Quick Definition
a curse, cursing
Strong's Definition
imprecation, execration
Derivation: from G2596 (κατά) (intensive) and G685 (ἀρά);
KJV Usage: curse(-d, ing)
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
κατάρα, κατάρας, ἡ (κατά and ἄρα, cf. German Verfiuchung,Verwünschung (cf. κατά, III. 4)); the Sept. chiefly for λΐΜμΘμΘδ; an execration, imprecation, curse: opposed to εὐλογία to being cursed (which see), Jas_3:10; γῆ κατάρας ἐγγύς, near by God, i. e. to being given up to barrenness (the allusion is to Gen_3:17 f), Heb_6:8; ὑπό κατάραν εἶναι, to be under a curse, i. e. liable to the appointed penalty of being cursed, Gal_3:10; ἐξαγοράζειν τινα ἐκ τῆς κατάρας, to redeem one exposed to the threatened penalty of a curse, Gal_3:13; τέκνα κατάρας, men worthy of execration, 2Pe_2:14; abstract for the concrete, one in whom the curse is exhibited, i. e. undergoing the appointed penalty of cursing, Gal_3:13; ἐγώ κατάρα ἐγενήθην, Protevangelium Jacobi,
c. 3. (Aeschylus, Euripides, Plato, others.)
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
κατάρα katara 6x
a cursing, execration, imprecation, Jas_3:10 ;
from the Hebrew, condemnation, doom, Gal_3:10 ; Heb_6:8 ; 2Pe_2:14 ;
meton., a doomed one, one on whom condemnation falls, Gal_3:13
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
κατ -άρα , -ας , -ἡ ,
[in LXX chiefly for H7045 ;]
a curse: Gal_3:10 ; Gal_3:13 Heb_6:8 , 2Pe_2:14 ; opp . to εὐλογία , Jas_3:10 ; concrete, of Christ, Gal_3:13 ( v. Lft . in l ).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
κατάρα [page 331]
In C. and B. ii. p. 653, No. 564, Sir W. M. Ramsay publishes a striking epitaph of A.D. 243 4 from Ushak in Phrygia, in which the following curse occurs εἴ τις ἀνύξῃ τὸ μνημῖον , ἔσονται αὐτῷ κατάραι ὅσε ἀνγεγραμμένα [ι ἰ ]σὶν εἰς ὅρασιν καὶ εἰς ὅλον τὸ σῶμα αὐτῷ καὶ εἰς τέκνα καὶ εἰς βίον , if any one shall open the tomb, there shall be upon him the curses as many as are written in (the book), on his sight and his whole body and his children and his life. In the curses here, and in similar epitaphs found in a number of towns scattered throughout central Phrygia, Ramsay finds distinct traces of Jewish influence, cf. especially Deu_27:1-26 ; Deu_28:1-68 ; Deu_29:1-29 , and see further Exp T xxvi. p. 171 f. The subst. is also found in Syll 889 .1 ἐπάρα κατάρα κακὴ τῷ ἀσεβήσαντι τοὺς δαίμονας .
Liddell-Scott — Intermediate Greek Lexicon
κατάρα "a curse", κατάρην ποιεῖσθαί τινι to lay "a curse" upon one, Hdt. ; διδόναι τινὰ κατάρᾳ Eur.
STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Greek Lexicon
κατ-άρα, -ας, -ἡ
[in LXX chiefly for קְלָלָה ;]
a curse: Gal.3:10, 13 Heb.6:8, 2Pe.2:14; opposite to εὐλογία, Jas.3:10; concrete, of Christ, Gal.3:13 (see Lft. in l).†
(AS)
📖 In-Depth Word Study
Curse (accursed) (2671) katara
Accursed (2671) (katara from katá = down, against [intensifies meaning of following verb] + ara = a curse, Ara originally = wish,” “petition,” but came to be used for curse from the time of Homer's, in the NT found only in Ro 3:14) means a malediction (literally to speak evil), imprecation (uttering evil) on these men. Katara can be used in the sense of a legal action, of a curse by God because of sin (Gal 3.10). Katara can describe human utterance which desires evil on someone (imprecation) (Jas 3.10). Finally katara can represent the object of a curse, in other words the thing accursed (Gal 3.13)
Vine - Katara denotes an “execration, imprecation, curse,” uttered out of malevolence, Jas. 3:10; 2 Pet. 2:14; or pronounced by God in His righteous judgment, as upon a land doomed to barrenness, Heb. 6:8; upon those who seek for justification by obedience, in part or completely, to the Law, Gal. 3:10, 13; in this 13th verse 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.” He thus was identified, on our behalf, with the doom of sin. Here, not the verb (kataraomai) as is used in the Septuagint of Dt. 21:23 is used, but the concrete noun (katara).
Paul used katara twice in Galatians ("as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse" Gal 3:10 and in Gal 3:13 describing the solution for the curse "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us--for it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE" )
Katara - 6x in 5v - Usage: accursed(1), curse(3), cursed(1), cursing(1).
Galatians 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM."
Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us-- for it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE "--
Hebrews 6:8-note but if it ("ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it" Heb 6:7) yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.
Comment: The writer gives us an illustration to help understand a difficult to understand preceding passage (Heb 6:4-6). The ground is a metaphorical description of the men who hear the truth of the Gospel. The falling rain is a picture of the hearing of the Gospel. Just as rain fell on the ground, so too the Gospel "rained" on these men. They had clearly heard the Truth. So the seed of the Gospel falls on men, and some of the men are fruitful because the seed takes root (cp the parable of the soils, especially the good soil in Lk 8:15). But ground that yields worthless produce, like men who yield no good fruit, fails to benefit from the Gospel seed. The "thorns and thistles" give evidence that the Gospel seed did not have its intended effect (new birth).
James 3:10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.
2 Peter 2:14 having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children;
Katara - 39v - Ge 27:12, 13; Nu 23:25; Deut 11:26, 28f; 23:5; 27:13; 28:15, 45; 29:27; 30:1, 19; Josh 8:30; Jdg 9:57; 2Sa 16:12; 1Kgs 2:8, 35; 2Kgs 22:19; Neh 13:2; Job 31:30; Ps 109:17, 18; Pr 3:33; Isa 64:10; 65:23; Jer 24:9; 26:6; 29:22; 44:8, 12; Dan 9:11; Zech 8:13; Mal 2:2
(Nu 23:25) Then Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them at all nor bless them at all!”
(Pr 3:33) The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous.