G1944 — ἐπικατάρατος (epikataratos)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: G1944
Original: ἐπικατάρατος
Transliteration: epikataratos
Pronunciation: ep-ee-kat-ar'-at-os
Part of Speech: Adjective
Components: ἐπί (epi, G1909 — upon, over) + κατάρα (katara, G2671 — curse, imprecation) + -τος (verbal adjective suffix)
Occurrences: 3 in NT (3 unique verses, 2 books)
First Occurrence: Jhn 7:49 — "But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed."
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

From ἐπί (G1909, "upon") and a derivative of καταράομαι (G2672, "to execrate"); imprecated, i.e. accursed, under a curse. The compound intensifies the base: not merely cursed, but one upon whom a curse has been formally placed. Used exclusively in the LXX and NT for translating the Hebrew participle אָרוּר (arur, Qal passive participle of H779 אָרַר).

Louw-Nida Semantic Domain¶

Domain: 33.055 — Bless, Curse
Parent Domain: 33 — Communication
Other words in subdomain: ἀνάθεμα (G331), ἀναθεματίζω (G332), ἀρά (G685), εὐλογέω (G2127), εὐλογία (G2129), κατάρα (G2671), καταράομαι (G2672)

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Count	%
Cursed	2	67%
cursed	1	33%

All three occurrences are translated identically as "cursed" — the capitalization difference reflects sentence position only.

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
Galatians	2	1.34
John	1	0.11

Concentrated entirely in two contexts: Paul's Torah-curse argument in Galatians 3, and the Pharisees' contemptuous dismissal in John 7. Both contexts involve the relationship between Torah-keeping and cursedness.

Semantic Categories¶

1. Covenant Curse Formula (Deuteronomic)¶

Paul quotes Deuteronomy directly in both Galatians uses, applying the covenant-curse formula to his argument about law and faith: - Gal 3:10 — "Cursed [is] every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them" (quoting Deut 27:26) - Gal 3:13 — "Cursed [is] every one that hangeth on a tree" (quoting Deut 21:23)

2. Social/Religious Stigma¶

The Pharisees use the term to declare Torah-ignorant people as standing under divine disfavor: - Jhn 7:49 — "But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed."

Morphological Data¶

Both Galatians occurrences parsed as Nominative Singular Masculine [A-NSM] — predicative adjective in the formula "Cursed [is] every one who..." The John 7:49 occurrence does not appear in the Greek parser data (variant textual tradition), but functions as a predicate adjective.

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
βιβλίον (biblion)	G975	1x (33%)	"book of the law" context
ἐμμένω (emmeno)	G1696	1x (33%)	"continueth not" — failing to abide
ἔργον (ergon)	G2041	1x (33%)	"works of the law" — law-keeping framework
ξύλον (xylon)	G3586	1x (33%)	"hangeth on a tree" — execution context
κρεμάννυμι (kremannymi)	G2910	1x (33%)	"hangeth" — suspended on a tree
ἐξαγοράζω (exagorazo)	G1805	1x (33%)	"redeemed" — Christ's redemptive act
Χριστός (Christos)	G5547	1x (33%)	Christ as the one who bears the curse
ὄχλος (ochlos)	G3793	1x (33%)	"this people" — the cursed crowd

With only 3 verses, each collocation appears exactly once. The theologically significant pairings are with ξύλον/κρεμάννυμι (the tree/hanging complex from Deut 21:23) and ἐξαγοράζω (redemption from the curse).

Word Family / Cognates¶

G2671 κατάρα (katara) — curse, imprecation (noun; 6v) — the base noun
G2672 καταράομαι (kataraomai) — to curse, execrate (verb; 6v) — the base verb
G1909 ἐπί (epi) — upon, over (preposition; 896v) — intensifying prefix
G2128 εὐλογητός (eulogetos) — blessed, adorable (adjective; 8v) — structural antonym (eu- + logos vs. epi- + katara)

Synonyms¶

G2672 καταράομαι (kataraomai) — to curse, execrate (verb vs. adjective state)
G331 ἀνάθεμα (anathema) — accursed, devoted to destruction (6v) — emphasis on consecration to destruction rather than covenant formula

Antonyms¶

G2128 εὐλογητός (eulogetos) — blessed, worthy of praise (8v)

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
אָרַר (arar)	H779	"cursed"	Hebrew verb "to execrate"; epikataratos is the adjective state resulting from arar
κατάρα (katara)	G2671	"curse"	Abstract noun (the curse itself); epikataratos describes the person/thing under the curse
קָלַל (qalal)	H7043	"cursed"	Lighter sense: to treat lightly, despise; arar/epikataratos is formal imprecation
קָבַב (qabab)	H6895	"cursed"	To scoop out, pierce (figurative); rare and distinct from covenant-curse formula

Hebrew Source¶

Hebrew Source	Strong's	Co-occurrences	PMI Score	Notes
אָרַר (arar)	H779	35x	31.14	Dominant source — epikataratos is the standard LXX rendering of arur participle
אָמֵן (amen)	H543	12x	21.19	Co-occurrence from Deut 27 curse-Amen formulae

The PMI score of 31.14 for H779 confirms a near-exclusive translation equivalence. In the LXX, ἐπικατάρατος renders the Qal passive participle אָרוּר (arur) in the covenant-curse passages of Deuteronomy 27-28 and Genesis 3-4.