Lexical Summary taalah: Channel, conduit, watercourse Original Word: תַּאֲלָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance curse From 'alah; an imprecation -- curse. see HEBREW 'alah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom alah Definition a curse NASB Translation curse (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs תַּאֲלָה suffix תַּאֲלָֽתְךָ, noun feminine curse Lamentations 3:65. Topical Lexicon Overview תַּאֲלָה appears a single time in Scripture and denotes an invoked curse—an appeal that God actively impose judgment. It belongs to the vocabulary of covenant sanctions, where blessing accompanies obedience and cursing accompanies persistent rebellion. Occurrence in Lamentations 3:65 Jeremiah prays, “You will give them a stubborn heart; may Your curse be upon them!” (Lamentations 3:65). Spoken in the wake of Jerusalem’s fall, the petition does not arise from personal vengeance but from zeal for God’s righteousness. The prophet asks the Lord to ratify the covenant penalties announced long before (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28). Covenantal Background 1. Origin of curses: The first explicit curse in Scripture falls on the serpent (Genesis 3:14). Subsequent curses protect God’s holiness by opposing those who corrupt His creation or oppress His people (Genesis 12:3; Numbers 24:9). Historical Setting After years of idolatry and injustice, Judah experienced siege, famine, and exile under Babylon (586 B.C.). Jeremiah, eyewitness to the catastrophe, composed Lamentations as a liturgy of grief. His call for a curse functions as courtroom language, asking God to render a verdict against the hostile nations and apostate leaders who intensified Judah’s misery (Lamentations 3:52–66). Theology of Imprecation • God’s honor: Imprecatory language defends divine glory by petitioning Him to manifest justice (Psalm 69:24–28). Ministry Significance 1. Preaching: Lamentations 3:65 underscores both God’s intolerance of sin and His willingness to hear honest prayer. Balanced proclamation will pair warning with the offer of grace (Acts 20:27). Practical Applications • Examine life in light of covenant warnings; unrepentant sin invites judgment (Hebrews 10:26–31). תַּאֲלָה thus serves as a sobering reminder of divine justice and a gateway to understanding the gospel’s promise of deliverance from judgment into everlasting blessing. Forms and Transliterations תַּאֲלָֽתְךָ֖ תאלתך ta’ălāṯəḵā ta·’ă·lā·ṯə·ḵā taalateChaLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Lamentations 3:65 HEB: מְגִנַּת־ לֵ֔ב תַּאֲלָֽתְךָ֖ לָהֶֽם׃ NAS: of heart, Your curse will be on them. KJV: of heart, thy curse unto them. INT: hardness of heart your curse You 1 Occurrence |