Greek word · G6035

ἐπάρατος

eparatos

accursed

Accursed, laid under a curse, devoted to ruin by divine sanction. It comes from ἀρά (curse, imprecation) with the prefix ἐπί. It is a close equivalent of the more common ἐπικατάρατος.

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ἐπ-άρατος, -ον

(ἐπαράομαι, to imprecate),

accursed: John 7:49 (for exx. from π., see MM, Exp., xiv; cf. Cremer, 108).†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of John 7:49

Range of meaning

Accursed, laid under a curse, devoted to ruin by divine sanction. It comes from ἀρά (curse, imprecation) with the prefix ἐπί. It is a close equivalent of the more common ἐπικατάρατος.

Against the English

BSB has 'under a curse', NIV 'there is a curse on them', NLT 'God's curse is on them', and KJV and WEB 'cursed'. ESV, NASB and YLT have '(ac)cursed'. BSB, NIV and NLT best show that this is a state the people are in. 'Cursed' alone can sound to modern ears like swearing or a magic spell.

How it drifted

In modern English 'cursed' suggests bad luck, a hex, or profanity. In this setting it means being placed under God's covenant sanction, the opposite of being blessed.

Used elsewhere in the period

The word appears only here in the New Testament. The usual Septuagint word is the compound ἐπικατάρατος, used in the curse list of Deuteronomy 27:15–26 ('Cursed is anyone who does not uphold the words of this law', 27:26) and in 28:16–19. Paul quotes that verse in Galatians 3:10. The Byzantine manuscripts replace the rare ἐπάρατος with this familiar form. ἐπάρατος itself appears in non-biblical Greek, including curse formulas. Note: Strong's G6035 is an extended number used in some modern tools. Older Strong's lists map this verse to G1944 (ἐπικατάρατος), following the Textus Receptus.

Where it appears

John · 1

  1. John 7:49 ἐπάρατοί cursed

    But this crowd that does not know the law—they are under a curse.”

    Here: This word appears only here in the New Testament. It puts the crowd under divine curse, which recalls the covenant curses of Deuteronomy on those who do not keep the law. It is a theological verdict that the crowd is shut out of God's blessing, not just an insult.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.