Quick Definition
acurseacursedthing
Strong's Definition
a (religious) ban or (concretely) excommunicated (thing or person)
Derivation: from G394 (ἀνατίθεμαι);
KJV Usage: accused, anathema, curse, X great
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ἀνάθεμα, (τος, τό (equivalent to τό ἀνατεθειμένον);
1. properly, a thing set up or laid by in order to be kept; specifically a votive offering, which after being consecrated to a god was hung upon the walls or columns of his temple, or put in some other conspicuous place: 2Ma_2:13 (Plutarch, Pelop c. 25); Luk_21:5 in L T, for ἀναθήμασι R G Tr WH; for the two forms are sometimes confounded in the manuscripts; Moeris, ἀνάθημα ἀττικῶς, ἀνάθεμα ἑλληνικῶς. Cf. ἐπίθημα, ἐπίθεμα, etc., in Lob. ad Phryn., p. 249 (cf. 445; Paral. 417; see also Lipsius, Gram. Unters., p. 41).
2. ἀνάθεμα in the Sept. is generally the translation of the Heb. ηΕψΖν, a thing devoted to God without hope of being redeemed, and, if an animal, to be slain (Lev_27:28-29); therefore a person or thing doomed to destruction, Jos_6:17; Jos_7:12, etc. (Winer's Grammar, 32); a thing abominable and detestable, an accursed thing, Deu_7:26. Hence, in the N. T. ἀνάθεμα denotes a. a curse: ἀναθέματι ἀναθεματίζειν, Act_23:14 (Winers Grammar, 466 (484); Buttmann, 184 (159)).
b. a man accursed, devoted to the direst woes (equivalent to ἐπικατάρατος): ἀνάθεμα ἔστω, Gal_1:8; 1Co_16:22; ἀνάθεμα λέγειν τινα to execrate one, 1Co_12:3 (R G, but L T Tr WH have restored ἀνάθεμα Ἰησοῦς, namely, ἔστω); ἀνάθεμα εἶναι ἀπό τοῦ Χριστοῦ, Rom_9:3 (pregnantly equivalent to doomed and so separated from Christ). Cf. the full remarks on this word in Fritzsche on Romans, vol. ii., 247ff; Wieseler on Galatians, p. 39ff; (a translation of the latter by Prof. Riddle in Schaff's Lange on Romans, p. 302ff; see also Trench, § v.; Lightfoot on Galatians, the passage cited; Ellicott ibid.; Tholuck on Romans, the passage cited; BB. DD., under the words, Anathema, Excommunication).
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ἀνάθεμα anathema 6x
a devoted thing, ordinarily in a bad sense, a person or thing accursed, Rom_9:3 ; 1Co_12:3 ; 1Co_16:22 ; Gal_1:8-9 ; a curse, execration, anathema, Act_23:14 * accursed; condemned; curse.
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
† ἀνάθεμα , -τος , τό
( < ἀνατίθημι ),
Hellenistic for Attic ἀνάθημα (Bl., § 27, 2);
1. prop . = τὸ ἀνατιθέμένον , that which is laid by to be kept, a votive offering (as ἀνάθημα in 2Ma_2:13 , Luk_21:5 where LT read -θεμα , v. M , Pr., 46).
2. [As equi v. in LXX for H2764 ,] devoted, a thing devoted to God ( v. Driver , De., 98 f ., and cf. Lev_27:28-29 ), hence;
(a) of the sentence pronounced ( Deu_13:15 ), a curse: Act_23:14 ;
(b) of the object on which the curse is laid, accursed ( Deu_7:26 ): Rom_9:3 , 1Co_12:3 ; 1Co_16:22 , Gal_1:8-9 ( v. ICC on Ro.; Lft ., Ga., ll. c .; Cremer , 547; Tr., Syn. , § v; MM , VGT , s.v. ).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ἀνάθεμα [page 33]
Deissmann s discovery of ἀνάθεμα in the Biblical Greek sense, in a source entirely independent of Jewish influence, is a remarkable confirmation of his general thesis. At the end of a heathen curse from Megara, belonging to i/ii A.D., there is a separate line of large letters ΑΝΕΘΕΜΑ which he ( LAE p. 92 f.) interprets as = ἀνάθεμα curse! The weakening of the accented α to ε is explained as a vulgar Greek extension of the augment to a derivative (cf. Nδgeli p. 49, following Wackernagel). See on this the plentiful material in Hatzidakis Einleitung , p. 64 f. The verb occurs three times in the same curse, l. 5 ἀναθεματίζ [ομ ]εν αὐτούς , l. 8 ἀναθεμα [τί ]ζομεν , and on the back l. 8 f. ἀναθεματί [ζ ]ομεν τούτο [υς ]. For the complete text, as originally edited by Wόnsch, see IG III. 2, and also his Antike Fluchtafeln , p. 4 ff. Newton ( Essays in Archœology , p. 193 f.) describes a number of leaden tablets of about B.C. 150 discovered at Knidos, in a sacred precinct dedicated to Persephone and other deities, which were graven with similar anathemata. The person on whom the curse was to fall was always devoted to the vengeance of the two Infernal Goddesses, Demeter and her daughter, May he or she never find Persephone propitious! With 1Co_16:21 may be compared the ending of a sepulchral inscription (iv/v A.D.) from Attica, where on any one s interfering with the remains the curse is called down ἀνάθεμαἤτω μαρὰν ἀθὰν (see Roberts-Gardner 387) : the meaning of the Aramaic σύμβολον being wholly unknown, it could be used as a curse like unknown words in later days! It should be noted that the new meaning curse naturally attached itself to the late form ἀνάθεμα rather than to the older ἀνάθημα . Nouns in -μα tended to develop weak root-form by association with those in -σις , which always had it. The noun is MGr : thus ἀνάθεμα ἐσένα , a curse on you (Thumb, Handbook p. 38).
Liddell-Scott — Intermediate Greek Lexicon
ἀνάθεμα [Etym: ἀνατίθημι] † ἀνάθημα, Theocr., Anth. esp "anything devoted to evil, an accursed thing", NTest. "a curse", Id=NTest.
STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Greek Lexicon
ἀνάθεμα, -τος, τό
(ἀνατίθημι),
Hellenistic for Attic ἀνάθημα (Bl., § 27, 2);
__1. prop. = τὸ ἀνατιθέμένον, that which is laid by to be kept, a votive offering (as ἀνάθημα in 2Ma.2:13, Luk.21:5—where LT read -θεμα, see M, Pr., 46).
__2. [As equiv. in LXX for חֵרֶם,] devoted, a thing devoted to God (see Driver, De., 98 f., and cf. Lev.27:28-29), hence;
__(a) of the sentence pronounced (Deu.13:15), a curse: Act.23:14;
__(b) of the object on which the curse is laid, accursed (Deu.7:26): Rom.9:3, 1Co.12:3 16:22, Gal.1:8-9 (see ICC on Ro.; Lft., Ga., ll. with; Cremer, 547; Tr., Syn., § v; MM, VGT, see word).†
(AS)
📖 In-Depth Word Study
Accursed (anathema) (331) anathema
Accursed (Anathema) (331) (anathema from anatÃthemi = to place, lay up) means strictly speaking something set up or placed so as to be kept, such as a votive [free will] offering which is "set up" in the temple (eg, see Lk 21:5 but see note below). Most of the NT uses are by Paul who uses anathema in a negative sense of delivering ("setting up" or "placing") someone under divine wrath or a curse (see below).
BDAG notes that anathema in the
Septuagint (Lxx) as a rule (signifies) what is ââ¬Ëdevoted to the divinity’ (which) can be either consecrated or accursed. The meanign of the word in the other NT passages moves definitely in the direction of the latter (as in the Lxx uses in Nu 21:3, Dt 7:26, Josh 6:17, Josh 7:12, Jdg 1:17, Zech 14:11).
Some versions transliterate the Greek directly into English ("anathema" in KJV), while others like the NAS, ESV, NKJV render it as "accursed."
Note that Strong's distinguishes between Anáthema and anáthêma (334) which signifies a votive offering or an offering not involving sacrifice, something consecrated in the temple, a gift, an offering (Lk 21:5).
In addition to the use of anathema in 1Cor 16:22, it is used five other times in the NT...
Acts 23:14 They came to the chief priests and the elders and said, "We have bound ourselves under a solemn (anathema) oath (verb = anathematizo = to invoke consequences if what one says is not true) to taste nothing until we have killed Paul.
Comment: In this usage anathema means that the conspirators have bound themselves to the plot with a dreadful oath, so that if they failed to carry out their plans, the curse would fall upon them!
Ro 9:3- For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh,
1Cor 12:3 Therefore I make known to you, that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
BDAG quoting Laud.Therap. who explains that: When the divinity (daimon = demon) has altered the one it has influenced, then it is altogether the divinity that speaks, for it has skillfully made the victim’s mouth its own instrument;
Gal 1:8 But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
Gal 1:9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a Gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed.
Anathema is used 16 times in the non-apocryphal Septuagint (Lxx) - Lev 27:28 (anathema translates "devoted to destruction" = Hebrew words cherem = devoted thing and charam = devoted); Nu 21:3 (anathema translates "Hormah"); Dt 7:26 (anathema translates "ban" = cherem); Dt 13:15, 17; Dt 20:17; Josh 6:17, 18; Josh 7:1, Josh 7:11, 12, 13; Josh 22:20; Jdg 1:17 (anathema translates "Hormah"); 1Chr 2:7; Zech 14:11 (anathema translated "curse" = cherem). The majority of the Lxx uses of anathema translate the Hebrew word for "ban" (cherem).