Lexical Summary
meerah: Rebellion, defiance
Original Word:מְאֵרָה
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:merah
Pronunciation:may-raw'
Phonetic Spelling:(meh-ay-raw')
KJV: curse
NASB:curse, curses
Word Origin:[fromH779 (אָרַר - cursed)]
1. an execration
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
curse
From'arar; an execration -- curse.
see HEBREW'arar
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom the same as
ararDefinitiona curse
NASB Translationcurse (3), curses (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Deuteronomy 28:20;
Malachi 2:2;
Malachi 3:9; construct
Proverbs 3:33; plural
Proverbs 28:27.
see .
Topical Lexicon
Semantic Range and Biblical Portraitמְאֵרָה designates an expressed divine curse—a spoken, operative judgment proceeding directly from the covenant Lord. Unlike casual imprecations found elsewhere in Scripture, this term uniformly describes a curse that God Himself pronounces and enforces, thereby functioning as the antithesis of His blessing. Each occurrence emphasizes that the curse is neither arbitrary nor capricious; it is the lawful response of a holy God to covenant violation.
Occurrences and Literary Settings
Deuteronomy 28:20 anchors the word in the covenant treaty setting of Sinai–Moab. There, מְאֵרָה is part of a triad—“curses, confusion, and rebuke”—that will pursue Israel should they forsake the stipulations of the covenant. In the Wisdom corpus (Proverbs 3:33; 28:27) the term moves into the sphere of everyday life, illustrating that divine judgment is not merely national but also personal, touching households and individual ethics.Malachi 2:2 and 3:9 return to a covenant‐lawsuit framework in the post-exilic community, confirming that exile had not nullified God’s standards.
Covenant Dynamics inDeuteronomy 28
Deuteronomy 28:20 sets the theological baseline: “The LORD will send on you curses, confusion, and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed”. Here, מְאֵרָה is covenantal litigation language. Blessing and curse stand as two mutually exclusive destinations (compareDeuteronomy 28:1–14 with 28:15–68). The curse is personal (“the LORD will send”) and pervasive (“in everything you put your hand to”), revealing that no facet of national life is immune when the covenant is breached. Historically, Israel’s later experiences—famine, defeat, and exile—mirror this pronouncement, validating the predictive power of the passage and the moral coherency of biblical history.
Wisdom Literature Perspective
Proverbs applies the same covenant principle to individual conduct. “The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the righteous” (Proverbs 3:33). Righteousness and wickedness are depicted not as mere social constructs but as spiritual orientations with tangible outcomes: blessing or מְאֵרָה.Proverbs 28:27 adds an ethical focus: “He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses”. Social irresponsibility becomes a trigger for divine judgment, underscoring that generosity toward the needy is covenantally significant.
Prophetic Diagnosis and Remedy
Malachi exposes post-exilic Judah’s priestly negligence and communal robbery. “If you do not listen… I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings” (Malachi 2:2). Priestly indifference toward God’s name converts blessing into מְאֵרָה—a reversal ofNumbers 6:24–26. Later, “You are cursed with a curse, yet you—the whole nation—are still robbing Me” (Malachi 3:9) moves the charge from clergy to laity. The prophet’s remedy is repentance and restored tithes, indicating that the curse is reversible by grace through obedience (Malachi 3:10–12).
Theological Trajectory and New Testament Resonance
Though מְאֵרָה itself does not appear in the New Testament, its concept informs Paul’s assertion that “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13). The apostle draws on the covenantal pattern: human failure invites divine curse; divine mercy provides substitutionary relief. The cross therefore stands as the climactic antidote to מְאֵרָה, satisfying justice while extending blessing to “all the families of the earth” (Genesis 12:3).
Ministry Implications
1. Preaching and Teaching: מְאֵרָה reminds congregations that God’s moral order has consequential teeth. Pastoral exposition should connect obedience to blessing and disobedience to divine censure, without veering into works-based legalism.
2. Social Ethics: Proverbs links neglect of the poor with curses, challenging believers to integrate mercy ministries into congregational life lest they invert blessing into judgment.
3. Worship and Stewardship: Malachi’s focus on dishonored offerings and withheld tithes urges careful evaluation of worship practices and financial faithfulness as matters of covenant loyalty.
4. Discipleship: The comprehensive scope of מְאֵרָה warns against compartmentalized spirituality. Holiness in family, vocation, and public life are inseparable from spiritual well-being.
Eschatological Horizon
Scripture culminates with the promise, “No longer will there be any curse” (Revelation 22:3). The final removal of every מְאֵרָה confirms God’s redemptive intent and encourages steadfastness. Until that consummation, the biblical testimony to מְאֵרָה stands as both caution and catalyst—calling God’s people to covenant fidelity, social justice, and gospel proclamation grounded in the atoning work of Christ.
Forms and Transliterations
בַּמְּאֵרָה֙ במארה הַמְּאֵרָ֔ה הַמְּאֵרָ֤ה המארה מְאֵרַ֣ת מְאֵרֽוֹת׃ מארות׃ מארת bam·mə·’ê·rāh bammə’êrāh bammeeRah ham·mə·’ê·rāh hammə’êrāh hammeeRah mə’êraṯ mə’êrōwṯ mə·’ê·raṯ mə·’ê·rō·wṯ meeRat meeRot
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