Written by Paul J Bucknell on June, 03, 2023

A Cross or a Tree? Was Christ Jesus crucified on a cross or a tree?

Was Christ Jesus crucified on a cross or a tree?

We can understand the confusion on whether Jesus died on a tree or a cross. Both are used! However, there is a third and preferred option. Jesus died on both the tree and the cross because the translations of ‘tree’ and ‘cross’ are sometimes used interchangeably. Let me explain.

Clarity on ‘tree’ translation in the NT

This question arises because translators have used the terms ‘tree’ and ‘cross’ at different times. There are three reasons for this.

By the first century, ‘hang on a tree’ became synonymous with dying on a cross (two pieces of lumber or tree parts) and a Roman form of cruel torture— crucifixion. ‘Hung on a tree’ later came to mean ‘hung on a cross.’
Tree and cross are valid translations in these places, such as Acts 5:30. Both words are used, depending on the translator’s preference. Look here to see 30+ Bible translations of Acts 5:30. “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree” (Acts 5:30). The KJV more regularly uses ‘tree’ while the NASB takes more liberty to associate with the commonly used word ‘cross’ in the New Testament (more than 20 times).
The word for tree (Gr: xoo’-lon), used here in Acts 5:30 has two meanings: (1) wood or timber, and (2) tree. So we see the same word used in Acts 16:24 when describing Paul and Silas’ feet fastened in wooden stocks.

Acts 10:39, like 5:30, literally means tree but is sometimes translated cross. “And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree” (Acts 10:39).

There are two more translations of ‘tree' (literally in Greek) but translated as ‘cross’ in the NASB.

“And He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness (1 Pet 2:24, lit. tree though sometimes translated cross).

“When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb” (Ac 13:29 lit. tree).

The only translation for “cross” (Gr: stauros), however, is cross and always related to its cruel death.

“Hang on a tree” in the Old Testament

This Old Testament description of those who hung on a tree is important. Note how the Law associates a curse with the one that hung or died on a tree.

²² “If a man has committed a sin worthy of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, ²³ his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance. (Deut 21:22-23)

This would later be related to Jesus’ death. He took our curse upon Himself when He died on the cross.

Acts 5:30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.

Tree or Cross in the New Testament

Depending on the translation, the terms tree and cross are interchangeable. Some translators seek a smoother reading, while others seek consistency when linking to the Old Testament verse quoted above. Paul, in Galatians 3:13, clearly states this.

¹² However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, “He who practices them shall live by them.” ¹³ Christ 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”— ¹⁴ in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Gal 3:12-13 NASB)

Because Paul quotes “hangs on a tree” from the Old Testament, the NASB translates it as tree. Otherwise, it would confuse someone reading the Deuteronomy 21:22-23 passage. Paul refers to the cross, but Paul’s major purpose here is to link it to the curse.

The Tree of Life

In closing, we must refer to the “tree of life” used four times in Revelation.

“I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God” (Rev 2:7 - tree).

“Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, ² in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. ³ There will no longer be any curse” (Rev 22:2).

“Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life” (Rev 22:14; 22:18).

These references undoubtedly provide the final picture of the missed opportunity for eating from the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden (Gen 2:9; 3:17,22,24). The only way we can now eat of the Tree of Life in the new garden, the Paradise of God, is by believing in Jesus Christ, the righteous, who died on a tree for the guilty.

Jesus, the Life (John 14:6), died on the cursed tree to provide an opportunity for the cursed to believe in Him and gain eternal life by eating the fruit from the Tree of Life. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us” (Gal 3:13).

Summary

The significance of the tree as a symbol of the cross is reflected in its occasional translation as such. Both terms refer to the cross on which Jesus was unjustly crucified and died. In linking the curse to Jesus’ death on the cross, it serves as a reminder to God’s followers that Jesus took on our curse and liberated us. As a result, we can now partake of the Tree of Life. Jesus Christ, who arose from the dead, is now preparing a new Paradise for His people.

Study Questions on the Usage and Translation of Cross and Tree

Read Deuteronomy 21:22-23 and make a few observations. Does it speak about the cross?
Why does Paul quote Deuteronomy 21:22-23 in Galatians 3:13?
Why do translators use either tree or cross to translate Acts 5:30?
How would you answer, “Was Christ Jesus crucified on the cross or a tree?”
Why did God put the ‘tree of life’ in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2-3)?
How does Revelation 22 allow believers to eat from the Tree of Life? How does it relate to Jesus’ death?