Galatians 3:10

As many as are of. Paul here refers to those who expect to have righteousness imputed to them as a result of their compliance with the ritual requirements of the ceremonial law. This group stands in contrast with the group of v. 9 — “they which be of faith.”

Works of the law. Literally, “works of law.” See on ch. 2:16.

The curse. The law of Moses was accompanied by marvelous blessings for obedience (Deut. 28:1-14) and fearful curses for disobedience (chs. 27:15-26; 28:15-68). The slightest deviation from the requirements of the law was sufficient to incur the curse. Legalism eventually deteriorated into a laborious effort to avoid incurring the curse of the law (see on Mark 7:3). But even by avoiding the curse of the law a man could, at best, attain only to legal righteousness. He would still not necessarily have attained to a status of righteousness before God.

It is written. The form of the verb in the Greek implies not only that the following quotation was once written down as a statement expressing the divine will, but that the validity of the statement remains unaltered. Its binding force has not been diminished.

The formula “It is written” was a common Jewish way of introducing a quotation from the canonical writings.

Book of the law. “The law” was the common title applied by the Jews of NT times to the writings of Moses (see on Luke 22:44). Here reference is probably to the book of Deuteronomy in particular, which was sometimes called the book of the law. The quotation is from Deut. 27:26, where it appears in a negative form: “he that confirmeth not.” Paul makes it positive: “as many as are of the works of the law.” Compare on Rom. 2:7. Those who turn their backs on God’s plan of salvation through faith can never meet the minimum requirements of the law. Their efforts are doomed to failure.