καταρ-άομαι G2672
To curse, invoke evil upon someone; to pronounce or call down a curse.
Kataraomai is the verbal counterpart of katara (curse), meaning to call down curses upon someone or to pronounce a malediction. Jesus commands a radical ethic: 'bless those who curse you' (Matt 5:44; Luke 6:28), turning the expected cycle of cursing and retaliation on its head. Paul echoes this in Romans 12:14: 'Bless and do not curse.' The word also appears in the dramatic scene where Jesus curses the barren fig tree (Mark 11:21) and in the eschatological judgment where the King sends the cursed away (Matt 25:41). The perfect participle kateramenos carries the force of an abiding state -- 'accursed ones.' Spanish 'maldecir' and French 'maudire' both mean literally 'to speak evil.'
Senses
1. curse, call down curses upon — To pronounce a curse upon someone, to invoke evil or divine judgment against them. The middle voice form (kataraomai) suggests calling down curses as a speech act directed at or against another. In the NT it appears in the ethical commands of Jesus and Paul to bless rather than curse (Matt 5:44; Luke 6:28; Rom 12:14), in Jesus' cursing of the unfruitful fig tree (Mark 11:21), and in the eschatological pronouncement upon the condemned at the last judgment: 'Depart from me, you cursed ones' (Matt 25:41). The perfect participle kateramenoi conveys an established, enduring state of being under a curse. 6×
AR["تَلْعَنُوا", "لَاعِنِيكُمْ", "لَعَنْتَهَا", "مَلْعُونِينَ", "نَلعَنُ", "يَلعَنونَ"]·ben["অভিশপ্তরা", "অভিশাপ-দিই", "অভিশাপ-দিও।", "অভিশাপ-দিচ্ছে", "অভিশাপ-দেয়-যারা", "আপনি-অভিশাপ-দিয়েছিলেন"]·DE["verfluchen", "καταρωμένους", "κατηραμένοι"]·EN["curse", "cursed", "cursing", "we-curse", "you-cursed"]·FR["maudire"]·heb["אֲרוּרִים", "הַמְקַלְּלִים", "מְקַלְּלִים", "קִלַּלְתָּ", "תְקַלְלוּ"]·HI["शाप-दिया", "शाप-देते-हैं", "शाप-देनेवालों-को", "शाप-दो", "शापित"]·ID["Engkau-kutuki", "kita-mengutuk", "mengutuk", "yang-mengutuk", "yang-terkutuk"]·IT["kataromenous", "katarōmetha", "kateramenoi", "kateraso", "maledire"]·jav["ingkang-kaulat", "ingkang-nyupatani", "kita-ngipat-ipati", "panjenengan-sami-nyupata.", "panjenengan-sampun-ndukani"]·KO["당신이-저주하신", "저주-받은-자들아", "저주하는-사람들을", "저주하는-자들", "저주하지", "저주한다"]·PT["amaldiçoamos", "amaldiçoeis.", "malditos", "que-vos-amaldiçoam"]·RU["Ты-проклял", "проклинаем", "проклинающих", "проклятые"]·ES["maldecimos", "maldigáis", "maldijiste", "malditos", "que-maldicen", "que-os-maldicen"]·SW["laani.", "tunawalaani", "uliulaani", "waliolaaniwa", "wanaowaapiza", "wanaowalaani"]·TR["lanet-edenleri", "lanetlediğin", "lanetlemeyin", "lanetlenmiş-olanlar", "lanetleriz", "lanetleyenleri"]·urd["تم-پر", "لعنت-کرتے-ہیں", "لعنت-کرنے-والوں", "لعنت-کرو", "لعنت-کی", "ملعون"]
Related Senses
H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)H7121 1. call, summon, name (575×)H6680 1. command, order, charge (483×)H6030b 1. answer, respond, reply (289×)G2980 1. speak, talk (277×)H5046 1. Hifil: to tell, report (237×)G0611 1. answer or respond verbally (232×)H1288 1. Piel: bless, invoke blessing (227×)H7650 1. swear, take an oath (Niphal) (154×)H3789 1. Qal passive participle: written, recorded (112×)H1984b 1. praise, laud (Piel) (111×)H7592 1. ask, inquire, question (96×)H3034 1. give thanks, praise (Hifil) (94×)G1321 1. teach, instruct actively (92×)H3789 2. Qal active: write, compose (89×)G1125 1. to write, compose (a letter or document) (84×)H5046 2. Hifil: to declare, proclaim (79×)H7892a 1. song, musical composition (78×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
καταρ-άομαι [ᾱρ Epic dialect, ᾰρ Attic dialect], call down curses upon, Refs 8th c.BC+; πολλὰ κατηρᾶτο he called down many curses, Refs 8th c.BC+: with infinitive, καταρῶνται δ᾽ ἀπολέσθαι they pray that he may perish, Refs 6th c.BC+, curse, execrate, NT+5th c.BC+passive, aorist κατηράθην [ᾱ] LXX: perfect participle κατηραμένος accursed, NT+1st c.AD+: also perfect κεκατήραμαι with double reduplicate, LXX; participle κεκατηραμένος LXX