Galatians 3:13 Meaning and Explanation
“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:”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Christ took the curse that hung over us onto Himself at the cross, and bought us out of it.
The Context of Galatians 3:13
Paul is showing the Galatians how the law, broken by all of us, leaves us under its sentence, and how Christ stepped into that sentence. He quotes the law's own words from Deuteronomy 21:23 about anyone hanged on a tree.
What Does Galatians 3:13 Mean?
The word 'redeemed' comes from the marketplace, where a price was paid to buy a slave or captive out of bondage and into freedom. Paul says Christ paid such a price to free us from 'the curse of the law,' the just sentence resting on people who have not kept God's commands perfectly. And the way He did it is staggering: He was 'made a curse for us.' The sinless One took our place under the verdict we had earned. Paul reaches back to the law's own line, 'Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree,' and sees the cross in it, for Jesus was lifted up on wood to die.
Here is the exchange at the center of everything. We were under the curse, and Christ was not, and He took it anyway so that we could go free. The price was His own life, freely given. This is how much we are loved, that the Son would step beneath our sentence and carry it all the way down, leaving us nothing to pay and everything to receive. The curse is spent on Him, and the freedom is handed to us.
Galatians 3:13 in the Original Language
exagorazo (ἐξαγοράζω), 'redeemed' -- to buy out of, to purchase a captive's freedom by paying the price.
How to Apply Galatians 3:13 Today
When the weight of our own failures feels like a sentence we cannot lift, this verse tells us where that sentence went: onto Christ, at the cross, paid in full. We were bought out of the curse at the price of His life, and what remains for us is simply to receive the freedom He has already won.
Frequently Asked Questions About Galatians 3:13
What does Galatians 3:13 mean?
Christ took the curse that hung over us onto Himself at the cross, and bought us out of it.
What is the context of Galatians 3:13?
Paul is showing the Galatians how the law, broken by all of us, leaves us under its sentence, and how Christ stepped into that sentence. He quotes the law's own words from Deuteronomy 21:23 about anyone hanged on a tree.
How can I apply Galatians 3:13 today?
When the weight of our own failures feels like a sentence we cannot lift, this verse tells us where that sentence went: onto Christ, at the cross, paid in full. We were bought out of the curse at the price of His life, and what remains for us is simply to receive the freedom He has already won.