Complete Bible Study Guide
What Does the Bible Say About Cursing?
20 Scripture references with full text and commentary
Understanding Cursing in the Bible
Discover 14 powerful Bible verses about cursing. Study what Scripture teaches about this essential sin & temptation topic.
Top 10 Verses About Cursing
- 1Exodus 20:7
“Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”
KJV - 22 Samuel 16:5
“And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came. he came forth: or, he still came forth and cursed”
KJV - 32 Samuel 16:6
“And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.”
KJV - 42 Samuel 16:7
“And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial: bloody: Heb. man of blood”
KJV - 52 Samuel 16:8
“The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man. behold: Heb. behold thee in thy evil”
KJV - 6Psalms 109:17
“As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.”
KJV - 7Proverbs 18:21
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”
KJV - 8Matthew 5:44
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”
KJV - 9
- 10Matthew 15:11
“Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.”
KJV
Subtopics of Cursing
Old Testament: What Does the Bible Say About Cursing? (7 Verses)
“Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”
“And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came. he came forth: or, he still came forth and cursed”
“And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.”
“And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial: bloody: Heb. man of blood”
“The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man. behold: Heb. behold thee in thy evil”
“As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.”
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”
New Testament: What Does the Bible Say About Cursing? (13 Verses)
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”
“And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:”
“Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.”
“But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.”
“Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.”
“For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:”
“Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.”
“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. to: or, to edify profitably”
“Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.”
“But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.”
“Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”
“If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.”
“But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”
How to Study What the Bible Says About Cursing
- 1
Begin by reading through every verse listed on this page, noting which ones speak most directly to your current season of life. Write them down and revisit them throughout the week.
- 2
Use a concordance or the search tools on this site to find additional passages about cursing. Look for patterns across both the Old and New Testaments to gain a complete picture of what God reveals on this subject.
- 3
Study the context of each verse. Read the surrounding chapter to understand who was speaking, who the audience was, and what circumstances prompted the passage. Context prevents misapplication.
- 4
Memorise at least one key verse about cursing and meditate on it daily. Scripture memory transforms thinking and equips you to apply God's Word in real-time situations.
Practical Application
Studying what the Bible says about cursing is only the beginning. Scripture is meant to be lived out in daily obedience and faith. Here are practical steps to apply these truths:
Identify one area of your life where the biblical teaching on cursing needs to be applied more consistently. Write a specific, actionable step you can take this week.
Share what you have learned about cursing with a fellow believer or in a small group setting. Teaching others solidifies your own understanding and encourages mutual growth.
Pray through the key verses about cursing, asking God to reveal how His Word applies to your relationships, decisions, and daily habits.
How Well Do You Know What the Bible Says About Cursing?
You have studied 20 verses about cursing. Now test your knowledge with chapter-by-chapter quizzes covering the books where these verses appear.
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Topics Included
This page consolidates Bible verses from 2 related topics: