Anathema Means to Curse: A Brief Outline of the Concept “Curse” in English, Hebrew, and Greek

Anathema Means to Curse: 

A Brief Outline of the Concept “Curse” 

in English, Hebrew, and Greek



English (verb) - 

1. To utter a wish of evil against one; to imprecate evil upon; to call for mischief or injury to fall upon; to execrate.

2. To injure; to subject to evil; to vex, harass or torment with great calamities.

3. To devote to evil.

To utter imprecations; to affirm or deny with imprecations of divine vengeance.

<https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/curse>


English (noun) - 

1. Malediction; the expression of a wish of evil to another.

2. Imprecation of evil.

3. Affliction; torment; great vexation.

4. Condemnation; sentence of divine vengeance on sinners.

5. Denunciation of evil.

<https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/curse>


Also, “the expression of a wish that misfortune, evil, doom, etc., befall a person, group, etc. Synonyms: malediction, fulmination, execration, imprecation”

“the act of reciting such a formula; an evil that has been invoked upon one; an ecclesiastical censure or anathema; to wish or invoke evil, calamity, injury, or destruction upon; to afflict with great evil”

<https://www.dictionary.com/browse/curse> 


English Etymology - 

“late Old English curs… ‘consignment of a person to an evil fate,’” 

“the evil which has been invoked upon one, that which causes severe trouble" is from early 14c,” 

“Middle English Compendium says probably from Latin cursus "course" … "set of imprecations" as in the sentence of the great curse, "the formula read in churches four times a year, setting forth the various offenses which entailed automatic excommunication of the offender; also, the excommunication so imposed." 

Meaning "the evil which has been invoked upon one, that which causes severe trouble" is from early 14c. 

<https://www.etymonline.com/word/curse>


Hebrew - 

qᵊlālâ, “curse, vilification, execration”

<https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h7045/esv/wlc/0-1/> 

“his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed (qᵊlālâ) by God.” (Deuteronomy 21:23 ESV)


'ārar, “to curse, lay under a curse, put a curse on; to be made a curse, be cursed”

<https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h779/esv/wlc/0-1/> 

"'Cursed ('ārar) be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'” (Deuteronomy 27:26 ESV)


qālal, “to make despicable; to curse; to be cursed; to make light, lighten; to treat with contempt, bring contempt or dishonour”

<https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h7043/esv/wlc/0-1/> 

“I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse ('ārar) him who curses (qālal) you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3 NKJV)


Greek - 

anathema, “a thing devoted to God without hope of being redeemed, and if an animal, to be slain; therefore a person or thing doomed to destruction; a curse; a man accursed, devoted to the direst of woes”

<https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g331/esv/mgnt/0-1/> 

“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed (anathema). As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed (anathema).” (Galatians 1:8-9 ESV)


katara, “an execration, imprecation, curse”

<https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2671/esv/mgnt/0-1/> 

“Christ redeemed us from the curse (katara) of the law by becoming a curse (katara) for us - for it is written, "Cursed (epikataratos) is everyone who is hanged on a tree." (Galatians 3:13 ESV)


epikataratos, “accursed, execrable, exposed to divine vengeance, lying under God's curse”

<https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1944/esv/mgnt/0-1/> 

“For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse (κατάρα); for it is written, ‘Cursed (epikataratos) be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.’" (Galatians 3:10 ESV)


Seeing that Galatians 3 is quoting Deuteronomy 27:26, the Greek epikataratos, meaning “accursed, execrable, exposed to divine vengeance, lying under God's curse,” clearly outlines the Biblical meaning of being cursed/accursed. This aligns with the translation of anathema as cursed/accursed given in the Seventh Ecumenical Council, the Canon Law reference work, and the Synodikon. Thus, keeping in mind both the English word curse and the formal Eastern Orthodox definitions of anathema, of being cursed, it is clear that anathema does mean to be cursed, which is to say, “a thing devoted to God without hope of being redeemed, and if an animal, to be slain; therefore a person or thing doomed to destruction; a curse; a man accursed, devoted to the direst of woes,” for “anathema is nothing less than complete separation from God,” and “the most severe ecclesiastical sanction" where "the guilty person is cut off from the Church and from salvation.”


See also:

Imprecation [Latin imprecatio] - The act of imprecating, or invoking evil on any one; a prayer that a curse or calamity may fall on any one.

<https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/imprecation> 

Execration - The act of cursing; a curse pronounced; imprecation of evil; utter detestation expressed.

<https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/execration> 


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