καταράομαι
kataráomai
G2672 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To call down, utter, or invoke a curse upon someone or something; to express a wish of harm, misfortune, or disaster on another. In certain contexts, can carry the sense of speaking against, pronouncing judgment, or expressing condemnation by invoking supernatural harm. Semantic range extends to formal religious or legal contexts of invoking a curse, but also colloquial or metaphorical usage for wishing harm.
Semantic Range
to utter or invoke a curse upon, to wish harm or disaster, to pronounce judgment or condemnation, to speak against with the intent of harm, to call down imprecation, to execrate
Root / Etymology
From the noun κατάρα (curse, imprecation) + the middle/passive verbal ending -ομαι, forming a deponent verb. κατάρα itself derives from κατά (down, against) + ἀρά (curse).
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, καταράομαι (middle voice) appears already in the 5th–4th centuries BCE, commonly signifying the act of solemnly invoking a curse, especially in judicial, religious, or poetic contexts. In the LXX and New Testament, it regularly denotes both formal curses (pronounced in the context of an oath or ritual) and personal acts of cursing. The verb carries strong legal and religious weight when used in ritual or covenantal settings (e.g., Deuteronomic curse formulae). In the NT, it can contrast with verbs of blessing (εὐλογέω). Standard English Bible translations ("curse") capture a core sense but may obscure the formal or performative aspect of the ancient act of cursing, which could include ritual, legal, or communal consequences. The term differs from ἀναθεματίζω (to anathematize, set apart as accursed), which often involves exclusion from community or sacrificial ban, whereas καταράομαι focuses on the invocation of misfortune or disaster. Usage does not imply casual profanity but deliberate, often solemn or judicial, invocation of harm.
Translation Consistency
καταράομαι consistently means to call down or wish harm — to invoke a curse or pronounce someone accursed. “Curse” is the natural, common English verb that covers the full semantic range (formal ritual imprecation, denunciation, or colloquial wishing of harm) and will produce the most natural, consistent renderings across all forms.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
middle voice from κατάρα; to execrate; by analogy, to doom:--curse.
Root Family
καταράομαι (kataráomai) — to curse, to invoke misfortune, to call down harm
Word Forms
5 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2672-03 |
καταρώμεθα | katarometha | V PRS MID IND 1P PL |
we curse | we invoke curses | we invoke curses | 1 |
G2672-02 |
καταρωμένους | kataromenous | V PRS MID PTCP ACC M PL |
who curse | those invoking curses | invoking curses | 1 |
G2672-01 |
καταρᾶσθε | katarasthe | V PRS MID IMP 2P PL |
not curse | be calling down curses | be calling down curses | 1 |
G2672-04 |
κατηραμένοι | kateramenoi | V PRF PASS PTCP VOC M PL |
cursed ones | having been cursed | having been cursed | 1 |
G2672-05 |
κατηράσω | kateraso | V AOR MID IND 2P SG |
you cursed | you invoked a curse | you cursed | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2672-04 |
Matthew 25:41 | κατηραμένοι | kateramenoi | V PRF PASS PTCP VOC M PL |
cursed ones | having been cursed | having been cursed |
G2672-05 |
Mark 11:21 | κατηράσω | kateraso | V AOR MID IND 2P SG |
you cursed | you invoked a curse | you cursed |
G2672-02 |
Luke 6:28 | καταρωμένους | kataromenous | V PRS MID PTCP ACC M PL |
who curse | those invoking curses | invoking curses |
G2672-01 |
Romans 12:14 | καταρᾶσθε | katarasthe | V PRS MID IMP 2P PL |
not curse | be calling down curses | be calling down curses |
G2672-03 |
James 3:9 | καταρώμεθα | katarometha | V PRS MID IND 1P PL |
we curse | we invoke curses | we invoke curses |