Anathema marks a person as devoted under a pronouncement, and can also name an oath-bound commitment or votive offerings.

The predominant use places a person under a stated pronouncement of devotion, whether in warnings about a contrary gospel, a refusal to love the Lord, speech about Jesus, or a wished-for separation from Christ. The remaining uses name a devotion-bound oath and objects presented as votive offerings.

1. A person placed under a pronouncement · dominant

   The nominative singular form occurs in pronouncements concerning people: in Galatians 1:8 and Galatians 1:9 the APB renders the outcome for one proclaiming a contrary gospel as “let that one be devoted,” and in 1 Corinthians 16:22 it gives the same outcome for anyone who does not love the Lord. In 1 Corinthians 12:3 the clause concerns saying that Jesus is “accursed,” while Romans 9:3 expresses a wish to be “devoted away from the Christ.”

   1 Corinthians 12:31 Corinthians 16:22Galatians 1:8Galatians 1:9Romans 9:3
2. A devotion-bound oath · occasional

   In Acts 23:14 the dative singular form occurs in the speakers’ statement that they “have bound ourselves with a devoted oath” not to taste anything until they kill Paul. The form is part of their description of the binding commitment.

   Acts 23:14
3. Votive offerings · occasional

   In Luke 21:5 the dative plural form occurs in discussion of the sacred place adorned with fine stones and “votive offerings.” The verse presents these as objects associated with the place’s adornment.

   Luke 21:5

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB usually presents the nominative instances with “devoted,” but renders the clause in 1 Corinthians 12:3 with “accursed.” It has “a devoted oath” in Acts 23:14 and “votive offerings” in Luke 21:5; these are verse-level renderings rather than definitions.