ἐπάρατος (eparatos)
eparatos
accursed
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adjective eparatos describes someone or something that is accursed. It appears only once in the New Testament, in John 7:49, where Pharisees use it to dismiss the crowds who follow Jesus. The term conveys a sense of being set apart for destruction or under divine judgment.
Its root implies imprecation or cursing. In this specific context, the religious leaders employ the word to delegitimize their opponents, marking them as outside the bounds of God's favor. This usage highlights how such language can be weaponized to exclude rather than to invoke genuine theological warning.
The rarity of the word underscores its severity. By using eparatos, the speakers attempt to place a permanent stigma on those who believe in Jesus, framing their faith as a violation of the law that warrants total rejection.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word eparatos appears just once in the New Testament, carrying a heavy weight of exclusion and judgment. In John 7:49, religious leaders use it to label ordinary people as accursed simply for not knowing their laws. It is a term meant to shut doors and push people away, framing them as outside God’s favor.
Yet this harsh dismissal reveals more about the speakers than the accused. Jesus did not respond with condemnation but with an invitation to understand. When we encounter those who seem far from faith or tradition, we are reminded that labeling others is never our role. Instead, we are called to look past surface judgments and see individuals as God does.
This rare word serves as a quiet warning against using religion as a tool for exclusion. It invites us to examine our own hearts when we feel superior to others. True faith does not rely on marking people as cursed but on extending grace and seeking understanding in love.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- cursed1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἐπάρατοί1×
Key Verses
-
John 7:49
But this multitude that doesn’t know the law is cursed.”
This is the only New Testament occurrence, where Pharisees use the term to dismiss the crowds for not knowing the law.