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What Curse Words Are In The Bible

What Does The Bible Say About Swearing

Is Cussing a Sin?

Dear Roger,

What does the Bible say about swearing?

Sincerely, David

Dear David,

Swearing is as old as the human race. The Bible is filled with examples of people who swore. Let me share and comment on several verses which apply and then share several Biblical principles that might help us all in determining our level of swearingor not swearing!

But, first lets define the word. Swear has two main usages. First, it is used in the context of swearing an oath. To swear means to make a solemn declaration, invoking a deity, or a sacred person or thing, to confirm the honesty or truth of the declaration. One example of swearing an oath is swearing on a Bible to tell the truth and nothing but the truth in a court of law. Jesus denounced this practice in Matthew 5:33-37: Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord. But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is Gods throne or by the earth, for it is his footstool or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your Yes be Yes, and your No,No anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

In addition, the word, swear, may also be defined as using abusive, violent, or blasphemous language. Words like, S-O-B and G-D, to initialize just a few words, are good examples of this second definition of swearing.

Cursing Creates An Open Gateway Into More Sinning

You might think it is harmless to have a potty mouth, but in Gods eyes, excusing your language choices could mean that you might be in line to excuse other behaviors far worse than cursing down the road. Cursing could be seen as similar to a smoking habit that leads you into more dangerous drugs, as cursing could have you believe it is okay to lie, gossip, or judge people regularly because they are all minor offenses.

King Solomon spoke of this succinctly in the book of Proverbs, telling those reading that death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit . He means that those who find that cursing every day is like breathing will soon eat the fruits of their choice, and those fruits will probably be bitter and cause them lots of spiritual damage.

Paul even impresses it upon his loyal apprentice Timothy in his letter to him in 2 Timothy 2, prompting him to tell those he is serving of the negative effects of cursing: But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness . He could see, and wanted Timothy to be aware, that what could be seen as innocent profanity would only lead to demise for the person who dabbles in it.

‘curses’ In The Bible

And in the words which the Lord had given him he said, From Aram Balak has sent for me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the East: come, put curses on Jacob for me and be angry with Israel.

But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:

Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee:

The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven.

Keep an eye on Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim who is with you. He uttered malicious curses against me the day I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Jordan River, and I swore to him by the Lord: I will never kill you with the sword.

Finally the Lord could no longer endure your wicked deeds and the disgusting things you did. That is why your land has become the desolate, uninhabited ruin that it is today. That is why it has become a proverbial example used in curses.

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Bible Verses About Bad Language

For the land is full of adulterers For the land mourns because of the curse.The pastures of the wilderness have dried up.Their course also is evilAnd their might is not right.

With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?read more.Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.

The one who desires life, to love and see good days,Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.

But now I come to You and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves.I have given them Your word and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.read more.They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

With worthless oaths they make covenants And judgment sprouts like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.

What Does The Scriptures Say About Abusive Language

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Matthew 5:2122 openly categorizes verbal abuse as a major offense with eternal or everlasting consequences: You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, Raca, is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, You fool! will be in danger of the fire of hell. Following this Scripture, we can say that Gods heart on the subject of how we make use of our words is evident in Scripture. In fact, God is concerned about how we make use of words. As followers of Christ, we should be more focused on using words to build than destroy.

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Bible Verses About Cuss Words And Swearing

1. Romans 3:13-14 Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies.Snake venom drips from their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.

2. James 1:26 If a person thinks that he is religious but cant control his tongue, he is fooling himself. That persons religion is worthless.

3. Ephesians 4:29 Dont use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

4. Psalm 39:1 For Jeduthun, the choir director: A psalm of David. I said to myself, I will watch what I do and not sin in what I say. I will hold my tongue when the ungodly are around me.

5. Psalm 34:13-14 Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies! Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.

6. Proverbs 21:23 Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble.

7. Matthew 12:35-36 Good people do the good things that are in them. But evil people do the evil things that are in them. I can guarantee that on judgment day people will have to give an account of every careless word they say.

8. Proverbs 4:24 Remove perverse speech from your mouth keep devious talk far from your lips.

9. Ephesians 5:4 and there must be no filthiness or foolish talk, or vulgar joking, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.

Dr Tim And Mrs Noreen Muehlhoff

Dr. Tim Muehlhoff is a professor of communication at Biola University in La Mirada, California where he teaches classes in family communication, interpersonal communication, apologetics, gender, and conflict resolution. Tim and his wife, Noreen, are both on staff with Biolas Center for Marriage and Relationships where he is a co-host of The Art of Relationship podcast.

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What The Bible Says

If you look up the word swear in the Bible, you will find that it usually refers to swearing an oath — something Jesus tells us not to do. The Bible teaches us to let our yes be yes and our no be no. The Bible does, however, have a lot to say about how we should speak and represent ourselves as Christians.

Our conversation is supposed to be wholesome and beneficial to others. Our words should only build up, encourage, and help others according to their needs . If our words are unwholesome, we grieve the Holy Spirit.

Our religion is worthless if we do not keep a tight reign on our tongues . We should shun profane and vain babblings and avoid filthy communication .

Swear words are often spoken in anger usually against another person. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus said that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister and calls them a fool is in danger of hellfire . The word Raca used for fool can mean worthless and was used by the Jews to express contempt. The root of the word actually means to spit.

When people curse and mistreat us, we should respond by loving them and doing good to those who hate us . Worthless and foolish talk leads to goodless behavior . We must eliminate filthy language in our vocabulary and become new beings in Christ .

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The Use Of Euphemisms

Bart Finds Swear Words In The Bible

Sometimes people use substitutes such as “oh my gosh” instead of “oh my God” and think it is OK. Although the words are less harsh and may be more acceptable to people, they are still just substitutes for actual swearing and should be avoided.

Even Christians have become somewhat desensitized to profanity and accept it as the norm. It is so prevalent around me that sometimes I find myself letting out a profane word without thinking.

Vulgar and offensive words that would have shocked and disgusted past generations of Christians and non-Christians alike do not even raise an eyebrow these days. Yet, our words are important to God and the people around us. They can negatively impact our relationships.

Wikipedia

There are many reasons why people choose to swear.

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Hell Is Not Something To Take Lightly In Conversation

People often give little thought to telling someone to “go to hell” or using hell as a colloquialism or curse word. After all, it is a phrase we hear often, so can it really be that bad?

The short answer is yes! As we have seen above, hell is a very real place. It is full of darkness, torment, and isolation. It is a terrible place and certainly isn’t the place to be or wish for people to end up! Therefore it’s essential we are careful about how we use the word hell in conversation. We should always be aware of the reality of what we are invoking if we use the word hell for anything other than talking about the biblical concept of hell.

Christen Quotes About Cursing

The foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing is a vice so mean and low that every person of sense and character detests and despises it. George Washington

The words you speak become the house you live in. Hafiz

The tongue is you in a unique way. It is the tattletale on the heart and discloses the real person. Not only that, but misuse of the tongue is perhaps the easiest way to sin. There are some sins that an individual may not be able to commit simply because he does not have the opportunity. But there are no limits to what one can say, no built-in restraints or boundaries. In Scripture, the tongue is variously described as wicked, blasphemous, foolish, boasting, complaining, cursing, contentious, sensual and vile. And that list is not exhaustive. No wonder God put the tongue in a cage behind the teeth, walled in by the mouth! John MacArthur

Profanity is wrong not simply because it shocks or disgusts, but at a much deeper level, profanity is wrong because it trashes that which God has declared to be holy and good and beautiful. Ray Pritchard

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Why Swearing Is Offensive

Most people, whether Christian or non-Christian, find swearing crude, rude, and offensive. I certainly do not want to hear references to stuff done in the bathroom and other body functions.

The F— word is especially repulsive because it is a vulgar reference to what should be a special demonstration of love between married people. The meaning of the word has degenerated into a physical act purely for pleasure instead of a way two people show love to each other. According to scripture, the marriage bed is an honorable thing and should be treated with respect .

What Does The Bible Say About Cursing

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In todays culture cussing is normal. People cuss when theyre happy and excited. People cuss when theyre mad and even when theyre sad. Even though the world throws curse words around like its nothing, Christians are to be set apart. We are not to imitate the world and the way the people of the world communicate with each other.

We must be careful not to think upon curse words towards others. Those words we call someone in our minds when they do something we dont like.

When thoughts like these pop up we are to rebuke the devil and discard them instead of dwelling on them. Cursing is a sin.

It doesnt matter if its intended for someone or not its still sinful. Think about it!

With our mouths we worship the Lord daily. How can we then use our mouth to say f-bombs and other profanity? Swearing reveals a wicked heart. A true Christian will bear fruits of repentance.

They wont continue to use their tongue for evil. Words are powerful. Scripture tells us we will be judged for every idle word. We all have fallen short in this category.

It gives us a great comfort that Jesus bore our sins on His back. Through Him we are forgiven. Repentance is a result of our faith in Jesus Christ. We must allow our speech to reflect our appreciation for the great price that was paid for us on the cross. These cursing verses include translations on KJV, ESV, NIV, NASB, and more.

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Is Hell A Curse Word

It depends on why and how you use it.

Watch certain types of TV shows, and you’ll likely hear “hell” said without any censoring, whereas other words get censored. When we read the Bible, depending on the translation used, “hell” is used up to 54 times, many by Jesus Himself. So why do we sometimes cringe when others say hell? Is hell really a curse word?

Read on as we explore if hell is a curse word and why the intentions behind what we say matter. We’ll also explore what the Bible says about cursing and if Christians should ever curse.

Using Our Words Wisely

Now that weve looked at these questions, What does the Bible say about cussing? And is cursing a sin? I want to end with a challenge to use our words wisely.

We should use our words in a way that shows our love for God and honors those we are speaking about.

Some of the worst things Ive heard have come from Christians who intentionally dont swear but still, use their words to tear others apart. The point the Bible makes is that the words you use arent the problem. Words are neutral. The way you use words dictates if they become good or bad.

Should Christians cuss? Well that depends. What is right and wrong isnt always the same as what is wise and unwise. Or at least effective and ineffective. While it might be okay to do something, or say something, it might not always be wise.

Instead of asking is cursing a sin? Ask this instead: Would using help or distract?

What is the wisest thing for you to do? Whats the most loving way you can communicate what you need to say?

Life is not all black and white. The Bible doesnt portray it that way either theres a whole lot of gray. This question will help us sort out what the wisest thing for us to do is.

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A Brief History Of Swearing

A new book takes readers on an obscene journey exploring foul language through the ages.

Weve all been told that there are certain words we are to avoid while holding polite conversation. A common rule of thumb is to avoid offending anyone with foul language.

But what gives certain words this power to shock and offend? Why do people swear in the first place? From where do bad words originate, and how have they evolved throughout the ages?

Milwaukee native Melissa Mohr discusses the nature of curse words in her new book, Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing.

According to Mohr, the act of swearing can be both an emotionally and physiologically cathartic process – We seem to need these words that release our emotions, she says.

But what determines the words our society categorizes as too taboo to say? Mohr says swearing reflects our cultural obsessions, so whatever topic is considered obscene or problematic in our culture can be implicated in the curse words we use.

These cultural obsessions have shifted throughout the ages, and swear words have followed suit. Courtesy of Mohrs exciting research, here is a truncated timeline of swearing.

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