Deuteronomy 21:22-23 Meaning: Why the Hanged Man Was Cursed
22If a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree,
23his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him the same day; for he who is hanged is accursed of God. Don’t defile your land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance.
22And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree:
23His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
22And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree;
23his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt surely bury him the same day; for he that is hanged is accursed of God; that thou defile not thy land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
22`And when there is in a man a sin--a cause of death, and he hath been put to death, and thou hast hanged him on a tree,
23his corpse doth not remain on the tree, for thou dost certainly bury him in that day--for a thing lightly esteemed of God is the hanged one--and thou dost not defile thy ground which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee--an inheritance.
22And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be put to death, and thou have hanged him on a tree,
23his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day (for he that is hanged is a curse of God); and thou shalt not defile thy land, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
Meaning in one sentence
Why did God command burial before night for a hanged criminal? And what did Paul mean when he said Christ became a curse for us? This law holds the key.
Context
Deuteronomy 21 sits in the middle of Moses’ second speech to Israel, just before they enter the land. Here God gives laws about everyday life, marriage, family, justice. Verses 22-23 come right after the law about a rebellious son who is stoned. Now Moses turns to a case where a criminal has been executed and his body hung on a tree as a public warning. Hanging was not a method of execution in Israel; it was an added disgrace after death, meant to show the seriousness of the crime. But the body could not stay up overnight. It had to be buried that same day, because the hanged man bore the curse of God, and leaving him exposed would defile the land God gave His people.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words give this law its weight. Tree (ets) means wood, timber, or a gallows. It is the same word used for the tree of life in Eden and for the wood on which a criminal was hung. The cross Paul speaks of in Galatians is called a xylon, the Greek word for tree, directly echoing this verse. Curse (qelalah) means a vilification, a thing accursed. When Moses says the hanged man is a curse of God, he means the man has been set under the full weight of divine judgment for his sin. This is not a petty insult; it is the solemn verdict of the Law. Bury (qavar) is repeated for emphasis: you must surely bury him. The command is urgent. The land would be defiled if the curse were left on display. These words together paint an image: sin brings a curse that must be removed quickly, covered over, so the land can be clean again.
How Christians Read This Verse
Jewish tradition (reflected in the Targum and rabbinic writings) understood this law as applying only to the worst offenders, blasphemers and idolaters, who were stoned and then hung as an added shame. The curse was God's judgment on their high-handed sin. Early Christian readers, reading through the lens of Galatians 3:13, saw here a direct prophecy of Christ. The apostle Paul quotes this verse to say that Christ became a curse for us, bearing the full weight of the Law's condemnation. Reformed commentators like Calvin emphasize that the law taught God's horror of sin and His care for the land. Methodist voices (Wesley, Clarke) stress the humanity of the burial command: even the worst criminal should not rot in public view. Across traditions, Christians agree that the curse Christ bore is the one described here, but they differ on how directly the Law foreshadows the cross. Both readings seek to honor the Scripture.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is to think hanging was a form of execution in ancient Israel. In fact, criminals were put to death by stoning, burning, the sword, or strangulation. Hanging came after death, as an extra mark of disgrace. The body was hoisted on a tree to show that the offender had been cut off by God. That public shame is why the curse is attached to the hanging, not the execution itself. Paul draws on this exact connection when he says Christ was “hanged on a tree”, the ultimate shame that He bore for us.
Living This Out
This week, you might carry a failure or a shame that feels like it is hanging in plain sight. Maybe a mistake you made is still public, still festering. This passage does not tell you to ignore it or pretend it never happened. It tells you to bring it down quickly. Confess it. Let it be buried. Do not let the curse linger on your heart or in your relationships. And if you are the one looking at someone else’s failure, this law checks your instinct to stare. We are not called to keep the shame of others on display. Cover it with grace, the way God covered our shame in Christ.
Main takeaway: The hanged man bore God’s curse for his sin, and that curse was not left exposed, it was buried, pointing ahead to the One who would become a curse for us.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
When someone did something really wrong in Bible times, they were sometimes put on a tree for everyone to see. But God said to take them down and bury them before night. That’s because God doesn’t want us to look at bad things forever. He wants them to be put away.
For ages 9, 12
In ancient Israel, if a person committed a very serious crime, they were put to death and then their body was hung on a tree as a public warning. But God gave a rule: the body must be taken down and buried before sunset. Why? Because the person was under God’s curse, and leaving that curse on display would make the whole land unclean. Centuries later, the apostle Paul saw Jesus as the one who was “hanged on a tree”, taking the curse of the whole world on Himself. So this old law points forward to the cross, where the curse was finally removed.
Questions People Ask
Was hanging a method of execution in the Old Testament?
No. Hanging was not used to kill someone; it was done after death as an additional dishonor. The person was executed first (usually by stoning) and then the body was hung on a tree as a public spectacle.
What does 'accursed of God' mean in Deuteronomy 21:23?
It means the hanged person was under God’s curse, a legal declaration that he had been cut off for his sin. The Hebrew word 'qelalah' carries the idea of being despised and under judgment. This was not an eternal curse, but a temporary status that required prompt burial so the land would not be defiled.
How does Paul use this verse in Galatians 3:13?
Paul quotes the Septuagint version of this verse: 'Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.' He applies it to Christ’s crucifixion, saying Christ became a curse for us by being hanged, so that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles. Paul sees the cross as the moment Jesus took the curse that the Law pronounced on sinners.
Why did the body have to be buried the same day?
The law says the land would be defiled if the body of a hanged person remained overnight. God considered His holy land an inheritance that must not be polluted by prolonged exposure of a cursed corpse. The command also shows mercy: even cursed criminals deserved a dignified burial, and the public shame was not meant to last forever.
Does this law apply to Christians today?
Christians are not under the civil laws of ancient Israel. But the principle behind the law, that sin brings a curse and that curse must be dealt with, is fulfilled in Christ. The law also teaches care for human bodies and the importance of not gloating over the shame of others. These are timeless values for believers.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study