Lexical Summary katara: Curse Original Word: κατάρα Strong's Exhaustive Concordance curseFrom kata (intensive) and ara; imprecation, execration -- curse(-d, ing). see GREEK kata see GREEK ara HELPS Word-studies 2671 katára (from 2596 /katá, "according to, down" and 685 /ará, "a curse") – properly, what has "to go down" (penalties received) due to condemnation, i.e. the penalty-curse that results when God Himself curses (condemns) something. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom kata and ara Definition a curse NASB Translation accursed (1), curse (3), cursed (1), cursing (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2671: κατάρακατάρα, κατάρας, ἡ (κατά and ἄρα, cf. German Verfiuchung,Verwünschung (cf. κατά, III. 4)); the Sept. chiefly for כְּלָלָה; an execration, imprecation, curse: opposed to εὐλογία to being cursed (which see), James 3:10; γῆ κατάρας ἐγγύς, near by God, i. e. to being given up to barrenness (the allusion is to Genesis 3:17f), Hebrews 6:8; ὑπό κατάραν εἶναι, to be under a curse, i. e. liable to the appointed penalty of being cursed, Galatians 3:10; ἐξαγοράζειν τινα ἐκ τῆς κατάρας, to redeem one exposed to the threatened penalty of a curse, Galatians 3:13; τέκνα κατάρας, men worthy of execration, 2 Peter 2:14; abstract for the concrete, one in whom the curse is exhibited, i. e. undergoing the appointed penalty of cursing, Galatians 3:13; ἐγώ κατάρα ἐγενήθην, Protevangelium Jacobi, c. 3. (Aeschylus, Euripides, Plato, others.) Strong’s Greek 2671 (katára) designates a spoken or written curse—an imprecation that calls down divine judgment. In Scripture its force lies not in superstition but in the certainty that God Himself ratifies moral order: blessing follows obedience, while curse follows rebellion. The term appears six times in the Greek New Testament and gathers its meaning from the covenantal framework established in the Hebrew Scriptures. Occurrences in the New Testament • Galatians 3:10 – “For all who rely on works of the Law are under a curse.” The Curse and the Law in Pauline Theology Paul’s usage in Galatians 3 anchors katára in Deuteronomy’s covenant sanctions (notably Deuteronomy 27:26; 21:23). By citing the Law, Paul shows that human effort cannot evade the curse pronounced on law-breakers. Christ’s substitution—“having become a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13)—reveals that the curse is not ignored but absorbed. Redemption, therefore, is both legal (satisfaction of divine justice) and relational (restoration to blessing). Curses upon the Lips (James 3:10; 2 Peter 2:14) James confronts the inconsistency of believers who bless God yet curse people made in His image. Such speech violates the ethic of love and allies the speaker with the judgment that katára invokes. Peter exposes false teachers whose greed-driven hearts earn the label “accursed children,” indicating they stand under God’s condemnation and reproduce that condition in others (cf. Numbers 22–24 for the archetypal false prophet, Balaam). Agricultural Imagery (Hebrews 6:8) Hebrews portrays unproductive land “near to being cursed.” The metaphor recalls Genesis 3:17–18 and emphasizes covenant faithfulness: genuine believers bear fruit; persistent barrenness invites divine rejection. The passage warns against complacency while affirming that God’s justice remains consistent from Eden to eternity. Old Testament Background Katára translates Hebrew ’ārar/ qelalah in the Septuagint. Covenant assemblies on Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal (Deuteronomy 27–28) dramatized blessing and curse. Prophets later applied these terms to national apostasy (Jeremiah 11:3) and messianic hope (Zechariah 8:13). The New Testament, by retaining katára, signals continuity with this covenant language. Christ’s Redemptive Work Galatians 3:13 clarifies that Jesus did not simply endure a curse; He “became” it by His crucifixion (“for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree’”). The quotation of Deuteronomy 21:23 confirms divine intention: the Messiah bears covenant penalties so that believing Jews and Gentiles inherit Abraham’s blessing (Galatians 3:14). Thus katára magnifies both God’s holiness and His mercy. Practical and Ministry Applications 1. Gospel Proclamation: Preaching must expose humanity’s position “under a curse” while exalting Christ who removes it. Katára therefore serves as a solemn reminder of covenant consequences and, through Christ, a triumphant testimony to redemptive grace. Englishman's Concordance Galatians 3:10 N-AFSGRK: εἰσὶν ὑπὸ κατάραν εἰσίν γέγραπται NAS: are under a curse; for it is written, KJV: under the curse: for INT: are under a curse are it has been written Galatians 3:13 N-GFS Galatians 3:13 N-NFS Hebrews 6:8 N-GFS James 3:10 N-NFS 2 Peter 2:14 N-GFS Strong's Greek 2671 |
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