שׁוֹא (sho)
sho
ravage; devastation
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 10 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun sho describes a state of total ruin or wasteland, often resulting from violent destruction. It appears ten times in the Hebrew Bible, primarily in the poetic books of Psalms, Job, and Proverbs. The word captures the physical reality of a land stripped of its value, left as a barren waste after disaster strikes.
Its meaning extends beyond simple damage to imply a complete loss of utility and habitation. In Job 20:23, for instance, it depicts the fate of the wicked whose wealth is consumed until nothing remains but devastation. The sources indicate that sho often refers specifically to the ruin of territory or property, turning fertile ground into an empty, unusable space.
This term carries significant weight in wisdom literature, where it serves as a stark contrast to blessing and prosperity. It illustrates the tangible consequences of chaos and judgment, showing how quickly order can collapse into emptiness. Translators typically render it as "devastation" or "ruin," reflecting the finality of the loss described in these ancient texts.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word sho paints a stark picture of total loss. It describes land stripped bare, left as an unusable wasteland after disaster strikes. In the ancient world, this was not just damage; it was the complete collapse of order and provision. When the text speaks of devastation, it points to a reality where value is gone and habitation is impossible.
Yet these passages do not leave us in despair. They contrast the finality of ruin with the enduring care of God. Even when calamity feels like a storm that overtakes us, the Scripture invites us to look beyond the immediate loss. The same God who sees the waste also sees the soul trapped within it.
This word reminds us that true security lies elsewhere. While earthly wealth and stability can vanish in an instant, our lives are held by a power that outlasts every storm. We find hope not in the permanence of our possessions, but in the faithfulness of the One who rescues us from the depths.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 10 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- devastation3×
- ruin2×
- like/ devastation1×
- in/ destruction1×
- from/ ravages/ their1×
- destruction1×
- and/ to/ [the] devastation1×
- and/ from/ [the] devastation of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- שׁוֹאָה֮1×
- שׁוֹאָ֥ה1×
- שׁוֹאָ֖ה1×
- שֹׁאָה֙1×
- שֹׁ֭אָה1×
- שֹׁ֝אָ֗ה1×
- מִ/שֹּׁאֵי/הֶ֑ם1×
- כְ/שׁוֹאָ֨ה1×
- וּ/מִ/שֹּׁאַ֥ת1×
- וּ/לְ/שׁוֹאָ֖ה1×
- בְּ֝/שׁוֹאָ֗ה1×
Key Verses
-
Job 30:3
They are gaunt from lack and famine. They gnaw the dry ground, in the gloom of waste and desolation.
This verse uses the word to depict the physical reality of famine, where people gnaw at dry ground in a state of total desolation.
-
Psalms 35:17
Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my soul from their destruction, my precious life from the lions.
Here the psalmist asks God to rescue his soul from this destruction, linking the physical ruin to the endangerment of his very life.
-
Isaiah 47:11
Therefore disaster will come on you. You won’t know when it dawns. Mischief will fall on you. You won’t be able to put it away. Desolation will come on you suddenly, which you don’t understand.
The text describes this devastation coming suddenly and unexpectedly, emphasizing that such ruin cannot be prevented by human effort alone.