Imprecatory Psalms
Psalms of imprecations in the Bible
Imprecatory Psalms are hymns that pray for enemies of God to suffer harm. Imprecations are found throughout the Bible. Within the Book of Psalms, several passages call for judgment, calamity, or curses upon various foes. Such prayers are not unique to Judaism or Christianity.
Content
In societies with a largely oral culture, the spoken word had outsized impact. Words could affect reality and perception simply through their utterance. The Old Testament abounds with instances where spoken curses or blessings trigger major events, such as Jacob's deception of Isaac (Genesis 27) and David unwittingly sentencing his own son to death (2 Samuel 12). Such words are emanations of the human spirit, and their efficacy is a direct result of the power of the speaker's soul.
The story of Balaam in Numbers 23 exemplifies the thin line between a blessing and a curse. After Balak asks the prophet to curse the Israelites, he fears the words could be converted into a blessing and instead urges Balaam to remain silent.
The public source identifies “Imprecatory Psalms” as psalms of imprecations in the Bible. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Imprecatory, Psalms and imprecations.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Imprecatory Psalms”, the useful work is to connect “psalms of imprecations in the Bible” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 6, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q6007549.
The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Imprecatory Psalms”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Imprecatory Psalms primary sources, Imprecatory Psalms archive and Imprecatory research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Imprecatory Psalms”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Imprecatory Psalms” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.