Curse

How Nave’s arranged it

• Denounced
• Against the serpentGenesis 3:14Genesis 3:15
• Against Adam and EveGenesis 3:15–19
• Against the groundGenesis 3:17Genesis 3:18
• Against CainGenesis 4:11–16
• Against Canaan, Noah's sonGenesis 9:24–27
• Against MerozJudges 5:23
• Against Gehazi2 Kings 5:27
• Barak commands Balaam to curse IsraelNumbers 22:6Numbers 23:11
• See Benedictions
• CURSES OF THE MOSAIC LAWDeuteronomy 27:1–26Joshua 8:30–34
• See Blessings

The passages, in Bible order (12)

The same references, sorted Genesis to Revelation. The first 12 are quoted in full; the rest are one click beneath them, book by book.

1. Genesis 3:14

   So the LORD God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and every beast of the field! On your belly will you go, and dust you will eat, all the days of your life.

   ›Commentary on Genesis 3:142 voices

   “From being a model of grace and elegance in form, it has become the type of all that is odious, disgusting, and low [LE CLERC, ROSENMULLER]; or the curse has converted its natural condition into a punishment; it is now branded with infamy and avoided with horror; next, on the spiritual serpent, the seducer.

   “And the Lord God said unto the serpent - The tempter is not asked why he deceived the woman; he cannot roll the blame on any other; self-tempted he fell, and it is natural for him, such is his enmity, to deceive and destroy all he can. His fault admits of no excuse, and therefore God begins to pronounce sentence on him first. And here we must consider a twofold sentence, one on Satan and the other on the agent he employed.

   Everything gathered on Genesis 3:14→

   Verse page →Original language →

2. Genesis 3:15

   And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

   ›Commentary on Genesis 3:152 voices

   “THIS IS THE FIRST gospel sermon that was ever delivered upon the surface of this earth. It was memorable discourse indeed, with Jehovah himself for the preacher, and the whole human race and the prince of darkness for the audience. It must be worthy of our heartiest attention. Is it not remarkable that this great gospel promise should have been delivered so soon after the transgression?

   “Thus, fatal shall be the stroke which Satan shall receive from Christ, though it is probable he did not at first understand the nature and extent of his doom.

   Everything gathered on Genesis 3:15→

   Verse page →Original language →

3. Genesis 3:17

   And to Adam He said: “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat, cursed is the ground because of you; through toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.

   ›Commentary on Genesis 3:172 voices

   “The two sentences seem to have a certain similarity, yet in that similarity there is a great difference. There is a difference in the way a person eats of the earth, as the serpent is related to have done and the manner in which this is recorded of the man: 'In sadness shall you eat.' That very phrase 'in sadness' makes the precise difference. Note how important this difference is.

   “Unto Adam he said - The man being the last in the transgression is brought up last to receive his sentence: Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife - “thou wast not deceived, she only gave and counseled thee to eat; this thou shouldst have resisted;” and that he did not is the reason of his condemnation.

   Everything gathered on Genesis 3:17→

   Verse page →Original language →

4. Genesis 3:18

   Both thorns and thistles it will yield for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.

   ›Commentary on Genesis 3:182 voices

   “THIS was not the penalty which might have been pronounced upon Adam. This curse does not fall directly on him— it glances obliquely and falls upon the ground whereon he stands—"Cursed is the ground for your sake." It is not from materialism that a curse comes upon the spirit of man, but it is from the erring spirit that the curse falls upon the material creation.

   “There, too, is that distinction between the serpent who is said to eat the earth and Adam, to whom God said: ' You shall eat in sadness the herbs of the field.' [ Gen 3:18 ] We may note here a certain gradation. When we eat the earth, it seems that we are in a sort of warfare. when we eat the herbs, there is a certain advance. when finally, we eat bread, then our life of trial has reached it terminus.

   Everything gathered on Genesis 3:18→

   Verse page →Original language →

5. Genesis 4:11–16

   Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.

   ›Commentary on Genesis 4:11–161 voice

   “In the original the word is plural, thy brother's bloods, not only his blood, but the blood of all those that might have descended from him; or the blood of all the seed of the woman, who should, in like manner, seal the truth with their blood. Christ puts all on one score ( Matt. xxiii. 35 ); or because account was kept of every drop of blood shed.

   Everything gathered on Genesis 4:11–16→

   Verse page →Original language →

6. Genesis 9:24–27

   When Noah awoke from his drunkenness and learned what his youngest son had done to him,

   ›Commentary on Genesis 9:24–272 voices

   “For another mystery was accomplished and predicted in the days of Noah, of which you are not aware. It is this: in the blessings wherewith Noah blessed his two sons, and in the curse pronounced on his son's son. For the Spirit of prophecy would not curse the son that had been by God blessed along with [his brothers]. But since the punishment of the sin would cleave to the whole descent of the son that mocked at his father's nakedness, he made the curse originate with his son.

   “It is probable that there is a long interval included between these verses and that this prophecy, like that of Jacob on his sons, was not uttered till near the close of Noah's life when the prophetic spirit came upon him; this presumption is strengthened by the mention of his death immediately after.

   Everything gathered on Genesis 9:24–27→

   Verse page →Original language →

7. Numbers 22:6

   So please come now and put a curse on this people, because they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land; for I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed.”

   ›Commentary on Numbers 22:62 voices

   “Come . . . curse me this people--Among the heathen an opinion prevailed that prayers for evil or curses would be heard by the unseen powers as well as prayers for good, when offered by a prophet or priest and accompanied by the use of certain rites.

   “Come now, therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people - Balaam, once a prophet of the true God, appears to have been one of the Moshelim, (see Num 21:27), who had added to his poetic gift that of sorcery or divination. It was supposed that prophets and sorcerers had a power to curse persons and places so as to confound all their designs, frustrate their counsels, enervate their strength, and fill them with fear, terror, and dismay. See Gen 9:25; Psa 109:6, Psa 109:20; Jos 6:26; Jer 17:5, Jer 17:

   Everything gathered on Numbers 22:6→

   Verse page →Original language →

8. Numbers 23:11

   Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and behold, you have only blessed them!”

   Verse page →Original language →

9. Deuteronomy 27:1–26

   Then Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people: “Keep all the commandments I am giving you today.

   ›Commentary on Deuteronomy 27:1–261 voice

   “Moses in a third discourse Deut. 27–30, proceeds more specifically to dwell upon the sanctions of the Law. In these chapters he sets before Israel in striking and elaborate detail the blessings which would ensue upon faithfulness to the covenant, and the curses which disobedience would involve.

   Everything gathered on Deuteronomy 27:1–26→

   Verse page →Original language →

10. Joshua 8:30–34

    At that time Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal to the LORD, the God of Israel,

    ›Commentary on Joshua 8:30–341 voice

    “The account of this solemnity is very brief. An acquaintance with Deut. 27 is evidently presupposed; and the three several acts of which the solemnity consisted are only so far distinctly named as is necessary to show that the commands of Moses there given were fully carried out by Joshua. It is difficult to escape the conviction that these verses are here out of their proper and original place.

    Everything gathered on Joshua 8:30–34→

    Verse page →Original language →

11. Judges 5:23

    ‘Curse Meroz,’ says the angel of the LORD. ‘Bitterly curse her inhabitants; for they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.’

    ›Commentary on Judges 5:232 voices

    “The inhabitants of Meroz (a village 12 miles from Samaria) hung back, and gave no help in the day of battle, although it was Yahweh who called them. Hence, the curse pronounced by the Angel of the Lord.

    “This city of Meroz seems to have been at this time a considerable place, since something great was expected from it; but probably, after the angel of the Lord had pronounced this curse upon it, it dwindled, and, like the fig-tree which Christ cursed, withered away, so that we never read of it after this in scripture.

    Everything gathered on Judges 5:23→

    Verse page →Original language →

12. 2 Kings 5:27

    Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman will cling to you and your descendants forever!” And as Gehazi left his presence, he was leprous—as white as snow.

    ›Commentary on 2 Kings 5:272 voices

    “The leprosy of Naaman - shall cleave unto thee - Thou hast got much money, and thou shalt have much to do with it. Thou hast got Naaman’s silver, and thou shalt have Naaman’s leprosy. Gehazi is not the last who has got money in an unlawful way, and has got God’s curse with it. A leper as white as snow - The moment the curse was pronounced, that moment the signs of the leprosy began to appear. The white shining spot was the sign that the infection had taken place.

    “For ever - That is, for some generations; as that word is often used and as may be thought by comparing this with Exod. xx, 55. (?) White - Which is the worst kind of leprosy, and noted by physicians to be incurable.

    Everything gathered on 2 Kings 5:27→

    Verse page →Original language →