עֲזוּבָה (a.zu.vah)
a.zu.vah
desolation
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun azuvah conveys a state of being abandoned or left behind, resulting in desolation. It describes the physical and social emptiness that follows when a community is forsaken by its people or its protector. The term captures not just an empty place, but the condition of having been deserted.
This word appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in Isaiah 49:17. There, it is used to describe the ruins of Zion after destruction. The prophet uses azuvah to highlight how completely the city had been laid waste and left without inhabitants, emphasizing the depth of the devastation before the promise of restoration.
Its root relates to leaving or forsaking. The sense is one of being left behind by those who should have stayed. In Isaiah, this desolation is not permanent but serves as a backdrop for God’s future intervention to rebuild and repopulate the city.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word azuvah paints a stark picture of abandonment. It describes a place left behind, stripped of its people and purpose. In Isaiah 49:17, this term captures the raw reality of Zion’s ruin. The city stands empty, not because God has forgotten it, but because the consequences of brokenness have taken their toll. This desolation feels final, yet it is only a moment in a larger story.
For those who feel overlooked or abandoned, this word offers a sobering honesty. It acknowledges the pain of being forsaken without sugarcoating the experience. Yet, even in this emptiness, there is space for restoration. The prophet does not leave us in the ruins; he points toward a future where God rebuilds what was lost.
This promise reminds us that no situation is beyond repair. When life feels like azuvah—a place of loss and silence—there is hope for renewal. God’s presence can transform even the most desolate corners into places of new beginning.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ abandoned [land]1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הָ/עֲזוּבָ֖ה1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 6:12
and Yahweh has removed men far away, and the forsaken places are many within the land.
This verse uses a related concept to describe how widespread the abandonment becomes when people are removed from their land.