Biblical Criticism & History Forum - earlywritings.com

Does the word (בָּרַךְ) means curse !!

H1288
בָּרַךְ
bârak
baw-rak'
A primitive root; to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason): - X abundantly, X altogether, X at all, blaspheme, bless, congratulate, curse, X greatly, X indeed, kneel (down), praise, salute, X still, thank.
(Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries )

I think they just come to support this virse :
His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!" (Job 2:9 NIV)

I've wondered about that too. This book suggests that it is an antiphrasis (defined as "the usually ironic or humorous use of words in senses opposite to the generally accepted meanings"):

Antiphrasis is a common technique in many languages ... examples of antiphrases in English include the use of wicked and deadly in the statements, "That was a wicked game" and "That was a deadly dessert" ... The word barak is used antiphrastically in contemporary Hebrew. In Yiddish the misheberak (a noun form of the word barak) normally is a blessing that someone asks to be said, usually on behalf of someone else, on being called to read the Scriptures (Torah). Antiphrastically, it means a tirade against someone ...

https://books.google.com/books?id=zvvRC ... se&f=false

Here's some more discussion.

http://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/q ... mean-curse

I guess it's all about the context, like in 1 Kings 21:10:

"But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them bring charges that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death."

http://biblehub.com/interlinear/1_kings/21-10.htm

Battar Kurdi wrote:Does the word (בָּרַךְ) means curse !!

H1288
בָּרַךְ
bârak
baw-rak'
A primitive root; to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason): - X abundantly, X altogether, X at all, blaspheme, bless, congratulate, curse, X greatly, X indeed, kneel (down), praise, salute, X still, thank.
(Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries )

I think they just come to support this virse :
His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!" (Job 2:9 NIV)

It sounds like it means the opposite of praise. Like to say something really bad about someone.