What does אָרַר (ʾārar) mean in the Bible?
אָרַר (ʾārar): To curse with intensity or bitterness; divine utterance that brings misfortune or separation from covenant blessing
Hebrew · H779
אָרַר
To execrate
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אָרַר H779
Pronunciation ʾārar
What does אָרַר (ʾārar) mean in the Bible?
אָרַר (ʾārar): To curse with intensity or bitterness; divine utterance that brings misfortune or separation from covenant blessing
Full entry for אָרַר (H779) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H779?
The BSB source-word alignment has 63 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include Cursed is (17), that brings a curse (5), will be cursed (4), cursed (3), Cursed be (3).
Where does אָרַר (ʾārar) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 3:14. Its strongest book concentrations include Deuteronomy (18), Numbers (13), Genesis (9), Jeremiah (6).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It Cursed is 17× Deuteronomy 27:15, Deuteronomy 27:16, Deuteronomy 27:17, Deuteronomy 27:18
that brings a curse 5× Numbers 5:18, Numbers 5:19, Numbers 5:22, Numbers 5:24
will be cursed 4× Deuteronomy 28:16, Deuteronomy 28:17, Deuteronomy 28:18, Deuteronomy 28:19
cursed 3× Genesis 3:14, Genesis 3:17, Joshua 6:26
Cursed be 3× Genesis 9:25, Jeremiah 20:14, Jeremiah 20:15
and cursed 2× Deuteronomy 28:16, Deuteronomy 28:19
are cursed 2× Numbers 22:6, Malachi 3:9
be cursed 2× Genesis 27:29, 1 Samuel 26:19
. . . 1× Judges 5:23
[are] cursed and banished 1× Genesis 4:11
and curse 1× Genesis 12:3
and cursed are 1× Numbers 24:9
and cursed is 1× Jeremiah 48:10
and I will curse 1× Malachi 2:2
and put a curse 1× Numbers 22:6
are under a curse 1× Joshua 9:23
Bitterly curse 1× Judges 5:23
But cursed 1× Malachi 1:14
Curse 1× Judges 5:23
Cursed [be] 1× Genesis 49:7
Cursed [is the one] 1× Jeremiah 48:10
cursed [woman] 1× 2 Kings 9:34
has cursed 1× Genesis 5:29
I have already begun to curse them 1× Malachi 2:2
May it be cursed 1× Job 3:8
May those who curse you 1× Genesis 27:29
or curse 1× Exodus 22:28
put a curse 1× Numbers 23:7
suffering 1× Numbers 5:24
the cursed 1× Psalms 119:21
those who curse you 1× Numbers 24:9
to curse 1× Numbers 22:12
you curse 1× Numbers 22:6
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 3:14 אָר֤וּר to cursed Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular Genesis 3:17 אֲרוּרָ֤ה to cursed Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular Genesis 4:11 אָר֣וּר to [are] cursed and banished Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular Genesis 5:29 אֵֽרְרָ֖הּ to has cursed Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular | third person feminine singular Genesis 9:25 אָר֣וּר to Cursed be Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular Genesis 12:3 אָאֹ֑ר to and curse Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular Genesis 27:29 אֹרְרֶ֣יךָ to May those who curse you Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular Genesis 27:29 אָר֔וּר to be cursed Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular Genesis 49:7 אָר֤וּר to Cursed [be] Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular Exodus 22:28 תָאֹֽר׃ to or curse Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 3:14
Aligned rows 63
Books represented 12
Genesis 9 Exodus 1 Numbers 13 Deuteronomy 18 Joshua 2 Judges 4 1 Samuel 3 2 Kings 1 Job 1 Psalms 1 Jeremiah 6 Malachi 4
Source forms
אָר֣וּר 7x ’ā·rūr Genesis 4:11, Genesis 9:25, Deuteronomy 27:15, 1 Samuel 14:24
אָר֕וּר 7x ’ā·rūr Deuteronomy 27:16, Deuteronomy 27:17, Deuteronomy 27:18, Deuteronomy 27:21
אָר֗וּר 5x ’ā·rūr Deuteronomy 27:19, Deuteronomy 27:20, Deuteronomy 27:22, Deuteronomy 27:26
אָר֥וּר 5x ’ā·rūr Deuteronomy 28:16, Deuteronomy 28:17, Deuteronomy 28:18, Deuteronomy 28:19
אָר֤וּר 3x ’ā·rūr Genesis 3:14, Genesis 49:7, Jeremiah 17:5
אָֽרָה־ 2x ’ā·rāh- Numbers 22:6, Numbers 23:7
הַֽמְאָרֲרִ֖ים 2x ham·’ā·ră·rîm Numbers 5:19, Numbers 5:24
וְאָר֥וּר 2x wə·’ā·rūr Deuteronomy 28:16, Deuteronomy 28:19
Parsing patterns
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular 31x Genesis 3:14, Genesis 4:11, Genesis 9:25, Genesis 27:29
Article | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural 6x Numbers 5:18, Numbers 5:19, Numbers 5:22, Numbers 5:24
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular 4x Deuteronomy 28:16, Deuteronomy 28:19, Jeremiah 48:10, Malachi 1:14
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular 3x Exodus 22:28, Numbers 22:6, Numbers 22:12
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural 3x Joshua 9:23, 1 Samuel 26:19, Psalms 119:21
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural 2x Judges 5:23
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular 2x Numbers 22:6, Numbers 23:7
Article | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular 1x 2 Kings 9:34
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. To curse with intensity or bitterness; divine utterance that brings misfortune or separation from covenant blessing
Strong's H779
Lexical occurrences 63 verses Word forms 3 forms 45 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Genesis 3:14-19 Source Gloss
to execrate
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
To curse with intensity or bitterness; divine utterance that brings misfortune or separation from covenant blessing
to execrate BDB: curse Usage: × bitterly curse.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 3 Aligned forms 45
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 43×
Participle passive 1Sam 14:24 · 1Sam 14:28 · 1Sam 26:19 · Deut 27:15 · Deut 27:16 · Deut 27:17 · Deut 27:18 · Deut 27:19 · Deut 27:20 · Deut 27:21 · Deut 27:22 · Deut 27:23 · Deut 27:24 · Deut 27:25 · Deut 27:26 · Deut 28:16 35×
Imperfect Exod 22:27 · Num 22:6 · Num 22:12 · Gen 12:3 4×
Sequential imperfect Judg 5:23 2×
Participle active Job 3:8 1×
Infinitive absolute Judg 5:23 1×
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 1×
Participle passive Mal 3:9 1×
Hophal causative passive — the subject is caused to perform the action 1×
Imperfect Num 22:6 1×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Divine curse pronounced upon the serpent as punishment for deception
Noah's curse upon Canaan following Ham's disrespect, establishing familial consequences
Prophetic curse upon those who trust in human strength rather than God
Jeremiah's bitter curse upon the day of his birth expressing profound lament
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 63 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
אָרַר is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain