ἐπικατάρατος
epikatáratos
G1944 predicate adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Thoroughly cursed; subject to a powerful spoken curse, invoking divine or supernatural harm. Used to designate someone or something as placed under a formal imprecation or ban, marked as accursed, and thus excluded from divine favor or social acceptance. The term conveys a strong sense of being set apart for destruction or judgment due to a pronounced curse.
Semantic Range
under a curse, accursed, subject to divine or supernatural condemnation, set apart for destruction, execrable, placed under a ban
Root / Etymology
From the preposition ἐπί (upon, over) and κατάρατος (accursed), itself from καταράομαι (to curse vehemently, to invoke a curse upon). Thus, ἐπικατάρατος literally means 'thoroughly cursed' or 'under a curse.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Septuagint and New Testament, ἐπικατάρατος is used to translate Hebrew words for one who is under a curse (notably אָרוּר, 'arur'). The term emphasizes the state of being under a divinely invoked ban or curse. In Hellenistic Greek outside Jewish literature, the element κατάρατος was rare; the intensified compound ἐπικατάρατος is characteristic of biblical and religious texts. In Galatians 3:10, 13 and related texts, it refers to the status of one subject to the scriptural curse for transgressing the law, highlighting exclusion from favor or blessing. Standard English translations like 'accursed' or 'cursed' convey the core meaning, but may understate the word's intensity and especially its strong religious or legal context in the ancient world. Unlike a generic misfortune, this term indicates real or perceived invocation of supernatural sanction, often with communal and ritual significance.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἐπί and a derivative of καταράομαι; imprecated, i.e. execrable:--accursed.
Root Family
καταρ- (epikatáratos) — to curse, to invoke harm
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1944-01 |
ἐπικατάρατος | epikataratos | ADJ.P NOM M SG |
cursed | thoroughly cursed one | cursed | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1944-01 |
Galatians 3:10 | ἐπικατάρατος | epikataratos | ADJ.P NOM M SG |
cursed | thoroughly cursed one | cursed |
G1944-01 |
Galatians 3:13 | ἐπικατάρατος | epikataratos | ADJ.P NOM M SG |
cursed | thoroughly cursed one | thoroughly cursed one |