שָׁמַד (sha.mad)
sha.mad
to destroy
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 78 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb shamad carries the forceful meaning of total destruction or extermination. It appears seventy-eight times in the Old Testament, frequently describing the complete annihilation of people, cities, or altars. The sources indicate it is not used for minor damage but for laying waste to a place or cutting off a group entirely, as seen in the warnings of Deuteronomy 4:26 and the commands in Joshua regarding the Canaanite nations.
This word functions primarily in two grammatical forms: the Hiphil active voice, where someone actively destroys, and the Niphal passive voice, where something is destroyed or devastated. For instance, Leviticus 26:30 uses it to describe God destroying altars, while Judges 15:8 describes the Philistines being destroyed. The intensity of the term suggests a finality that leaves no remnant, often translated as "destroy," "perish," or "exterminate" in English Bibles.
A notable feature of shamad is its association with divine judgment and covenant consequences. It appears prominently in the curses of Deuteronomy 28, where failure to obey leads to being destroyed. The word also describes historical events, such as the destruction of Edom in Deuteronomy 2:12. Its usage underscores the seriousness of biblical warnings, portraying destruction not as an accident but as a decisive act that removes existence or presence from the land.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word shamad describes a forceful and total destruction. It appears seventy-eight times in the Old Testament, often describing the complete annihilation of people, cities, or altars. This is not minor damage but a decisive act that removes existence from the land. The intensity of the term suggests a finality that leaves no remnant. It functions primarily in two grammatical forms: the Hiphil active voice, where someone actively destroys, and the Niphal passive voice, where something is destroyed or devastated.
A notable feature of shamad is its association with divine judgment and covenant consequences. It appears prominently in the curses of Deuteronomy 28, where failure to obey leads to being destroyed. This word underscores the seriousness of biblical warnings, portraying destruction not as an accident but as a decisive act that removes existence or presence from the land. It serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of turning away from God.
For your faith, this word highlights the gravity of spiritual commitment. When Jacob feared he would be destroyed by his neighbors in Genesis 34:30, it shows how vulnerability can lead to such fears. Yet, the text also reveals God's power to preserve His people despite these threats. Understanding this term helps us appreciate the seriousness of sin and the magnitude of God's mercy when He chooses not to execute judgment.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 78 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- to/ destroy8×
- being destroyed/ you5×
- to/ annihilate4×
- he will destroy3×
- he had destroyed3×
- and/ I will destroy3×
- they destroyed/ them2×
- it will be destroyed2×
- he destroyed2×
- has destroyed/ he2×
- and/ to/ destroy2×
- and/ it will be destroyed2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לְ/הַשְׁמִ֥יד3×
- לְ/הַשְׁמִ֣יד2×
- הִשָּׁמְדָֽ/ךְ\׃2×
- הִשְׁמִ֣יד2×
- תַּשְׁמִֽידוּ\׃1×
- תִּשָּׁמֵדֽוּ/ן\׃1×
- תַשְׁמִ֛ידוּ1×
- נִשְׁמַ֕דְנוּ1×
- נִשְׁמְדָ֥ה1×
- נִשְׁמְד֣וּ1×
- לַ/שְׁמִ֖ד1×
- לְֽ/הַשְׁמִ֫ידָ֥/ם1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 34:30
Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have troubled me, to make me odious to the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I am few in number. They will gather themselves together against me and strike me, and I will be destroyed, I and my house.”
Jacob uses this word to express his fear that his family will be completely wiped out by the inhabitants of the land.
-
Deuteronomy 28:20
Yahweh will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you put your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the evil of your doings, by which you have forsaken me.
This verse links the act of being destroyed directly to the consequence of forsaking God's commandments.
-
Leviticus 26:30
I will destroy your high places, and cut down your incense altars, and cast your dead bodies upon the bodies of your idols; and my soul will abhor you.
God declares He will destroy high places and altars, showing His rejection of idolatrous worship.
-
Deuteronomy 4:3
Your eyes have seen what Yahweh did because of Baal Peor; for Yahweh your God has destroyed all the men who followed Baal Peor from among you.
The text notes that God destroyed all who followed Baal Peor, illustrating the finality of divine judgment on idolatry.