Topical Encyclopedia
The term "accursed" in the Bible refers to something or someone that is under a curse, often implying divine judgment or condemnation. This concept is significant in both the Old and New Testaments, where it is associated with disobedience to God's commands, idolatry, and other forms of sin.
Old Testament ContextIn the Old Testament, the Hebrew word often translated as "accursed" is "ḥērem," which denotes something devoted to destruction or set apart for God, often in a negative sense. This is seen in the context of the conquest of Canaan, where certain cities and their inhabitants were to be completely destroyed as an act of divine judgment. For example, in
Joshua 6:17, the city of Jericho is described as "accursed" (ḥērem) and devoted to destruction: "Now the city and everything in it must be devoted to destruction for the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the spies we sent."
The concept of being accursed also appears in the context of the covenant blessings and curses outlined in Deuteronomy. Disobedience to God's law would result in curses, as seen in
Deuteronomy 28:15: "But if you do not obey the LORD your God by carefully following all His commandments and statutes I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you."
New Testament ContextIn the New Testament, the Greek word "anathema" is often used to convey the idea of being accursed. This term is used by the Apostle Paul in
Galatians 1:8-9, where he warns against preaching a gospel contrary to the one he delivered: "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a curse! 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 under a curse!"
The concept of being accursed is also linked to the rejection of Christ. In
1 Corinthians 12:3, Paul states, "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." Here, the rejection of Jesus as Lord is associated with being accursed.
Theological ImplicationsThe idea of being accursed underscores the seriousness of sin and the consequences of turning away from God. It highlights the holiness and justice of God, who cannot tolerate sin and rebellion. The accursed state is often seen as the result of a deliberate choice to reject God's commands and His provision for salvation.
In the New Testament, the concept of being accursed is also tied to the redemptive work of Christ.
Galatians 3:13 states, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.'" This passage emphasizes that Jesus took upon Himself the curse that was due to humanity because of sin, offering redemption and reconciliation with God.
Practical ApplicationFor believers, the concept of being accursed serves as a sobering reminder of the importance of faithfulness to God's Word and the necessity of adhering to the true gospel. It calls for vigilance against false teachings and a commitment to living in accordance with God's commands. The redemptive work of Christ provides hope and assurance that through faith in Him, believers are delivered from the curse of sin and death.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(
a.) Under a curse; doomed to evil or misery; ill-fated.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
ACCURSEDa-kurs'-ed, a-kurst': In the Book of Jos (Joshua 6:17, 18;Joshua 7:1, 11, 12, 13, 15) and1 Chronicles 2:7 "accursed" (or "accursed thing" or "thing accursed") is the King James Version rendering of the Hebrew word, cherem. The the Revised Version (British and American) consistently uses "devoted" or "devoted thing," which the King James Version also adopts inLeviticus 27:21, 28, 29 and inNumbers 18:14. "Cursed thing" is the rendering in two passages (Deuteronomy 7:26;Deuteronomy 13:17); and in one passage (Ezekiel 44:29 the King James Version) "dedicated thing" is used. In four places the King James Version renders the word by "curse" (Joshua 6:18, Isaiah 34:5, 43:28, Malachi 3:18, 4:6) whilst in, another passage (Zechariah 14:11) "utter destruction" is adopted in translation. These various renderings are due to the fact that the word cherem sometimes means the act of devoting or banning or the condition or state resulting therefrom and sometimes the object devoted or banned. We occasionally find periphrastic renderings, e.g.1 Samuel 15:21: "the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed," the King James Version (literally, "the chief part of the ban");1 Kings 20:42: "a man whom I appointed to utter destruction," the King James Version (literally, "a man of my ban" (or "banning")). The root-word meant "to separate," "shut off." The Arabic charim denoted the precincts of the temple at Mecca, and also the women's apartment (whence the word "harem").
In Hebrew the word always suggested "separating" or "devoting to God." Just as qadhosh, meant "holy" or "consecrated to the service" of Yahweh, and so not liable to be used for ordinary or secular purposes, so the stem of cherem meant "devoting" to Yahweh anything which would, if spared, corrupt or contaminate the religious life of Israel, with the further idea of destroying (things) or exterminating (persons) as the surest way of avoiding such contamination. Everything that might paganize or affect the unique character of the religion of Israel was banned, e.g. idols (Deuteronomy 7:26); idolatrous persons (Exodus 22:20); idolatrous cities (Deuteronomy 13:13-18). All Canaanite towns-where the cult of Baal flourished-were to be banned (Deuteronomy 20:16-18). The ban did not always apply to the gold and silver of looted cities (Joshua 6:24). Such valuable articles were to be placed in the "treasury of the house of Yahweh." This probably indicates a slackening of the rigid custom which involved the total destruction of the spoil. According toNumbers 18:14, "everything devoted in Israel" belonged to Aaron, andEzekiel 44:29 the King James Version ordained that "every dedicated thing" should belong to the priests (compareEzra 10:8). In the New Testament "accursed" is the King James Version rendering of ANATHEMA (which see).
Thomas Lewis
Greek
1944. epikataratos --accursed...accursed. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: epikataratos Phonetic Spelling:
(ep-ee-kat-ar'-at-os) Short Definition:
accursed Definition: on whom a
...1884a. eparatos --accursed
...accursed. Transliteration: eparatos Short Definition:accursed. Word Origin from
eparaomai (to imprecate) Definitionaccursed NASB Word Usageaccursed (1)....
1884. eparkeo --accursed
...accursed. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: eparkeo Phonetic Spelling:
(ep-ar-keh'-o) Short Definition: I aid, relieve, do service, render help Definition...
946. bdelugma -- a detestable thing
... Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: bdelugma Phonetic Spelling:
(bdel'-oog-mah) Short Definition: an abominable thing, anaccursed thing Definition...
331. anathema -- that which is laid up, ie a votive offering
... 331 (from 303 , "up" a process, which intensifies 5087 , "to place") -- properly,
place , referring to something (given ) ; a divine curse/ban ("accursed"); an...
2652. katanathema -- curse.
... Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: katanathema Phonetic Spelling:
(kat-an-ath'-em-ah) Short Definition: a curse, anaccursed thing Definition: a...
2672. kataraomai -- to curse
... Cognate: 2672 -- to curse. See 2671 (). Word Origin from katara Definition to curse
NASB Word Usageaccursed (1), curse (3), cursed (1). curse....
2671. katara -- a curse
... something. Word Origin from kata and ara Definition a curse NASB Word Usage
accursed (1), curse (3), cursed (1), cursing (1). curse....
Strong's Hebrew
2763. charam -- to ban, devote, exterminate... 2762, 2763. charam. 2763a . to ban, devote, exterminate. Transliteration: charam
Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-ram') Short Definition:
accursed.
...7045. qelalah -- a curse
... Word Origin from qalal Definition a curse NASB Word Usageaccursed (1), curse
(27), curses (2), cursing (3), imprecation (2).accursed,....
7043. qalal -- to be slight, swift or trifling
... root Definition to be slight, swift or trifling NASB Word Usage abated (2),accursed
(1), brought a curse (1), contempt (1), contemptible (1), curse (15...
2764a. cherem -- devoted thing, devotion, ban
... Word Origin from charam Definition devoted thing, devotion, ban NASB Word Usage
accursed (2), ban (2), curse (2), devoted (2), devoted to destruction (1...
3939. laanah -- wormwood
... hemlock, wormwood. From an unused root supposed to mean to curse; wormwood (regarded
as poisonous, and thereforeaccursed) -- hemlock, wormwood. 3938, 3939....
2764. cherem -- devoted thing, devotion, ban
... khay'-rem) Short Definition: cursed.accursed dedicated thing, appointed to
utter destruction, Extermination Or (Zecheriah 14:11) cherem...
Library
That Tale-Bearers areAccursed.
... Third Book. 110. That tale-bearers areaccursed. In Ecclesiasticus, in Solomon:
"The talebearer and the double-tongued isaccursed...
St. Paul's Wish to beAccursed from Christ.
... St. Paul's Wish to beaccursed from Christ.... "For I could wish that myself wereaccursed
from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh."....
Behold, did not Achar the Son of Zara Transgress in theAccursed...
... Canon III. Behold, did not Achar the son of Zara transgress in theaccursed
thing? Behold, did not Achar [129] the son of Zara...
Through the Fall and Revolt of Adam, the Whole Human Race Made...
... CHAPTER 1. THROUGH THE FALL AND REVOLT OF ADAM, THE WHOLE HUMAN RACE MADE
ACCURSED AND DEGENERATE. OF ORIGINAL SIN. THROUGH THE...
Exposition of St. Paul's Words, Gal. I. 8.
... severity, "Though we," he says, "or an angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel
unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him beaccursed." [457...
Achan's Sin, Israel's Defeat
... THE BOOK OF JOSHUA ACHAN'S SIN, ISRAEL'S DEFEAT. 'But the children of Israel committed
a trespass in theaccursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of...
Argument. --Again from the Gospel He Proves Christ to be God.
... says, "And every one that believeth in me shall not die for evermore?" [5130] And
yet he who believes in man by himself alone is calledaccursed; but he who...
Fasting, and the Goat Sent Away, were Types of Christ.
... [1531] And what should they do with the other? "Accursed," says He, "is
the one." Mark how the type of Jesus [1532] now comes out....
Recapitulation of what was Said of the Catholic Faith and of...
...Accursed then be Photinus, who does not receive the Trinity complete, but
asserts that Christ is mere man.Accursed be Apollinaris...
Lucius of Thebaste Said: "I Declare My Judgment that Heretics...
... and blasphemers, and unrighteous men, who with various words pluck away the sacred
and adorable words of the Scriptures, should be heldaccursed, and therefore...
Thesaurus
Accursed (26 Occurrences)... Noah Webster's Dictionary (a.) Under a curse; doomed to evil or misery;
ill-fated. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
ACCURSED. a-kurs
...Anathema (6 Occurrences)
... The word therefore carried the idea of devoted to destruction (Numbers 21:2,
3; Joshua 6:17); and hence generally it meant a thingaccursed....
Cursed (115 Occurrences)
... (BBE). John 7:49 But this multitude that doesn't know the law isaccursed."
(Root in WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV). Acts...
Anymore (47 Occurrences)
... 7:12 Therefore the children of Israel cannot stand before their enemies, they turn
their backs before their enemies, because they are becomeaccursed; I will...
Nicanor (1 Occurrence)
... The battle of Emmaus is not mentioned, but "the thrice-accursed Nicanor," having
in overweening pride invited a thousand slavedealers to accompany him to buy...
Announce (56 Occurrences)
... 1:8 But if even we or an angel out of heaven announce as glad tidings to you anything
besides what we have announced as glad tidings to you, let him beaccursed...
Besides (178 Occurrences)
... 1:8 But if even we or an angel out of heaven announce as glad tidings to you anything
besides what we have announced as glad tidings to you, let him beaccursed...
Hanged (36 Occurrences)
... Galatians 3:13 Christ has purchased our freedom from the curse of the Law by becoming
accursed for us--because "Cursed is every one who is hanged upon a tree...
Curse (211 Occurrences)
... SeeACCURSED. T. Lewis.... (BBE). John 7:49 But this multitude that doesn't know the
law isaccursed." (Root in WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)....
Kindled (83 Occurrences)
... Joshua 7:1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in theaccursed thing:
for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe...
Resources
What is the definition of anathema? | GotQuestions.orgWho are the super-apostles Paul mentions in 2 Corinthians 11:5? | GotQuestions.orgWhat was the first / original church? Is the original / first church the true church? | GotQuestions.orgAccursed: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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