אָרַר
a.rar
to curse
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
Supported# Ārār (אָרַר): The Hebrew Word for Cursing The Hebrew verb ārār denotes the act of cursing, appearing 63 times throughout the biblical text. This frequency indicates that cursing—the invocation of divine harm or misfortune upon a person or object—was a significant concern in ancient Israelite life and religious thought. The word functions as a basic lexical unit for expressing the opposite of blessing, representing a fundamental category in biblical moral and spiritual vocabulary. The prevalence of this term across 63 biblical occurrences suggests it had broad application in different contexts: legal pronouncements, divine judgments, interpersonal conflicts, and religious ceremonies. The consistent rendering as "curse" across these diverse uses indicates a stable semantic range, though the specific consequences invoked and the authority behind the curse likely varied depending on who pronounced it and in what circumstances. Understanding ārār provides insight into how biblical authors conceptualized harm, divine punishment, and the power of spoken words. The sheer number of occurrences reflects a worldview in which curses were not merely angry wishes but potentially efficacious utterances with real consequences—whether pronounced by God, covenant authorities, or individuals within conflict situations.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
63 total occurrences across the text — showing 50
Let them curse it who curse the day, who are ready to rouse up leviathan.
Psalms 119:21You have rebuked the proud who are cursed, who wander from your commandments.
Jeremiah 11:3and say to them, Yahweh, the God of Israel says: ‘Cursed is the man who doesn’t hear the words of this covenant,
Jeremiah 17:5Yahweh says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man, relies on strength of flesh, and whose heart departs from Yahweh.
Jeremiah 20:14Cursed is the day in which I was born. Don’t let the day in which my mother bore me be blessed.
Jeremiah 20:15Cursed is the man who brought news to my father, saying, “A boy is born to you,” making him very glad.
Jeremiah 48:10“Cursed is he who does the work of Yahweh negligently; and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.
Jeremiah 48:10“Cursed is he who does the work of Yahweh negligently; and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.
Malachi 1:14“But the deceiver is cursed, who has in his flock a male, and vows, and sacrifices to the Lord a defective thing; for I am a great King,” says Yahweh of Armies, “and my name is awesome among the nations.”
Malachi 2:2If you will not listen, and if you will not take it to heart, to give glory to my name,” says Yahweh of Armies, “then I will send the curse on you, and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have cursed them already, because you do not take it to heart.
Malachi 2:2If you will not listen, and if you will not take it to heart, to give glory to my name,” says Yahweh of Armies, “then I will send the curse on you, and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have cursed them already, because you do not take it to heart.
Malachi 3:9You are cursed with the curse; for you rob me, even this whole nation.
Genesis 3:14Yahweh God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed above all livestock, and above every animal of the field. You shall go on your belly and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.
Genesis 3:17To Adam he said, “Because you have listened to your wife’s voice, and ate from the tree, about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ the ground is cursed for your sake. You will eat from it with much labor all the days of your life.
Genesis 4:11Now you are cursed because of the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
Genesis 5:29He named him Noah, saying, “This one will comfort us in our work and in the toil of our hands, caused by the ground which Yahweh has cursed.”
Genesis 9:25He said, “Canaan is cursed. He will be a servant of servants to his brothers.”
Genesis 12:3I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who treats you with contempt. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”
Genesis 27:29Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers. Let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you. Blessed be everyone who blesses you.”
Genesis 27:29Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers. Let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you. Blessed be everyone who blesses you.”
Genesis 49:7Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.
Exodus 22:28“You shall not blaspheme God, nor curse a ruler of your people.
Numbers 5:18The priest shall set the woman before Yahweh, and let the hair of the woman’s head go loose, and put the meal offering of memorial in her hands, which is the meal offering of jealousy. The priest shall have in his hand the water of bitterness that brings a curse.
Numbers 5:19The priest shall cause her to take an oath and shall tell the woman, “If no man has lain with you, and if you haven’t gone aside to uncleanness, being under your husband’s authority, be free from this water of bitterness that brings a curse.
Numbers 5:22and this water that brings a curse will go into your bowels, and make your body swell, and your thigh fall away.” The woman shall say, “Amen, Amen.”
Numbers 5:24He shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that causes the curse; and the water that causes the curse shall enter into her and become bitter.
Numbers 5:24He shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that causes the curse; and the water that causes the curse shall enter into her and become bitter.
Numbers 5:27When he has made her drink the water, then it shall happen, if she is defiled and has committed a trespass against her husband, that the water that causes the curse will enter into her and become bitter, and her body will swell, and her thigh will fall away; and the woman will be a curse among her people.
Numbers 22:6Please come now therefore, and curse this people for me; for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall prevail, that we may strike them, and that I may drive them out of the land; for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”
Numbers 22:6Please come now therefore, and curse this people for me; for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall prevail, that we may strike them, and that I may drive them out of the land; for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”
Numbers 22:6Please come now therefore, and curse this people for me; for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall prevail, that we may strike them, and that I may drive them out of the land; for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”
Numbers 22:12God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.”
Numbers 23:7He took up his parable, and said, “From Aram has Balak brought me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the East. Come, curse Jacob for me. Come, defy Israel.
Numbers 24:9He couched, he lay down as a lion, as a lioness; who shall rouse him up? Everyone who blesses you is blessed. Everyone who curses you is cursed.”
Numbers 24:9He couched, he lay down as a lion, as a lioness; who shall rouse him up? Everyone who blesses you is blessed. Everyone who curses you is cursed.”
Deuteronomy 27:15‘Cursed is the man who makes an engraved or molten image, an abomination to Yahweh, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ All the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen.’
Deuteronomy 27:16‘Cursed is he who dishonors his father or his mother.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
Deuteronomy 27:17‘Cursed is he who removes his neighbor’s landmark.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
Deuteronomy 27:18‘Cursed is he who leads the blind astray on the road.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
Deuteronomy 27:19‘Cursed is he who withholds justice from the foreigner, fatherless, and widow.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
Deuteronomy 27:20‘Cursed is he who lies with his father’s wife, because he dishonors his father’s bed.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
Deuteronomy 27:21‘Cursed is he who lies with any kind of animal.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
Deuteronomy 27:22‘Cursed is he who lies with his sister, his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
Deuteronomy 27:23‘Cursed is he who lies with his mother-in-law.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
Deuteronomy 27:24‘Cursed is he who secretly kills his neighbor.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
Deuteronomy 27:25‘Cursed is he who takes a bribe to kill an innocent person.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
Deuteronomy 27:26‘Cursed is he who doesn’t uphold the words of this law by doing them.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ ”
Deuteronomy 28:16You will be cursed in the city, and you will be cursed in the field.
Deuteronomy 28:16You will be cursed in the city, and you will be cursed in the field.
Deuteronomy 28:17Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed.