Word study
Curse
9 Hebrew and 6 Greek words behind this English word
The original-language words that the Berean Standard Bible translates with one of these: curse, cursed, curses, cursing. English often uses one word where Hebrew or Greek has several, each with its own shade of meaning. Under each word are verses where it is translated this way; choose the word itself for its full study: every verse, how else it is translated, the forms it takes and what the dictionaries say.
At a glance
How often each original word is translated “curse” or one of its forms.
Compare the Hebrew words side by side Compare the Greek words side by side
Hebrew and Aramaic words (Old Testament)
- אָרַר ârarcursetranslated this way 61 times of its 62 uses · Strong’s H779Verb · Translated: Cursed 42, curse 9, brings a curse 5, put a curse 2Full study and all 52 verses →
Genesis 3:14 So the LORD God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and every beast of the field! On your belly will you go, and dust you will eat, all the days of your life.
Exodus 22:28 You must not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.
- קָלַל qâlalbe slight, swift, triflingtranslated this way 38 times of its 82 uses · Strong’s H7043Verb · Translated: curse 15, cursed 8, curses 5, swifter 5Full study and all 79 verses →
Genesis 8:21 When the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, He said in His heart, “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from his youth. And never again will I destroy all living creatures as I have done.
Exodus 21:17 Anyone who curses his father or mother must surely be put to death.
- קְלָלָה qelâlâhcursetranslated this way 30 times of its 32 uses · Strong’s H7045Noun · Translated: curse 15, cursing 6, curses 4, object of cursing 3Full study and all 32 verses →
Genesis 27:12 What if my father touches me? Then I would be revealed to him as a deceiver, and I would bring upon myself a curse rather than a blessing.”
Deuteronomy 11:26 See, today I am setting before you a blessing and a curse —
- אָלָה âlâhoathtranslated this way 15 times of its 34 uses · Strong’s H423Noun · Translated: oath 13, curse 7, curses 5, take an oath 3Full study and all 32 verses →
Numbers 5:21 and the priest shall have the woman swear under the oath of the curse— ‘then may the LORD make you an attested curse among your people by making your thigh shrivel and your belly swell.
Deuteronomy 29:20 The LORD will never be willing to forgive him. Instead, His anger and jealousy will burn against that man, and every curse written in this book will fall upon him. The LORD will blot out his name from under heaven
- קָבַב qâbabutter a curse against, cursetranslated this way 13 times of its 14 uses · Strong’s H6895Verb · Translated: curse 9, put a curse 2, cursed 2, at all 1Full study and all 12 verses →
Numbers 22:11 ‘Behold, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the face of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Perhaps I may be able to fight against them and drive them away.’”
Job 3:8 May it be cursed by those who curse the day — those prepared to rouse Leviathan.
- בָּרַךְ bârakkneel, blesstranslated this way 6 times of its 323 uses · Strong’s H1288Verb · Translated: blessed 155, bless 114, blesses 13, pronounce blessings 3Full study and all 289 verses →
1 Kings 21:10 But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify, ‘You have cursed both God and the king!’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”
Job 1:5 And when the days of feasting were over, Job would send for his children to purify them, rising early in the morning to offer burnt offerings for all of them. For Job thought, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular practice.
- מְאֵרָה meêrâha cursetranslated this way 5 times of its 5 uses · Strong’s H3994Noun · Translated: curse 3, curses 2Full study and all 5 verses →
Deuteronomy 28:20 The LORD will send curses upon you, confusion and reproof in all to which you put your hand, until you are destroyed and quickly perish because of the wickedness you have committed in forsaking Him.
Proverbs 3:33 The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the righteous.
- שְׁבוּעָה shebûâhoath, cursetranslated this way 3 times of its 29 uses · Strong’s H7621Noun · Translated: oath 19, curse 3, sworn 2, oath he swore 2Full study and all 28 verses →
Numbers 5:21 and the priest shall have the woman swear under the oath of the curse— ‘then may the LORD make you an attested curse among your people by making your thigh shrivel and your belly swell.
Isaiah 65:15 You will leave behind your name as a curse for My chosen ones, and the Lord GOD will slay you; but to His servants He will give another name.
- אָלָה âlâhswear, cursetranslated this way 2 times of its 5 uses · Strong’s H422Verb · Translated: curse 1, oath 1, take an oath 1, Cursing 1Full study and all 5 verses →
Judges 17:2 said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you and about which I heard you utter a curse— I have the silver here with me; I took it.” Then his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the LORD!”
Hosea 4:2 Cursing and lying, murder and stealing, and adultery are rampant; one act of bloodshed follows another.
Greek words (New Testament)
- καταράομαι kataráomaiI cursetranslated this way 5 times of its 5 uses · Strong’s G2672Verb · Translated: curse 3, cursed 2Full study and all 5 verses →
Matthew 25:41 Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
Mark 11:21 Peter remembered it and said, “Look, Rabbi! The fig tree You cursed has withered.”
- ἀνάθεμα anáthemaa curse, a cursed thingtranslated this way 5 times of its 6 uses · Strong’s G331Noun · Translated: curse 3, cursed 2, solemn oath 1Full study and all 6 verses →
Romans 9:3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my own flesh and blood,
1 Corinthians 12:3 Therefore I inform you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
- κατάρα katáraa curse, cursingtranslated this way 5 times of its 6 uses · Strong’s G2671Noun · Translated: curse 4, cursing 1, accursed 1Full study and all 5 verses →
Galatians 3:10 All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”
Hebrews 6:8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless, and its curse is imminent. In the end it will be burned.
- ἐπικατάρατος epikatáratosaccursedtranslated this way 3 times of its 3 uses · Strong’s G1944Adjective · Translated: Cursed 2, curse 1Full study and all 3 verses →
John 7:49 But this crowd that does not know the law— they are under a curse.”
Galatians 3:10 All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”
- βλασφημέω blasphēméōI speak evil against, blasphemetranslated this way 3 times of its 34 uses · Strong’s G987Verb · Translated: blaspheme 4, slander 4, blasphemed 3, heaped abuse 3Full study and all 34 verses →
Revelation 16:9 And the people were scorched by intense heat, and they cursed the name of God, who had authority over these plagues. Yet they did not repent and give Him glory.
Revelation 16:11 and curse the God of heaven for their pains and sores. Yet they did not repent of their deeds.
- κακολογέω kakologéōI speak evil of, cursetranslated this way 2 times of its 4 uses · Strong’s G2551Verb · Translated: curses 2, speak evil 1, maligned 1Full study and all 4 verses →
Matthew 15:4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’
Mark 7:10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’
How to study a word well
- Start from the verse, not the dictionary. Find which Hebrew or Greek word stands in the verse you are studying. One English word often translates several different original words.
- Read every place the word is used. A word means what its writers used it to mean. The list of verses and the count by book show its range, and who uses it most.
- Look at how it is translated. A word rendered five different ways has a wider meaning than any one English word can carry.
- Notice the form. A command is not a statement, and a passive verb is something done to the subject. The form in your verse is part of the meaning.
- See what it keeps company with. The words that appear beside it again and again show how the Bible itself connects ideas.
- Then read the dictionaries. They give the considered view of scholars, with their evidence.
- Come back to the verse. Context decides. A word does not carry every one of its meanings into every verse, and where a word came from does not settle what it means in a sentence written centuries later.
What the Bible says about curse: passages by topic →
Scripture text and translation counts: Berean Standard Bible. Full entry: Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906, public domain), in the digital edition Brown-Driver-Briggs Enhanced by unfoldingWord (Joel Ruark, J. de Joode), based on data by Eliran Wong and Stephen Ku; its additions are used under CC BY 4.0. Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project, CC BY 4.0. Hebrew-to-English verse numbering: original work of the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible available at https://github.com/openscriptures/morphhb, CC BY 4.0. We reformatted the data, linked the references to this site’s Bible text and left out words in other scripts that the source holds only as images. These are historical reference works; an entry gives its authors’ view, and a word’s meaning in any verse depends on how it is used there.