Original Word: קָבַב
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: qabab
Pronunciation: kah-BAB
Phonetic Spelling: (kaw-bab')
KJV: X at all, curse
NASB: curse, cursed, blasphemed, curse them at all
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to scoop out, i.e. (figuratively) to malign or execrate (i.e. stab with words)

curse

A primitive root; to scoop out, i.e. (figuratively) to malign or execrate (i.e. Stab with words) -- X at all, curse.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to utter a curse against, curse
NASB Translation
blasphemed (1), curse (10), curse them at all (1), cursed (2).

II. [קָבַב] verb utter a curse against, curse (compare [ב] יקו Ecclus 41:7); —

Qal curse, with accusative, usually person: Perfect3masculine singular suffix קַכֹּה (Ges^{§ 58d}) Numbers 23:8; 2masculine singular suffix consecutive וְקַכֹּתוֺ Numbers 23:27; Imperfect3masculine singular וַיִּקֹּב (Ges^{§ 67g}) Leviticus 24:11 (with accusative אֶתהַֿשֵּׁם); 2 masculine singular suffix תִּקֳּבֶנּוּ Numbers 23:25 (+ Infinitive absolute); 1 singular אֶקֹּב Numbers 23:8 (object omitted); וָאֶקּוֺב נָוֵהוּ Job 5:3 (probably corrupt; ᵐ5 Du read וַיִּדְקַב, compare Me Bi Siegf Beer; וַיִּמָּקֵד Bu; וַיוּקַב Che^{JQ July, 1897, 575}; וַיִּבֹּק Bev^{JPhil, xxvi. 308} (compare Isaiah 24:1,3; Jeremiah 51:2; Nahum 2:3)); 3masculine plural suffix יִקְּבֻהוּ Job 3:8; Proverbs 11:26; Proverbs 24:24; Imperative masculine singular קָֽבָהלִּֿי (Ges^{§ 67p} Kö^{i. 329 ff.}) Numbers 22:11,17, suffix 3masculine singular וְקָבְנרֹלִי (Ges^{§ 67o}) Numbers 23:13 (all J E; all + לִי as dativus commodi [dative of benefit], so also Numbers 23:27 see Perfect above); Infinitive absolute קֹב Numbers 23:25 (+ Imperfect); Infinitive construct לָקֹב Numbers 23:11; Numbers 24:10.

קבה (√ of following (compare Dl^{Pr 113} Kö^{ii.1, 185}): Arabic echinus, i.e. stomachi pars pelliculata; Syriac is collect, contain, water, cistern; Ethiopic have dropsy; Late Hebrew קֵבָה = Biblical Hebrew)

Semantic Scope and Nuances

קָבַב depicts an intentional act of pronouncing evil upon a person or people. Unlike the more common אָרַר, which may refer broadly to cursing, קָבַב carries the idea of an official, almost ritualized invocation of harm. The word never appears in a neutral sense; it assumes opposition to the purposes of God, and every biblical occurrence exposes the futility of cursing those whom the Lord has chosen to bless.

Occurrences in Numbers 22–24

The verb appears eight times, all within the Balaam narrative:

• Numbers 22:11 – Balak hires Balaam “to curse them,” revealing the king’s fear of Israel’s advance.
• Numbers 22:17 – The promise of “great honor” for Balaam hinges on his willingness “to curse this people.”
• Numbers 23:8 – Balaam’s first oracle: “How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?”.
• Numbers 23:11 – Balak’s frustration: “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them!”
• Numbers 23:13 – Balak’s second attempt, seeking a vantage point from which a curse might stick.
• Numbers 23:25 – After the second blessing Balak pleads, “Do not curse them at all, and do not bless them at all!”
• Numbers 23:27 – A third location is tried, exposing the superstition behind the request.
• Numbers 24:10 – The climax: “Because I called you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have blessed them these three times.”.

Historical Background: Balaam, Balak, and Moab

Around the late fifteenth century BC, Israel camped on the plains of Moab after Yahweh’s decisive victories over Sihon and Og. Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, understood military defeat as ultimately theological. He therefore contracted Balaam, a renowned Aramean diviner, to perform קָבַב. In the ancient Near East, professional cursers were believed to manipulate deities through ritual and paid incantation. Balak’s strategy reflects the era’s belief that spiritual forces determine geopolitical outcomes.

Theological Themes

1. Sovereign Blessing: Each use of קָבַב is thwarted, underscoring that no spoken malediction can override God’s covenantal promise to Abraham: “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse” (Genesis 12:3).
2. Revelation over Divination: Balaam’s eventual prophecies arise only when “the Spirit of God came upon him” (Numbers 24:2). Divine revelation subverts human manipulation, displaying the superiority of prophecy over sorcery.
3. Irreversibility of Divine Word: Balak changes vantage points; Yahweh does not. What He blesses remains blessed, declaring the immutability of His purposes (Romans 11:29).

Intercanonical Echoes

Joshua 24:9–10 recalls that Balaam “was not willing to bless you” but the LORD “delivered you out of his hand.” Nehemiah 13:2 reiterates that God “turned the curse into a blessing.” These later citations use Balaam as a paradigm of opposition thwarted by grace. In Micah 6:5 the prophet urges Israel to remember “what Balak king of Moab devised and what Balaam son of Beor answered,” making the account a staple in Israel’s confessional memory.

Pastoral and Ministry Implications

1. Assurance for God’s People: Believers facing hostility can rest in the same inviolable blessing secured in Christ. No hostile decree, whether human or demonic, can annul the Father’s favor (Romans 8:31–39).
2. Caution Against Spiritual Manipulation: Modern fascination with curses, generational hexes, or occult practices finds rebuke in this narrative. Victory lies not in counter-ritual but in trusting God’s declared word.
3. Integrity in Ministry: Balaam’s mercenary spirit warns preachers and teachers against commodifying spiritual gifts. Ministry for hire compromises fidelity to God’s message (2 Peter 2:15).

Christological Reflections

Balaam’s final oracle looks past cursing altogether: “A star will come forth from Jacob; a scepter will arise from Israel” (Numbers 24:17). The One whom no curse could touch becomes the channel through whom every blessing promised to Abraham flows to the nations (Galatians 3:14). At Calvary, Christ “became a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13), absorbing the malediction we deserved, thereby silencing every accusation against His people.

Homiletical Considerations

A sermon series on Numbers 22–24 might trace the progression:

1. The request to curse (Numbers 22).
2. The repeated attempts (Numbers 23).
3. The exalted prophecy of blessing (Numbers 24).

Each movement can parallel the believer’s journey from fear of spiritual assault to confidence in Christ’s triumph.

Conclusion

קָבַב illustrates that the universe is not governed by capricious spells but by the steadfast word of the Lord. The attempts to curse Israel only amplify God’s resolve to bless, setting a pattern fulfilled in Jesus Christ and experienced by all who trust Him today.

וְקַבֹּ֥תוֹ וְקָבְנוֹ־ וקבנו־ וקבתו לָקֹ֤ב לקב קַבֹּ֖ה קָֽבָה־ קֹ֖ב קב קבה קבה־ kabBoh kavah ko lā·qōḇ laKo lāqōḇ qā·ḇāh- qab·bōh qāḇāh- qabbōh qōḇ vekabBotov vekavenov wə·qā·ḇə·nōw- wə·qab·bō·ṯōw wəqabbōṯōw wəqāḇənōw-Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts