שְׁדֵפָה (she.de.phah)
she.de.phah
blight
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 6 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The noun shdefah refers to a blighted or blasted crop, describing produce that has been ruined by heat or disease. In the Hebrew Bible it denotes the physical result of such damage—a withered plant or failed harvest—rather than the abstract concept of destruction. It appears six times in Scripture, primarily within the historical books of Kings and Chronicles.
Its usage highlights the vulnerability of ancient agriculture to environmental forces. The term surfaces in narratives where divine judgment or natural disaster strikes the land, leaving fields barren. For instance, it describes the devastation that accompanies the reigns of kings who stray from covenant faithfulness, serving as a tangible sign of broken relationship between God and Israel.
Translators typically render shdefah as "blight" or "blast," capturing the suddenness with which healthy crops can turn to dust. This word grounds theological concepts in physical reality, reminding readers that spiritual states often have earthly consequences. The ruin of the harvest was not merely an economic loss but a visible marker of broader national instability.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word shdefah describes a crop ruined by heat or disease, turning a healthy harvest into withered dust. In ancient Israel, this was not just an economic loss but a visible marker of national instability and broken relationships with God. When the land failed, it signaled that the covenant bond had been strained, reminding the people that their spiritual state had earthly consequences.
For us today, this word grounds theology in physical reality. It reminds us that our lives are vulnerable to forces beyond our control, whether environmental or relational. Yet these moments of loss are not meaningless. They serve as invitations to examine our hearts and return to God, who remains faithful even when the harvest fails.
When you face seasons where things do not grow as expected, remember that God sees the blight. He does not ignore your struggles. Instead, He uses these moments to draw you closer, offering hope and restoration beyond what the fields can provide.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 6 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- with <the>/ blight2×
- blight2×
- and/ with <the>/ blight1×
- and/ scorching1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- שִׁדָּפ֨וֹן2×
- וּ/שְׁדֵפָ֖ה1×
- וּ/בַ/שִּׁדָּפ֖וֹן1×
- בַּ/שִּׁדָּפ֤וֹן1×
- בַּ/שִּׁדָּפ֣וֹן1×
Key Verses
-
Amos 4:9
“I struck you with blight and mildew many times in your gardens and your vineyards, and the swarming locusts have devoured your fig trees and your olive trees; yet you haven’t returned to me,” says Yahweh.
This verse shows blight as a specific act of divine discipline intended to provoke repentance, yet it highlights the people's stubborn refusal to return to God despite clear signs.
-
Haggai 2:17
I struck you with blight, mildew, and hail in all the work of your hands; yet you didn’t turn to me,’ says Yahweh.
Here, blight is paired with mildew and hail as direct consequences of misplaced priorities, emphasizing that God strikes at the work of their hands to call them back.
-
Deuteronomy 28:22
Yahweh will strike you with consumption, with fever, with inflammation, with fiery heat, with the sword, with blight, and with mildew. They will pursue you until you perish.
This passage lists blight among severe curses for covenant unfaithfulness, illustrating how spiritual rebellion leads to tangible devastation in the land.