Galatians 3:13

3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming ¹  a curse for us (because it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”) ² 

Galatians 4:9

4:9 But now that you have come to know God (or rather to be known by God), how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless ³  basic forces? ⁴  Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again? ⁵ 

[3:13]  ¹ tn Grk “having become”; the participle γενόμενος (genomenos) has been taken instrumentally.

[3:13]  ² sn A quotation from Deut 21:23. By figurative extension the Greek word translated tree (ζύλον, zulon) can also be used to refer to a cross (L&N 6.28), the Roman instrument of execution.

[4:9]  ³ tn Or “useless.” See L&N 65.16.

[4:9]  ⁴ tn See the note on the phrase “basic forces” in 4:3.

[4:9]  ⁵ tn Grk “basic forces, to which you want to be enslaved…” Verse 9 is a single sentence in the Greek text, but has been divided into two in the translation because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence.