← H3451 H3453 →

יְשִׁימוֹן

𐤉𐤔𐤉𐤌𐤅𐤍

yᵉshîymôwn

H3452 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ישם to be desolate, to lay waste, to be deserted

Definition

A barren, deserted, or uninhabited tract of land; wasteland or wilderness, often denoting arid steppe or desolate regions adjacent to cultivated territory. The word is used both as a general term for wilderness/desert and as a specific toponym for certain regions east or south of the Israelite heartland. Semantic range includes both literal geographical wastelands and, in some poetic or prophetic contexts, a place of desolation or ruin.

Semantic Range

desolate place, wasteland, desert, wilderness, solitary region, uninhabited land, region of devastation, specific toponym (Jeshimon)

Root / Etymology

From the root יָשַׁם (yāsham), meaning 'to be desolate, devastated.' יְשִׁימוֹן (yᵉshîymôwn) is a noun form indicating a place characterized by desolation. The form likely reflects a substantive denoting 'the desolate place/wasteland' from the root sense of being deserted or made uninhabited.

Historical & Contextual Notes

יְשִׁימוֹן appears in both concrete and poetic uses. Geographically, it refers specifically to the arid areas northeast and south of the Dead Sea (e.g., 'the Jeshimon'), but in broader context, it can also simply mean wilderness or uninhabited desert. English versions sometimes transliterate the toponym as 'Jeshimon,' which can obscure its more general meaning of 'desolate place.' The term does not denote the same kind of wilderness as מִדְבָּר (midbār), which can refer to pastureland or semi-arid land, but specifically concerns barren or devastated landscapes. Its semantic overlaps with חָרָבָה (ḥārābāh, 'ruin, dry waste') illustrate a focus on devastation rather than mere absence of settlement. The word's use in poetry and prophecy especially stresses the idea of total desolation, often as the result of judgment or abandonment. During the monarchic and exilic periods, it may acquire a more figurative meaning as a symbol of destruction or abandonment.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from יָשַׁם; a desolation; desert, Jeshimon, solitary, wilderness.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

ישם (y-š-m) — to be desolate, to lay waste, to be deserted

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3451 יְשִׁימַה desolate wastelands
H3456 יָשַׁם she will become desolate

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3452-02 הַ/יְשִׁימֹֽן hayeshimon HTd/Ncmsa Jeshimon the desolate wasteland 6
H3452-01 בִּֽ/ישִׁמ֖וֹן bishimon HR/Ncmsa in the desert desolate wasteland 5
H3452-03 בִֽ/ישִׁימ֣וֹן vishimon HR/Ncmsa through the wilderness in desolate wasteland 1
H3452-04 יְשִׁמֹ֑ן yeshimon HNcmsa wilderness desolate wasteland 1

Occurrences in Scripture

13 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3452-02 Numbers 21:20 הַ/יְשִׁימֹֽן hayeshimon HTd/Ncmsa the Jeshimon the desolate wasteland
H3452-02 Numbers 23:28 הַ/יְשִׁימֹֽן hayeshimon HTd/Ncmsa Jeshimon the desolate wasteland
H3452-04 Deuteronomy 32:10 יְשִׁמֹ֑ן yeshimon HNcmsa wilderness desolate wasteland
H3452-02 1 Samuel 23:19 הַ/יְשִׁימֽוֹן hayeshimon HTd/Ncmsa Jeshimon the desolate wasteland
H3452-02 1 Samuel 23:24 הַ/יְשִׁימֽוֹן hayeshimon HTd/Ncmsa of Jeshimon the desolate wasteland
H3452-02 1 Samuel 26:1 הַ/יְשִׁימֹֽן hayeshimon HTd/Ncmsa Jeshimon the desolate wasteland
H3452-02 1 Samuel 26:3 הַ/יְשִׁימֹ֖ן hayeshimon HTd/Ncmsa the-Jeshimon the desolate wasteland
H3452-01 Isaiah 43:19 בִּֽ/ישִׁמ֖וֹן bishimon HR/Ncmsa in the desert desolate wasteland
H3452-01 Isaiah 43:20 בִּֽ/ישִׁימֹ֔ן bishimon HR/Ncmsa in the desert desolate wasteland
H3452-03 Psalms 68:8 בִֽ/ישִׁימ֣וֹן vishimon HR/Ncmsa through the wilderness in desolate wasteland
← H3451 Hebrew Lexicon H3453 →