡμᾶς , us ) The curse chiefly pressed upon the Jews; for the ble…
calvinGalatians 3:10-14: "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them."
Quictrnque enim ex operibus Legis sunt, sub maledictione sunt. Scripture est enim (Deuteronomy 27:26): Maledictus omnis, qui non permanet in omnibus, quae scripta sunt in libro Legis, ut facial ca.
But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for,…
Christ didn't just become an "accursed person" for us, but he became the curse itself, embodying the absolute divine rejection that our sin deserved. This radical identification with our curse is what allows us to be freed from its grip.
Paul is forcefully arguing that salvation comes through faith in Christ, not by obeying the Law. He's just established that anyone who fails to keep the entire Law is cursed. Now, he explains how believers are rescued from this curse, emphasizing that Christ alone accomplished this by becoming a curse in their place, fulfilling the Old Testament prophecy about one hanged on a tree. This act, he will go on to explain, opens the blessing promised to Abraham to all people, including the Gentiles, through faith.
Paul is forcefully arguing that salvation comes through faith in Christ, not by obeying the Law. He's just established that anyone who fails to keep the entire Law is cursed. Now, he explains how believers are rescued from this curse, emphasizing that Christ alone accomplished this by becoming a curse in their place, fulfilling the Old Testament prophecy about one hanged on a tree. This act, he will go on to explain, opens the blessing promised to Abraham to all people, including the Gentiles, through faith.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Galatians 3:13-14 is available in the Sola app.
A wooden structure used for execution. In the context of crucifixion, it symbolizes the public shame and death that Christ endured to bear the penalty of the law for His people.
eulogia · Greek Noun
The favor, grace, or divine benefit bestowed upon God’s people. It refers to the spiritual inheritance and reconciliation that stems from being in covenant relationship with God.
ethnos · Greek Noun
Refers to all non-Jewish peoples. In the New Testament, it denotes those who were previously outside the covenant of Israel but are now invited into the family of God through the gospel of Christ.
pneuma · Greek Noun
The third person of the Trinity, given to believers as a mark of their inclusion in the New Covenant. The Spirit indwells the believer, providing guidance, sanctification, and the assurance of salvation.
Jesus' Crucifixion
Jesus is crucified, an event understood by Paul as fulfilling the curse for all who hang on a tree, and as the means by which believers are redeemed.
c. 48 AD
Council of Jerusalem
The early church leaders affirm that Gentiles do not need to be circumcised or follow the Mosaic Law to be saved, emphasizing faith in Christ.
c. 50-55 AD
Paul's Letter to the Galatians
Paul writes to the churches in Galatia, likely in response to teachers who insisted on circumcision and adherence to the Law for salvation.
"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”— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive t…" — Christ didn't just become an "accursed person" for us, but he became the curse itself, embodying the absolute divine rejection that our sin deserved. This radical identification with our curse is w…
