Most Bibles translate the word ‘judgement’ as ‘curse’. To ‘curse’ is the opposite of to ‘bless’. (See my note on verses 8-9 for the meaning of ‘bless’.) A curse is a judgement with a suitable punishment. Nobody has obeyed all God’s laws. We have all *sinned. Therefore, we all deserve God’s punishment. But Jesus Christ was perfect because he always obeyed God. Jesus received God’s judgement and punishment instead of us. Jesus freed us from that punishment. Paul then referred to Deuteronomy 21:23. In the *Old Testament, the officials killed criminals as punishment. But if someone was a very bad criminal, they put his body on a wooden pole. It brought shame to the person. ‘Tree’ refers to wooden poles. They made a cross for Jesus from two wooden poles. He died on that cross because of God’s judgement.

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