“His 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.”
My Notes
What Does Deuteronomy 21:23 Mean?
The law requires that a hanged criminal's body be taken down and buried before nightfall. The reason given is startling: "he that is hanged is accursed of God." Leaving the body exposed would defile the land itself. The curse isn't just on the person — it extends to the ground that God gave as inheritance.
Paul quotes this verse in Galatians 3:13 with shattering theological effect: "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." Jesus' crucifixion — hanging on wood — placed him under this specific curse. The most holy person who ever lived voluntarily became the accursed thing described in this verse.
The burial requirement also has prophetic resonance. Jesus was taken down from the cross and buried before sunset on the day of his death, fulfilling this law precisely. The urgency of Joseph of Arimathea to bury Jesus before evening wasn't just cultural sensitivity — it was Torah compliance.
Reflection Questions
- 1.How does connecting this verse to Jesus' crucifixion change your understanding of what the cross cost?
- 2.What does it mean that Jesus became 'the curse' rather than just bearing punishment?
- 3.How does the burial urgency in this verse connect to the burial of Jesus?
- 4.Does knowing the specific legal category of Jesus' death deepen your gratitude — and how?
Devotional
"He that is hanged is accursed of God." Read that sentence, and then remember that Jesus died hanging on wood. The curse described in Deuteronomy 21 — the defilement, the divine displeasure, the contamination of the land itself — fell on the Son of God.
This isn't a theological abstraction. Paul drives the point home in Galatians: Christ became a curse for us. Not metaphorically. The actual curse described in this verse — the one that defiled land and required hasty burial — was the curse Jesus carried. The most innocent man who ever lived died under the most shameful designation the law could pronounce.
The burial requirement adds another layer. The body must come down before dark. The land must not be defiled. And so Joseph of Arimathea rushed to Pilate, secured permission, and buried Jesus before sunset. A Torah regulation about criminal burial became the mechanism that fulfilled prophecy.
When you think about what the cross cost Jesus, don't just think of physical pain. Think of this verse. Think of what it meant for the holy one to become the accursed one. He didn't just die — he died under the specific curse of the law, so that the curse would never touch you.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
His body shall not remain all night upon the tree,.... Which is to be understood of any and everyone that was hanged,…
He that is hanged is accursed of God - i. e. “Bury him that is hanged out of the way before evening: his hanging body…
Here is, I. A law for the punishing of a rebellious son. Having in the former law provided that parents should not…
for the thing hanged is accursed of God lit. a curse of God. This was the meaning of such exposure of the corpse after…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture