12/6/2024
Cursed or blessed? This is the question. In this article I want to examine God’s word, both the O.T. and N.T. If you go to a concordance (I’ll be using Strong’s) you’ll find the word “curse” mentioned 87 times in the Old Testament and 12 in the New testament. The word “cursed” is mentioned 67 times in the O.T. and 5 in the N.T. The word “cursedst” is mentioned only one time in both the N.T. and O.T.. The word “curses” is found 7 times in the O.T. only. The word “cursest” is mentioned only 1 time in the O.T. whereas the word “curseth” is found 8 times in the O.T. and 2 times in the N.T.. “Cursing” is mentioned 9 times in the O.T. and 3 in the N.T. “cursings” is only mentioned in the O.T. and only one time.
So, should we not be interested in what God’s word has to say on this matter? As with most Hebrew/Greek words there are several meanings and nuances, i.e. variation is tone, meaning, shades of differences.
Let’s Get Started
“Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, an undeserved CURSE goes nowhere,” (Proverbs 26:2), The New Oxford Annotated Bible; “… So a CURSE without cause shall not alight” NKJV;
“… an undeserved CURSE does not come to rest” NIV;
“An undeserved CURSE has no effect. Its intended victim will be no more harmed by it than by a sparrow or swallow…” TLB;
“… So the CURSE without cause does not come and alight [on the undeserving]” Amplified Bible.
No matter what version we read from, in short, a “curse” will not rest on an innocent person.
The Hebrew word for “curse” in Proverbs 26:2 is “qelalah,” meaning “vilification,” taken from “qalal,” meaning “contempt, despise, afflict, vile” etc. We find the same word/meaning in Genesis 8:21, 27:12,13; Leviticus 19:14; Deuteronomy 11:26,28,29, 23:4,5, 27:13; Joshua 24:9; Judges 9:57; 2 Samuel 16:9,10,11; 1 Kings 2:8; 2 Kings 22:19; Nehemiah 13:2; Psalms 62:4, 109:28; Proverbs 27:14, 30:10; Ecclesiastes 7:21, 10:20; Isaiah 8:21; Jeremiah 15:10, 24:9, 25:18, 26:6, 29:22, 42:18, 44:8,12, 22, 49:13 and Zechariah 8:13.
As a whole, Proverbs 26 deals with the fool (kesil), the type most detested by the wise men. Verse 2, our target text, is the only verse in this section (1-12) that does contain the word “fool.” After v.12 the author deals with the “sloth”/ “sluggard” et al.
Vs.2 speaks of “curses” uttered without cause have no power. In the ancient world curses/blessings were thought to have inherent power and, when uttered, to speed to their destination with certainty and force. This proverb breaks down the ancient view in so far as it says that unjustified curses will not find their target.
Our Witchcraft Video
Let me stop here and make mention of a video we have posted, on our AggressiveChristianity.net cite (front of pg.1) look under Major Frank Materus’ ekklesiatz.org, which will take you to his cite. Look under Battle Cry Worldwide (Peter Paul’s), scroll down to “Deliver Us pt.2” where Brig. Gen. J. Masin is kneeling (in white shirt). He was our divisional African commander (Nigeria). In this video he show witchcraft articles that are used to CURSE/HEX/VEX. My wife (Gen. Deborah) and I were there when he presented all these “cursed” articles. This video was taken down after our arrest and did not receive the coverage we hoped for. The state of N.M. closed all our cites and locked down all our Cds/DVDs/printed materials. We only now have the freedom to gather up what was taken. Some things were stolen by the police and will never be returned. So much for “freedom of religion in the U.S.!” Having been to many African countries, many times, we’ve made many videos. Witchcraft/occult are REAL!!
N.T. Curses
Let us go to the N.T. now where we find both nouns and verbs (under curse/cursing).
1 – (N.) (άρά), “ara,” in its most usual meaning, “a malediction, cursing” (its other meaning is “a prayer”), is used in Romans 3:14 (often in the Sept./LXX): “Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness,” see also Psalms 10:7, Amplified Bible.
2 – (κατάρα), “katara,” denotes an execration, imprecation, curse, uttered out of malevolence (see James 3:10; 2 Peter 2:14; or pronounced by God in His righteous judgment, as upon a land doomed to barrenness, Hebrews 6:8; upon those who seek for justification by obedience, in part of whole, to the Law, Galatians 3:10,13; in v.13 it is used concretely of Christ, as having “become a curse” for us, i.e. by voluntarily undergoing on the cross the appointed penalty of the “curse.” Jesus was identified, on the sinner’s behalf with the DOOM of SIN! Here, not the verb in the Dept. of Deuteronomy 21:23 is used, but the concrete noun.
3 – (άνάθεμα), “anathema,” transliterated from the Greek is frequently used in the Sept., where it translates the Hebrew “cherem,” a thing devoted to God, whether (a) for His service, as the sacrifices (see Leviticus 27:28), (“anathema”), a notice offering/gift), or (b) for its destruction, as an idol, Deuteronomy 7:26, or a city, Joshua 6:17. Later it acquired the more general meaning of the disfavor of Jehovah, e.g. Zechariah 14:11.
So, this is the meaning in the N.T. It is used of (a) the sentence pronounced, Acts 23:14 (lit., “cursed themselves with a curse;” (b) of the object on which the curse is laid, “accursed;” in the following, the R.V. keeps to the word “anathema” (see Romans 9:3; 1 Corinthians 12:3; 16:22; Galatians 1:8,9, all of which the A.V. renders by “accursed” except 1 Corinthians 16:22, where it reads “Anathema.” In Galatians 1:8,9 the Apostle declares in the strongest manner that the Gospel he preaches was the ONE and ONLY WAY of salvation, and that to preach another was to nullify the death of the Lord Jesus.
4 – (κατάθεμα), “katathema,” or, as in some MSS the longer form “katanathema.” (“kata,” intensive), denotes, by metonymy, an “accursed” thing (the object cursed being put for the curse pronounced), see Revelations 22:3.
Verb
1 – (άναθεματίζω), “anathematizo,” signifies to declare anathema, i.e., devoted to destruction, accursed, to curse, (see Mark 14:7), or to bind by a curse (see Acts 23:12,14,21);
2 – (καταναθεματίζω), “katanathematizo,” denotes “to utter curses against” (see Matthew 26:74);
3 – (καταραόμαι), “kataraomai,” primarily signifies “to pray against, to wish evil;” hence “to curse” (see Matthew 25:41; Mark 11:21; Luke 6:28; Romans 12:14; James 3:9. (Note some mss have it in Matthew 5:44).
4 – (κακολογέω), “kakologeo,” “to speak evil” (Matthew 15:4).
Adjectives
1 – (έπικατάρατος), “epikatartos,” “cursed, accursed” (epi, upon, and is used in Galatians 3:10,13);
2 – (έπάρατος), “eparatos,” meaning “accursed.” This Greek word is found in the best mss, in John 7:49, R.V.
What the Bible states is that a “curse” will not alight upon an innocent believer. However, when a “Christian” delves into sin and refuses to repent, the devil/demons have every right to send curses. This is why we are instructed in Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians to “Put on the full armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11). Part of that armor is the “shield of faith” (Ephesians 6:16) so as to “extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” Even when we’re engaged in Spirit warfare, we can be wounded (want to see my many scars?) but the devil cannot kill us with his curses if we’re in right-standing with the Lord.