מַשְׁחִית (mash.chit)
mash.chit
destruction
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 8 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Definition
Definition
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word mashchit points to a force of ruin or one who brings about destruction. In the ancient world, this was a terrifying reality, yet Scripture shows us that God holds the power over such forces. It reminds us that while chaos and harm may seem powerful, they do not operate outside of divine sovereignty.
We see this contrast clearly in Exodus 12:13. There, the blood on the doorposts protected Israel from the destroyer. This image offers profound comfort: God can shield us from what seeks to break us down. It is not that destruction never appears, but that God’s presence provides a boundary that evil cannot cross when we are under His care.
This understanding helps us face difficult seasons with steady hope. We do not need to fear the unknown or the forces that seem intent on tearing life apart. Instead, we can rest in the truth that our safety is found in God’s faithfulness, not in our own ability to prevent every harm.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 8 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- to/ destruction2×
- <the>/ destruction2×
- into/ destruction1×
- for/ destruction1×
- destruction1×
- a destroyer1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לְ/מַשְׁחִ֔ית2×
- מַשְׁחִֽית\׃1×
- מַשְׁחִ֖ית1×
- לְ/מַשְׁחִֽית\׃1×
- לְ/מַשְׁחִ֥ית1×
- הַ/מַּשְׁחִית֙1×
- הַ/מַּשְׁחִית֒1×
Key Verses
-
Exodus 12:13
The blood shall be to you for a token on the houses where you are. When I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
This verse identifies the destroyer as an agent of plague that is stayed by the blood, highlighting God's power to protect His people from total ruin.
-
Proverbs 18:9
One who is slack in his work is brother to him who is a master of destruction.
Here the term describes a person whose laziness actively contributes to the breakdown and waste of resources or community order.
-
II Chronicles 20:23
For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. When they had finished the inhabitants of Seir, everyone helped to destroy each other.
The word illustrates how mutual violence among enemies can lead to their own self-destruction, showing that evil often consumes itself.