The Lord included punishments for those who broke His laws. The Old Testament Law provided three types of punishment: the death penalty for serious public sins against life, religion and the family; ‘cutting-off’ for grave private sins; and restoration for property offenses.
Stoning seems to be the most common form of the death penalty in the Old Testament. We read in Deuteronomy 21:22-23, however, about hanging a criminal from a tree. The hanging of criminals in a public place was practiced by both Israelites and their Gentile neighbors (Josh. 8:23,29; Esth. 2:23; 5:14). This public humiliation of hanging a criminal may have served as a warning to the community of the dire consequences of committing certain crimes.
Moses adds, “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” (Deut. 21:23). The criminal hanged on a tree was considered cursed of God. The body wasn’t to be left upon the tree all night, but was to be buried the same day.
This passage has theological and spiritual significance for the New Testament believer. The apostle Paul cited this very text when he wrote that Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the Law: “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” (Gal. 3:13). The prophet Isaiah wrote, “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted” (Isa. 53:4).
Jesus was crucified upon Calvary’s tree, and became the curse for you me. Let the cross of Christ serve as an awful reminder of sin’s curse, and Christ’s love.