The Lord's curse is on the house of the wicked, / but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous. - Proverbs 3:33
Biblical Curses
Also see Biblical Blessings, Blessing.
Cain
Because Cain murdered his brother Abel, Cain is cursed from the ground and shall have more trouble working the ground. He has to wander the earth.
“What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” - Genesis 4:9-12
Man
Because Adam disobeyed and ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the ground was cursed with thorns and thistles, and he was cursed to eat of it by the sweat of his brow all the days of his life until he returns to dust.
- “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
- and have eaten of the tree
- of which I commanded you,
- ‘You shall not eat of it,’
- cursed is the ground because of you;
- in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
- thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
- and you shall eat the plants of the field.
- By the sweat of your face
- you shall eat bread,
- till you return to the ground,
- for out of it you were taken;
- for you are dust,
- and to dust you shall return.”
The Serpent
Because he deceived the woman, he must go on his belly and eat dust. He faces enmity from the woman, and her offspring will bruise his head.
- “Because you have done this,
- cursed are you above all livestock
- and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go,
- and dust you shall eat
- all the days of your life.
- I will put enmity between you and the woman,
- and between your offspring and her offspring;
- he shall bruise your head,
- and you shall bruise his heel.”
Woman
Because she ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, her pain in childbearing is multiplied, and her desire shall be contrary to her husband, yet he shall rule over her.
- “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
- in pain you shall bring forth children.
- Your desire shall be contrary to your husband,
- but he shall rule over you.”
The Flood
After leaving the ark, Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and every clean bird and offered burnt offerings. When the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, He said in His heart, "I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”
Canaan
Noah became a man of the soil and planted a vineyard. He became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. Ham (father of Canaan) saw his father's nakedness and told his brothers. Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backwards to cover the nakedness of their father without looking upon him.
When Noah awoke and knew what his youngest son did, he said, “Cursed be Canaan; / a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.”
(Genesis 9)
Abrahamic Covenant
The Lord told Abram, "And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1-3)
Mt. Ebal Curse Tablet
An early Hebrew inscription that includes the word YHW. It is the earliest known usage of Yahweh's name and suggests Hebrews were literate at the time of entering the Holy Land.
(Origin of the Bible class notes, March 1, 2023. Pink jaguar print composition book. Page 2)