κατανάθεμα
katanáthema
G2652 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A thing devoted or set apart (usually for destruction), an object or person under a solemn curse; specifically, something dedicated to a deity with the result that it is excluded from ordinary use and subject to destruction; in Koine Jewish-Greek contexts, a person or thing pronounced as banned, accursed, or utterly removed from the community through a ritual pronouncement, often with a connotation of being irrevocably separated or excluded.
Semantic Range
a devoted or banned thing, an object or person under a ritual curse, that which is utterly excluded or excommunicated, imprecation, complete ban or proscription
Root / Etymology
From κατά (kata, 'down, against, according to') and ἀνάθεμα (anathema, 'that which is dedicated, an offering, a curse'). This compound intensifies the sense of irrevocable dedication or cursing—'completely devoted (to destruction or exclusion)'. The root of ἀνάθεμα is ἀνίθημι ('to set up'), relating to things set apart for divine purposes, which in later usage shifts toward meanings of banning or cursing. Thus, κατανάθεμα represents an intensified state of being set apart for destruction or curse.
Historical & Contextual Notes
κατανάθεμα is an extremely rare Koine term, not found in classical Greek sources and attested in later Jewish-Greek and early Christian literature (LXX, especially in Esther; post-biblical Greek). Its meaning closely parallels ἀνάθεμα but with a more intensive, total sense of curse or exclusion. In the Septuagint, ἀνάθεμα and related terms translate the Hebrew חֵרֶם (ḥērem), meaning a thing devoted (to destruction), indicating objects or people irrevocably removed from common use, usually by divine decree. κατανάθεμα, where it appears, signals an even stronger or more explicit exclusion or curse. Standard English translation as 'curse' may miss nuance: the primary sense is of something totally dedicated to destruction, exile, or banishment, not simply a spoken malediction. In the context of Greco-Roman religious and judicial systems, the term could refer to a public ban, excommunication, or formal curse pronounced by an assembly or leader. Related terms: ἀνάθεμα (dedicated or accursed thing), κατάρα (curse), ἐπικατάρατος (accursed). Unlike the simpler κατάρα, κατανάθεμα always denotes a ritual, religious or communal pronouncement of separation or exclusion.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from κατά (intensive) and ἀνάθεμα; an imprecation:--curse.
Root Family
κατ-, ἀνθεμα (katanáthema) — to set apart, to dedicate, to pronounce curse
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2652-01 |
κατάθεμα | katathema | N NOM N SG |
curse | a completely devoted-to-destruction thing | a completely devoted-to-destruction thing | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2652-01 |
Revelation 22:3 | κατάθεμα | katathema | N NOM N SG |
curse | a completely devoted-to-destruction thing | a completely devoted-to-destruction thing |