Original Word: קלָלָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: qlalah
Pronunciation: keh-lah-LAH
Phonetic Spelling: (kel-aw-law')
KJV: (ac-)curse(-d, -ing)
NASB: curse, cursing, curses, imprecation, accursed
Word Origin: [from H7043 (קָלַל - cursed)]

1. vilification

accursed,

From qalal; vilification -- (ac-)curse(-d, - ing).

see HEBREW qalal

Word Origin
from qalal
Definition
a curse
NASB Translation
accursed (1), curse (27), curses (2), cursing (3), imprecation (2).

קְלָלָה₃₃ noun feminine curse; — absolute׳ק Genesis 27:12 +; construct קִלְלַת Judges 9:57 +; suffix קִלְלָֽתְךָ Genesis 27:13, קִלְלָתוֺ 2 Samuel 16:22 (van d. H. Kt קללתי, so We Dr Löhr); plural קְלָלוֺת Deuteronomy 28:15,45; — curse, Genesis 27:12,13(J); often opposed to בְּרָכָה, Deuteronomy 11:26,28; Deuteronomy 23:6 = Nehemiah 13:2, + 8 t. Deuteronomy; Joshua 8:34 (D), Judges 9:57; Psalm 109:17; Psalm 109:18; Proverbs 27:14; קִלְלַת חִנָּם Proverbs 26:2 a groundless curse, compare 2 Samuel 16:12; קְלָלָה נִמְרֶצֶת1Kings 2:8 a grievous curse; = a formula of cursing Jeremiah 29:22; = object of curse, קִלְלַת אֱלֹהִים תָּלוּי Deuteronomy 21:23, שַׁמָּה וּקְלָלָה 2 Kings 22:19, compare Jeremiah 24:9; Jeremiah 25:18 6t. Jeremiah; Zechariah 8:13.

Overview

קלָלָה (qelalah) designates a spoken malediction that places an individual, a community, or an object under divine or human disfavor. It stands in deliberate contrast to “blessing” (בְּרָכָה), appearing almost exclusively in paired formulations that press the covenant listener to choose life or death. Approximately thirty-three occurrences stretch from Genesis to Malachi, showing remarkable thematic unity: a curse is never a mere string of hostile words; it is a juridical pronouncement whose fulfillment rests ultimately in the hands of the LORD.

Distribution and Literary Settings

• Pentateuch – Genesis 27 inaugurates the theme by setting curse against blessing in the patriarchal promises. Deuteronomy 11; 23; 27–30 employ the term programmatically, embedding קלָלָה in the covenant ceremony.
• Former Prophets – Joshua 8; 24 recall the Deuteronomic ceremony and the attempted cursing of Israel by Balaam.
• Writings – Proverbs 26:2 treats the curse as a tangible but aimless missile when undeserved.
• Latter Prophets – Jeremiah (24:9; 29:18; 42:18; 44:12), Ezekiel (36:6), Zechariah 8:13, and Malachi 2:2 utilize the term in covenant lawsuit oracles, portraying Israel’s exile as the materialization of earlier oaths.

Pivotal Texts

Genesis 27:12 – “I will bring upon myself a curse and not a blessing.”

Deuteronomy 23:5 – “He turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you.”

Proverbs 26:2 – “Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.”

Jeremiah 24:9 – “I will make them a horror and an offense … a taunt and a curse.”

Zechariah 8:13 – “As you have been a curse among the nations … so I will save you, and you will be a blessing.”

Thematic Motifs

1. Covenant Sanction

Deuteronomy 11:26-29 frames blessing and curse as the two edges of covenant allegiance. Obedience attracts the life-giving favor of God; rebellion summons the curse, ultimately exile. The public recitation on Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal (Deuteronomy 27; Joshua 8) underscores communal accountability.

2. Substitution and Transfer

Rebekah’s bold “Your curse be on me” (Genesis 27:13) exhibits the possibility of bearing another’s malediction. This anticipates later redemptive logic in which an innocent party assumes the curse of the guilty.

3. Divine Reversal

Numbers narrates Balaam’s failed attempt (reflected in Joshua 24:9-10) and Deuteronomy 23:5 affirms that only God has authority either to ratify or to overturn a curse. His love for Israel converts spoken doom into blessing, revealing sovereign prerogative over human speech.

4. Moral Cause and Effect

Proverbs 26:2 insists that קלָלָה requires moral grounds. A baseless malediction has no landing place; ethical integrity deflects it. Jeremiah and Ezekiel reverse the logic: persistent sin provides a roost, making the curse inevitable.

5. Corporate Identity and Witness

Jeremiah and Zechariah treat Israel herself as both recipient and embodiment of the curse among nations. Exile makes the people a living proverb warning the world of covenant infidelity, yet Zechariah 8:13 promises transformation from curse to blessing as part of restoration.

6. Verbal Integrity

Legal contexts (Deuteronomy 27) and prophetic indictments (Malachi 2:2) reveal that careless or corrupt speech can invoke real liability. Priests who dishonor the Name will have their blessings turned into curses, demonstrating that ministerial words carry covenant weight.

Historical Trajectory

• Patriarchal Era – Individual maledictions (Genesis 27) point forward to national implications.
• Mosaic Era – Public adoption of the sanctions gives the curse constitutional status for Israel.
• Monarchy to Exile – Prophets apply the ancient oath to current rebellion; the Assyrian and Babylonian devastations prove its enforceability.
• Post-Exilic Hopes – Zechariah and Malachi envision a day when the lingering curse is lifted, contingent on renewed faithfulness.

Ministry Implications

1. Preaching and Teaching

Present the curse-blessing dichotomy as the backdrop for understanding God’s holiness and mercy. Highlight the historical fulfillment of curses to validate Scripture’s reliability and to warn against presumption.

2. Pastoral Care

Reassure believers troubled by words spoken against them: “an undeserved curse does not come to rest” (Proverbs 26:2). Encourage repentance where personal sin may have opened a door to calamity.

3. Intercessory Prayer

Follow Moses’ model (Deuteronomy 9:25-29) by appealing to God’s capacity to turn curses into blessings for communities under judgment.

4. Ethics of Speech

James 3:10 echoes the Old Testament principle—blessing and cursing should not flow from the same mouth. Congregations must cultivate language that aligns with covenant grace.

Christological Fulfillment

Though קלָלָה is an Old Testament term, Galatians 3:13 connects the concept: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.” The cross absorbs the covenant malediction, satisfying justice and releasing blessing to all who trust Him. Thus the storyline of קלָלָה moves from potential inheritance (Genesis 27), through enacted sanction (Jeremiah), to substitutionary removal (Messiah), culminating in the eschatological reversal where “No longer will there be any curse” (Revelation 22:3).

Conclusion

קלָלָה encapsulates the gravity of covenant life before a holy God. Its occurrences chart a consistent pattern: sin arouses the curse, repentance invites reversal, and divine love ultimately provides substitution. Understanding this term equips the church to proclaim both the seriousness of disobedience and the triumph of grace.

הַקְּלָל֣וֹת הַקְּלָל֥וֹת הַקְּלָלָ֔ה הַקְּלָלָ֖ה הקללה הקללות וְהַקְּלָלָ֑ה וְהַקְּלָלָ֔ה וְהַקְּלָלָ֗ה וְלִקְלָלָ֔ה וְלִקְלָלָ֖ה וְלִקְלָלָ֛ה וְלִקְלָלָ֣ה וּקְלָלָֽה׃ והקללה ולקללה וקללה׃ לִקְלָלָ֔ה לִקְלָלָ֣ה לקללה קְ֝לָלָ֗ה קְ֭לָלָה קְלָלָ֔ה קְלָלָ֖ה קְלָלָ֗ה קְלָלָ֜ה קְלָלָ֣ה קִֽלְלַ֥ת קִֽלֲלַ֖ת קִלְלַ֥ת קִלְלָת֖וֹ קִלְלָתְךָ֖ קללה קללת קללתו קללתך hakkelaLah hakkelaLot haq·qə·lā·lāh haq·qə·lā·lō·wṯ haqqəlālāh haqqəlālōwṯ kelaLah kilaLat kilLat killateCha killaTo liklaLah liq·lā·lāh liqlālāh qə·lā·lāh qəlālāh qi·lă·laṯ qil·lā·ṯə·ḵā qil·lā·ṯōw qil·laṯ qilălaṯ qillaṯ qillāṯəḵā qillāṯōw ū·qə·lā·lāh ukelaLah ūqəlālāh vehakkelaLah veliklaLah wə·haq·qə·lā·lāh wə·liq·lā·lāh wəhaqqəlālāh wəliqlālāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts