A body was not to hang overnight because such exposure brought defilement to the land, and the person hanging was under God’s curse. Leaving the corpse displayed was a sign of disgrace and was to be handled swiftly to preserve the sanctity of the land God had given Israel.
“If a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day… for he who is hanged is accursed of God.” (Deuteronomy 21:22–23)
This law acknowledged both the seriousness of sin and the need to maintain purity in the land. Even a person executed for a crime was to be buried respectfully and not subjected to prolonged humiliation.
The New Testament references this law in connection to Christ. Paul writes:
“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’).” (Galatians 3:13)
Jesus was treated as one cursed so that sinners might be redeemed. This shows how even this civil law pointed ahead to the redemptive work of the Messiah.
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