H6895 H6895
To utter a curse against someone; to pronounce a malediction, especially in the Balaam narrative.
Distinguished from other Hebrew curse verbs like 'arar and qalal, this root (qavav) carries the sense of invoking a formal, spoken imprecation against a person. It dominates the Balaam cycle in Numbers 22-24, where Balak repeatedly commands Balaam to curse Israel, only for God to override each attempt with blessing. The Spanish 'maldecir' and French 'malédiction' highlight the speech-act dimension: this is a pronounced, performative utterance, not merely a wish for harm. Job 3:8 extends it to those who curse the day, possibly professional enchanters.
Senses
1. to curse — To utter a formal curse against someone, to pronounce a spoken malediction. Concentrated in the Balaam narrative (Num 22-24), where Balak commissions Balaam to curse (qavav) Israel but God transforms each curse into blessing (Num 23:8, 11, 25, 27). Also appears in Job 3:8 for those skilled in cursing days and in Proverbs 11:26; 24:24 for social cursing of the unjust. Multilingual evidence -- Spanish 'maldecir,' French 'malédiction,' German 'verfluchen' -- consistently renders it as a performative speech act of imprecation, distinct from 'arar (covenantal curse) and qalal (to make light of, belittle). 9×
AR["الْعَنْ-", "فَلَعَنْتُ", "لَعْنًا", "لِ-أَلْعَنَ", "وَ-الْعَنْهُ-", "وَ-تَلْعَنُهُ", "يَلْعَنْ"]·ben["অভিশাপ-দাও-", "অভিশাপ-দিতে", "অভিশাপ-দেননি", "অভিশাপও", "এবং-অভিশাপ-দাও-তাদের-", "এবং-আমি-অভিশাপ-দিয়েছিলাম", "এবং-তুমি-অভিশাপ-দেবে-তাদের"]·DE["[ואקוב]", "cursing", "und-du-wird-verfluchen-ihn", "und-verfluchen-ihn", "verfluchen", "verfluchte", "zu-verfluchen"]·EN["and-I-cursed", "and-curse-him", "and-you-will-curse-him", "curse", "cursed", "cursing", "to-curse"]·FR["cursing", "et-malédiction-lui", "et-tu-fera-malédiction-lui", "et-ואקוב", "malédiction", "maudit", "à-malédiction"]·heb["ו-קבנו", "ו-קבתו", "ו-קיללתי", "ל-קב", "קב", "קבה"]·HI["और-मैंने-शापा", "और-शाप-दे", "और-शाप-देगा-उसे", "शाप-दिया", "शाप-दे-", "शाप-देना", "शाप-देने"]·ID["dan-aku-mengutuk", "dan-kamu-kutuklah-dia", "dan-kutuklah-", "kutuklah-", "mengutuk", "untuk-mengutuk"]·IT["a-maledire", "cursing", "e-e-Io-cursed", "e-maledire-lui", "e-tu-fara-maledire-lui", "maledetto", "maledire"]·jav["Kangge-nyupata", "dipun-supata", "lan-kawula-nyupaosi", "lan-nyupataa-piyambakipun-", "lan-panjenengan-nyupataa-piyambakipun", "nyupata"]·KO["그리고-네가-저주하라-그를", "그리고-저주하라", "그리고-저주했다-내가", "저주하러", "저주하셨다", "저주하여", "저주해라"]·PT["Para-amaldiçoar", "amaldiçoa", "amaldiçoar", "amaldiçoou", "e-amaldiçoa-o", "e-amaldiçoei", "e-o-amaldiçoarás"]·RU["и-проклял-я", "и-прокляни-его", "и-проклянёшь-его", "проклинает", "проклинать", "прокляни", "проклясть"]·ES["maldecir", "maldice", "maldijo", "para-maldecir", "y-maldije", "y-maldícelo"]·SW["kulaani", "kumlaani", "kuwalaani", "na-nikalaani", "na-utamlaani", "na-uwalaani-", "walaani-"]·TR["-lanetlemek", "lanetl-", "lanetledi", "lanetleme", "lanetlemek-için", "ve-lanetl-", "ve-lanetledim", "ve-lanetlersin-onu"]·urd["اور-لعنت-کر-", "اور-لعنت-کرے-گا-اُسے", "اور-لعنت-کی-میں-نے", "لعنت-کر-", "لعنت-کرنا", "لعنت-کرنے", "لعنت-کی"]
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
† II. [קָבַב] vb. utter a curse against, curse (cf. יקו[ב] Ecclus 41:7):— Qal curse, c. acc. usually pers.: Pf. 3 ms. sf. קַבֹּה (Ges§ 58 d) Nu 23:8; 2 ms. sf. consec. וְקַבֹּתוֹ v 27; Impf. 3 ms. וַיִּקֹּב (Ges§ 67 g) Lv 24:11 (c. acc. אֶת־הַשֵּׁם); 2 ms. sf. תִּקֳּבֶנּוּ Nu 23:25 (+ Inf. abs.); 1 s. אֶקֹּב v 8 (obj. om.); וָאֶקּוֹב נָוֵהוּ Jb 5:3 (prob. corrupt; 𝔊 Du read וַיִּרְקַב, cf. Me Bi…