אָרַר H0779
To curse or pronounce a malediction; as passive participle, to be in a state of being cursed or accursed.
Arar is the Hebrew Bible's weightiest curse-word — not the casual slight of qalal but the formal, binding malediction that alters destinies. Its most recognizable form is the passive participle arur ('cursed'), which thunders through Genesis and Deuteronomy like a judicial sentence: the serpent is arur (Gen 3:14), the ground is arur (Gen 3:17), Canaan is arur (Gen 9:25). Yet the verb also carries an active voice of real power, as when Balak hires Balaam to 'curse' Israel (Num 22:6). The symmetry with barak ('bless') runs throughout — to curse is blessing's dark mirror, and the two are often paired together (Gen 12:3; 27:29).
Senses
1. cursed (state/condition) — The dominant passive-participial sense: the state of being under a divine or authoritative curse, functioning almost as an adjective. This is the arur of covenant curses (Deut 27:15-26), primeval judgments (Gen 3:14, 17; 4:11), and patriarchal pronouncements (Gen 9:25). Spanish maldito, French maudit, and German verflucht all preserve the participial-adjectival force. With 40 occurrences, this is overwhelmingly how the word appears — not as an action but as a pronounced condition, a status declaration that marks its object as standing outside blessing. 40×
AR["مَلعونٌ", "مَلْعُونٌ", "مَلْعُونَةٌ"]·ben["অভিশপ্ত"]·DE["seien-verflucht", "verflucht", "verflucht-sei", "verfluchte"]·EN["cursed"]·FR["maudit"]·heb["ארור", "ארורה"]·HI["शापित", "श्रापित"]·ID["Terkutuklah", "dikutuk", "terkutuk", "terkutuklah"]·IT["maledetto", "maledisse"]·jav["Binasmi", "Kena-supata", "kalaknat", "kena-ipat", "kinupatan"]·KO["저주를-받을지니", "저주받으리라", "저주받은", "저주받을지니"]·PT["Maldita", "Maldito", "amaldiçoados", "maldita", "maldito"]·RU["Проклят", "проклят", "проклята", "прокляты"]·ES["Maldita", "Maldito", "maldita", "maldito", "malditos"]·SW["amelaaniwa", "imelaaniwa", "kutaka", "umelaaniwa", "walaaniwe", "wamelaaniwa"]·TR["lanetlenmiş", "lanetli"]·urd["لعنتی", "ملعون"]
Gen 3:14, Gen 3:17, Gen 4:11, Gen 9:25, Gen 27:29, Gen 49:7, Num 24:9, Deut 27:15, Deut 27:16, Deut 27:17, Deut 27:18, Deut 27:19 (+28 more)
2. to curse (pronounce a curse) — The active verbal sense: to pronounce a curse upon someone, covering finite forms (imperfect, perfect, imperative), active participles meaning 'one who curses,' and the emphatic infinitive absolute. Balaam is summoned to 'curse this people for me' (Num 22:6), and God promises Abraham 'the one who curses you I will curse' (Gen 12:3). The Spanish los que te maldicen and French maudire both capture the performative speech-act quality. The infinitive absolute construction oru aror in Judges 5:23 ('curse bitterly!') intensifies the utterance to its highest pitch — Meroz is condemned for failing to join Yahweh's battle. 14×
AR["أَلْعَنُ", "الْعَنوا", "الْعَنْ-", "تَلعَنُ", "تَلْعَنُ", "تَلْعَنْ", "لاعِنو", "لاعِنوكَ", "لَعَنْتُهَا", "لَعْناً", "وَ-لَاعِنُوكَ", "وَأَلْعَنُ"]·ben["অভিশাপ", "অভিশাপ-করব", "অভিশাপ-দাও", "অভিশাপ-দাও-", "অভিশাপ-দেবে।", "অভিশাপকারীরা", "আমি-অভিশাপ-দিয়েছি-সেগুলো", "এবং-আমি-অভিশাপ-দেব", "এবং-যারা-অভিশাপ-দেয়-তোমাকে", "তুমি-অভিশাপ-দাও", "তুমি-অভিশাপ-দেবে", "যারা-তোমাকে-অভিশাপ-দেয়"]·DE["[ארותיה]", "[אררי]", "[וארותי]", "bitterly", "den-will-ich-verfluchen", "die-dich-verfluchen", "du-soll-verfluchen", "du-verfluchen", "und-cursing-du", "verfluchen"]·EN["I-have-cursed-it", "I-will-curse", "and-I-will-curse", "and-cursing-you", "bitterly", "curse", "cursers-of", "cursing-you", "you-curse", "you-shall-curse"]·FR["Je---malédiction", "amèrement", "cursing-tu", "et-cursing-tu", "et-maudire", "malédiction", "maudire", "tu---malédiction", "tu-devra-malédiction", "tu-malédiction", "אררי"]·heb["אאר", "אורו", "אוררי", "ארה", "ארור", "ארותיה", "ארריך-ך", "ו-ארותי", "ו-ארריך", "תאור", "תאר"]·HI["और-मैं-शापित-करूँगा", "और-शाप-देने-वाले-तेरे", "तू-शाप-दे", "तू-शाप-देना", "बुरा-कहो", "मैंने-शापित-किया-उन्हें", "मैन-श्रअप-दुनग", "शाप-दे", "शाप-दे-", "शाप-देने-वाले-तेरे", "शापनेवाले-", "शापित", "शापो"]·ID["Aku-kutuk", "Aku-telah-mengutuknya", "Kutuklah", "dan-Aku-akan-mengutuk", "dan-yang-mengutukmu", "engkau kutuk", "kamu-kutuk", "kutuklah", "kutuklah-", "mereka-yang-mengutuk", "sangat-terkutuk", "yang-mengutukmu"]·IT["bitterly", "cursers-di", "cursing-tu", "e-cursing-tu", "e-maledetto", "io-will-maledire", "maledetto", "maledire", "tu-dovra-maledire", "tu-maledire", "tu-shall-maledire"]·jav["Kawula-ngipati-punika", "Kula-badhé-ipat-ipati", "Lakna", "ingkang-nglaknat-panjenengan", "ingkang-nyupaosi", "kinacuthan", "lakna", "lan-Kawula-ngipati", "lan-ingkang-nyupata-panjenengan", "nyupata", "nyupata-", "panjenengan-ngipat-ipat.", "panjenengan-nyupata", "panjenengan-supata"]·KO["그리고-너를-저주하는-자들-은", "그리고-저주하리라", "내가-저주하겠다", "너는-저주할-것이다", "네가-저주하는", "저주하는-자들은-너를", "저주하는-자들이-의", "저주하라", "저주하지", "저주해라", "저주했다-그것들을"]·PT["Amaldiçoai", "a-amaldiçoei", "amaldiçoa", "amaldiçoadores-de", "amaldiçoadores-teus", "amaldiçoando", "amaldiçoarei", "amaldiçoarás", "amaldiçoas", "e-amaldiçoarei", "e-os-que-te-amaldiçoam"]·RU["Прокляните", "и-проклинающие-тебя", "и-прокляну", "проклинай", "проклинающие", "проклинающие-тебя", "прокляни", "прокляните", "прокляну", "прокляну-их", "проклянёшь", "проклятием"]·ES["Maldigan", "las-maldije", "los-que-te-maldicen", "maldecidores-de", "maldecirás", "maldeciré", "maldice", "maldices", "maldición", "maldigan", "y-los-que-te-maldicen", "y-maldeciré"]·SW["kuwalaani", "laana", "laanini", "mlaani-", "na-nitalaani", "na-wakuapizo", "nimeilaani", "nitamlaani", "utalaani", "utamlaani", "walaani-", "walaanio-wa", "wanaokulaani"]·TR["Lanet-edenler-seni", "lanetl-", "lanetledim-onu", "lanetlersen", "lanetleyeceksin", "lanetleyeceğim", "lanetleyenler-", "lanetleyerek", "lanetleyin", "ve-lanetleyeceğim", "ve-lanetleyenlerin-seni"]·urd["اور-لعنت-کرنے-والے-تجھے", "اور-میں-ملعون-کروں-گا", "برا-کہو", "لعنت-کر", "لعنت-کر-", "لعنت-کرتا-ہے-تُو", "لعنت-کرنے-والے", "لعنت-کرنے-والے-تیرے", "لعنت-کرو", "لعنت-کروں-گا", "لعنتی", "میں-نے-ملعون-کیا-اُنہیں"]
3. to curse intensively (Piel) — Piel intensive stem indicating emphatic, repeated, or ritual cursing, often tied to formal ceremonial contexts. The waters of the bitter curse in Numbers 5:18-27 employ this stem, as the priest administers the oath that 'brings a curse' upon the suspected adulteress. Genesis 5:29 uses it of the ground that God 'has cursed' — Lamech names Noah hoping for relief from this ongoing, intensified malediction. Spanish maldijo and German verflucht-hat both attempt to capture the heightened force, though no target language cleanly distinguishes Piel from Qal in a single word. 7×
AR["الْـمُلَاعِنَةُ", "الْـمُلَاعِنِ", "لَعَنَهَا"]·ben["অভিশাপ-দিয়েছেন", "অভিশাপকারী", "অভিশাপকারী।"]·DE["der-cursing", "verflucht-hat"]·EN["cursed-it", "the-cursing"]·FR["le-cursing", "maudit-cela"]·heb["אררה-ה", "ה-מאררים"]·HI["शाप-लानेवाला", "शाप-लानेवाले", "श्रापित-किया"]·ID["telah-dikutuk", "yang-membawa-kutuk"]·IT["il-cursing", "maledisse-esso"]·jav["dipun-ipati", "kang-nyumpahi"]·KO["그-저주하는", "저주했다"]·PT["amaldiçoou-a", "as-que-amaldiçoam"]·RU["проклинающая", "проклинающей", "проклял-её"]·ES["las-que-maldicen", "maldijo-ella"]·SW["Hmarrim", "alilaani"]·TR["lanetledi-onu", "lanetleyen-"]·urd["لعنت-دی-اُس-نے", "لعنت-لانے-والے"]
4. to be cursed (passive) — Passive stems (Nifal and Hofal) denoting the experience of being cursed or made accursed by an external agent. In Num 22:6 Balak acknowledges that whomever Balaam curses 'is cursed' — the passive result of the active speech-act. Malachi 3:9 warns that the whole nation 'is cursed' for robbing God of tithes. Spanish será maldito and French maudit render the passive well. Only 2 occurrences, but the voice distinction is lexicographically real: the subject suffers the curse rather than pronouncing or embodying it. 2×
AR["مَلْعُونُونَ", "يُلْعَنُ"]·ben["অভিশপ্ত"]·DE["[נארים]", "verfluchte"]·EN["are-cursed", "cursed"]·FR["maudire", "maudit"]·heb["יואר", "נארים"]·HI["शापित-हो", "शापित-होता-है"]·ID["dikutuk"]·IT["maledetto"]·jav["dipun-ipat", "kasupata"]·KO["저주받는다", "저주받은"]·PT["(é)-amaldiçoado", "estais-amaldiçoados"]·RU["проклят", "прокляты"]·ES["malditos", "será-maldito"]·SW["amelaaniwa", "mmelaaniwa"]·TR["lanetleniyorsunuz", "lanetlidir"]·urd["لعنتی-ہے", "ملعون-ہو"]
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
[אָרַר] vb. curse (Assyrian arâru ZimBP 68; on relation of meanings bind & curse in Assyrian v. DlPr 101)—Qal Pf. 1 s. וְאָרוֹתִ֫י, אָרוֹתִיהָ Mal 2:2; Impf. 2 ms. תָּאֹר Ex 22:27 Nu 22:6, 12; אָאֹר Gn 12:3; Imv. אָ֫רָה־ Nu 22:6; 23:7; אוֹרוּ, אֹרוּ & Inf. abs. אָרוֹר all Ju 5:23; Pt. אֹרְרֵי Jb 3:8; אֹרְרֶיךָ Gn 27:29 Nu 24:9; אָרוּר Gn 3:14 + 36 times etc.;—curse ‖ בֵּרֵךְ bless, chiefly in…