The Greek word anáthema (ἀνάθεμα) means something devoted to God for destruction — accursed, under divine curse, or cut off. It translates the Hebrew cherem (devoted thing) and carries the weight of divine judgment and exclusion.
Anáthema appears in some of the most solemn passages in the New Testament. Paul writes in Galatians 1:8-9: 'If anyone preaches a gospel other than what you received, let them be anáthema!' — not a mild disagreement but a declaration of spiritual exclusion. In 1 Corinthians 12:3, no one speaking by the Holy Spirit can say 'Jesus be anáthema.' Most stunning is Romans 9:3, where Paul wishes himself accursed (anáthema) for his kinsmen's sake — a Christ-like willingness to bear curse for others, echoing Moses (Exodus 32:32) and ultimately Christ, who 'became a curse for us' (Galatians 3:13).