דָּמָה (da.mah)
da.mah
to cease
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 11 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb damah means to cease or come to an end. In the Old Testament it describes things stopping abruptly, often with a sense of finality. The sources note it can mean to cause something to stop, to destroy, or even to perish entirely. This is not a gentle fading away but a decisive halt.
It appears in eleven verses, most frequently in Hosea, Isaiah, and Jeremiah. These prophets used it to describe the end of idolatry or the cessation of false worship. For example, when God promises to cut off the remnant of Baal’s name (Hosea 2:17), damah conveys that complete removal. The word carries weight because it marks a boundary between what was and what is no more.
One interesting point is its use in the Niphal stem, where it means to be cut off or undone. This form appears when people face divine judgment or theophany — God’s visible presence. In such cases, damah suggests being undone before holiness, as if life itself stops in awe or fear. Translators often render it “cease” or “be destroyed,” but the Hebrew implies a deeper rupture.
Though rare, damah leaves a strong impression. It reminds readers that God’s actions can bring sudden endings — not always destructive, but always purposeful. Its usage in prophetic literature shows how Israel understood divine intervention as both judgment and reset.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word damah carries a sense of decisive finality. It describes moments when something stops abruptly, whether it is the end of false worship or the sudden silence that follows divine presence. In Isaiah 6:5, the prophet cries out that he is "undone" after seeing God. This was not merely fear, but a recognition that his old self could not stand before holiness. Such endings are painful, yet they clear space for something new.
When we face seasons where our plans or comforts come to an abrupt halt, it can feel like destruction. Yet these moments often mark a boundary between who we were and who we are becoming. God’s actions may bring sudden stops to what no longer serves His purpose, creating room for renewal. This word reminds us that endings are not always failures; sometimes they are necessary resets.
Even in grief, as seen in Lamentations 3:49 where tears do not cease, there is a raw honesty that God meets. He does not dismiss our pain but walks through it with us. These pauses and stops invite us to trust His timing, knowing that He brings purpose even when things seem to fall apart.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 11 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- it was destroyed2×
- you will be destroyed1×
- they have been destroyed1×
- they cease1×
- it will cease1×
- it will be silent1×
- it will be destroyed1×
- he will be destroyed1×
- certainly <to be destroyed>1×
- and/ I will destroy1×
- [will] be destroyed1×
- I am destroyed1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תִּדְמֶ֑ינָה1×
- תִדְמֶ֖ה1×
- נִדְמֹ֥ה1×
- נִדְמָה֙1×
- נִדְמָֽה\׃1×
- נִדְמָ֖ה1×
- נִדְמָ֔ה1×
- נִדְמֶ֥ה1×
- נִדְמֵ֗יתִי1×
- נִדְמֵ֔יתָה1×
- נִדְמְתָ֥ה1×
- נִדְמ֥וּ1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 6:5
Then I said, “Woe is me! For I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips, for my eyes have seen the King, Yahweh of Armies!”
This verse uses the word to describe the prophet's personal undoing before God's holiness, highlighting how divine presence can bring a decisive end to human pride.
-
Jeremiah 14:17
“You shall say this word to them: “‘Let my eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease; for the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great breach, with a very grievous wound.
Here the word appears in a negative context, emphasizing that tears should not cease, which underscores the depth of grief over Israel's brokenness.
-
Hosea 4:6
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, that you may be no priest to me. Because you have forgotten your God’s law, I will also forget your children.
The term describes the destruction of God's people due to their rejection of knowledge, showing how spiritual neglect leads to a definitive end of priestly privilege.
-
Zephaniah 1:11
Wail, you inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the people of Canaan are undone! All those who were loaded with silver are cut off.
This occurrence links the word to the cutting off of those who rely on wealth, illustrating God's judgment on materialism and false security.