3:13a

In 3:13, Paul returned to the idea of “curse” that he first mentioned in 3:10c.

Christ redeemed us: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as redeemed means “released a prisoner or slave by paying the price (a ransom) necessary to free him.” The “price” that Christ had to pay to release us was to suffer pain and humiliation and to die on the cross for us. Jesus freed us from the curse of the law by means of his death on the cross.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

released/freed
-or-
rescued (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
saved
-or-
paid the price to free us (God’s Word)

See also redeem in the Glossary.

from the curse of the law: This phrase refers to the condemnation/punishment that the law demands for the people who are not able to completely obey it. Christ has freed us from this punishment.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

from the condemnation of ?not obeying? the law
-or-
from ?God’s? anger that came through the law
-or-
from ?God’s? punishment/judgment for not obeying ?all? the law

In some languages, it may be natural to make this phrase a separate clause or sentence. For example:

?God will? curse/punish/judge ?those who do not obey all? of the law

In addition, it may be natural to put this phrase before Christ redeemed us. For example:

?We do not obey all? the law, ?and/so we deserve/merit that God? punish us. But Christ saved/rescued us from this curse/punishment.

3:13b

by becoming a curse for us: This phrase is the means by which Christ redeemed us. He redeemed us by becoming a curse in our place. He did this when he allowed himself to be condemned/punished for us and died on the cross.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

by being condemned/punished in our place
-or-
when ?God? punished him instead of us
-or-
He was our replacement/substitute for receiving punishment.

3:13c

For: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For introduces Paul’s basis/support for saying that Christ became a curse for us (in 3:13b). That basis/support is a verse of Scripture.

Some other ways to introduce this basis are:

This is because (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
because

Some English versions do not translate this conjunction. In some languages, no conjunction will be necessary here either.

In other languages, it will be more natural to put the basis first. For example:

c It is written, d “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.” b ?So,? Christ became a curse for us, a when he redeemed us from the curse of the law.

it is written: This phrase introduces a quotation from the Old Testament. The quotation is from Deuteronomy 21:23.

Some other ways to introduce this quotation are:

here is what the Scripture says
-or-
in God’s Holy Book it is written
-or-
we read in the Scriptures that

3:13d

Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree: In the Old Testament, some crimes were so terrible that the people who committed them were punished by being killed. Then the body of the dead person was hung on a tree or post for all to see. In that way, the people were reminded that sin was disgusting to God. God condemned and punished sin.

Paul applied this verse to Christ. Christ died by being crucified. Death by crucifixion means that his body was hung on a cross. A cross can be referred to as a tree since it is made from wood. The fact that Christ was crucified is God’s way of showing us that Christ became the curse for us.

By the time of Christ, a person was hung on a tree/cross in order to kill him. In the Old Testament, the person hung on a tree was already dead. So be careful to translate this verse so that it applies to both situations.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

Anyone who is hung on a tree is condemned.
-or-
A person who is hung on a tree is cursed/punished ?by God? .
-or-
If someone is ?condemned to die and? hung on a tree/post, ?it shows that? ?God? has punished him.

tree: This word does not necessarily refer to a living tree. It could be a dead tree, or the wood from a tree, such as a post or pole.

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