Bible Lexicons

ἀρά,

Ion. ἀρή, ἡ,

I

1. prayer, Il. 15.378, 598, 23.199, Hes. Op. 726, Pi. I. 6(5).43; ἀρὴν ἐποιήσαντο παῖδα γενέσθαι Ἀρίστωνι offered prayers that a child should be born, Hdt. 6.63.

2. vow, Inscr.Cypr. 83, 147H.

3. curse, imprecation, ἐξ ἀρέων μητρὸς.. ἥ ῥα θεοῖσι πόλλ' ἀχέουσ' ἠρᾶτο Il. 9.566; freq. in Trag., mostly in pl., A. Pr. 910, S. OT 295; ἀρὰς ἀρᾶσθαι,προστιθέναι, ἐξανιέναι, E. Ph. 67, S. OC 952, 154 (lyr.), 1375; ἐπεύχεσθαι Pl. Criti. 119e; θέσθαι ἐπί τινας Plu. Cam. 13: also in sg., πατρὸς δ' ἀ. κρανθήσεται A. Pr. 910, cf. Ag. 457 (lyr.), etc.; ἡ τοῦ νόμου ἀ. Pl. Lg. 871b; ἀρᾷ.. ἔνοχος ἔστω ib. 742b, etc.: in pl., imprecations, freq. in Inscrr. on those who shall mutilate or remove them, Inscr.Magn. 105.53 (ii B. C.), IG 3.1417 sqq.

II Ἀρά personified as the goddess of destruction and revenge, ὦ πότνι' Ἀρὰ σεμναί τε θεῶν παῖδες Ἐρινύες S. El.

III; δεινόπους Ἀρά Id. OT 418; but in A. Eu. 417 the Erinyes say that Ἀραί is their own name γῆς ὑπαί; Ἀρά τ' Ἐρινὺς πατρὸς ἡ μεγασθενής Id. Th. 70; Ἀρᾶς ἱερόν Ar. Fr. 575. (Hence the Verb ἀράομαι.) [ always ᾱρ, Att. always ᾰρ. ] (From ἀρϝᾱ, cf. κάταρ ϝος.)

ἄρα (3), ἄρας, ἡ,

1. a prayer; a supplication; much more often

2. an imprecation, curse, malediction (cf. κατάρα); so in Romans 3:14 (cf. Psalm 9:28 ()), and often in the Sept. (In both senses in native Greek writings from Homer down.)

ἀρά , -ᾶς , ἡ ,

[in LXX chiefly for H422];

1. a prayer (MM, s.v.).

2. (as in Homer) a curse, malediction: Romans 3:14 (LXX),†

For εἰ ἄρα, si forte, as in Mark 11:13, Acts 8:22, cf. P Petr II. 13 (19).9 (middle of iii/B.C.) (= Witkowski,.2 p. 19) εἰ δ ἄρα μὴ ὁρᾶις ὂν δυνατόν, P Hal 1viii. 172 (middle of iii/B.C.), εἰ δὲ ἄρα δεῖ αὐτοῖς σταθμοὺς δίδο [σθ ]αι π [α ]ρὰ τῶν οἰκονόμων, διδότωσαν α [ὐ ]τοῖς τοὺς ἀναγκαίους. See also P Oxy VII. 1070.50 (iii/A.D.) μὴ ἀμελήσῃς μὴ ἄρα ποτὲ θέλῃς μ ̣[ε ]τὰ σ ̣[ο ]ῦ [Ἡρ ]αε ̣ι ̣δ ̣ι ̣ τὴν τήρησιν τῆς ὅλης οἰκίας παραδιδόναι, ";do not neglect this, lest indeed you choose to hand over the keeping of the whole house to Heraïs"; (Ed.) : cf. P Amh II. 84.25 (ii/iii A.D.) . . .]μενος μὴ ἄρα τι πάθω.