שְׁמָמָה (she.ma.mah)
she.ma.mah
devastation; desolation; Desolate
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 30 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun shemamah describes a state of utter devastation or desolation, painting a picture of land left waste and uninhabited. It appears thirty times in the Old Testament, with significant weight in the prophetic books of Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Zephaniah. The word captures the physical reality of ruin that follows divine judgment, where cities fall silent and fields lie barren.
Its root sense relates to being made empty or laid waste. Translators typically render it as "desolation," "waste," or "devastation." This term is not merely about damage; it signifies a complete loss of life and order. The prophets use it to describe the consequences of covenant unfaithfulness, where the land itself mourns the absence of its people.
A striking feature of this word is its occasional use as a poetic name for Jerusalem itself. In passages like Lamentations 1:16, the city is called shemamah, personifying the capital as a widow in ruins. This usage shifts the focus from abstract destruction to the specific, heartbreaking reality of God’s city being laid low, making the judgment feel intimate and profound.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word shemamah paints a stark picture of land left waste and uninhabited. In the Old Testament, it describes the physical ruin that follows covenant unfaithfulness, where cities fall silent and fields lie barren. This is not merely structural damage; it signifies a complete loss of life and order. The prophets use this term to show how deeply sin affects the earth itself, making the land mourn the absence of its people.
Yet even in these dark descriptions, there is a path back. Isaiah 62:4 offers a profound shift, promising that God’s people will no longer be called desolate but will bear names meaning delight and marriage. This change shows that restoration is possible when hearts turn toward God. The silence of the ruins gives way to the joy of renewed relationship.
When we face seasons of emptiness or loss in our own lives, this word reminds us that God sees the reality of our pain. He does not ignore the barren places in our history. Instead, He promises to bring life where there was once only waste, turning our desolation into a testimony of His faithfulness.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 30 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- a desolation8×
- a waste5×
- desolation4×
- <into>/ a desolation3×
- and/ desolation2×
- [is] a desolation2×
- wastes of1×
- into/ desolations of1×
- desolations of1×
- desolate1×
- and/ a waste1×
- [will become] <into>/ a desolation1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- שְׁמָמָ֔ה9×
- שְׁמָמָ֖ה4×
- שְׁמָמָֽה\׃3×
- שִׁמְמ֥וֹת2×
- שְׁמָמָ֥ה2×
- לִ/שְׁמָמָ֖ה2×
- לִ/שְׁמָמָ֑ה2×
- וּ/שְׁמָמָ֖ה2×
- שְׁמָמָ֑ה1×
- שְׁמֵמָ֑ה1×
- לִ/שְׁמָמָ֔ה1×
- לְ/שִֽׁמְמ֥וֹת1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 62:4
You will not be called Forsaken any more, nor will your land be called Desolate any more; but you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for Yahweh delights in you, and your land will be married.
This verse provides the crucial hope that God will rename His people from 'Desolate' to 'My Delight,' showing that restoration is part of His plan.
-
Jeremiah 6:8
Be instructed, Jerusalem, lest my soul be alienated from you, lest I make you a desolation, an uninhabited land.”
Here the word is used as a direct warning to Jerusalem, highlighting how personal and intimate God’s judgment can be when He feels alienated from His people.
-
Isaiah 1:7
Your country is desolate. Your cities are burned with fire. Strangers devour your land in your presence and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
This passage describes the immediate physical consequence of war, where strangers devour the land, making the abstract concept of judgment a tangible reality.
-
Jeremiah 4:27
For Yahweh says, “The whole land will be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end.
God declares the whole land will be desolate but immediately adds that He will not make a full end, balancing the severity of judgment with His mercy.