כִּרְסֵם
𐤊𐤓𐤎𐤌
kirçêm
H3765 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To lay waste, devastate, or ravage—typically of land or settlements rendered uninhabitable and stripped of resources. The term is associated with comprehensive destruction, often leaving an area barren or desolate.
Semantic Range
to lay waste, devastate, ravage, strip bare, render desolate, consume completely
Root / Etymology
Likely derived from the root כסם (k-s-m), which conveys the sense of 'cutting off,' 'shearing,' or 'trimming.' The term כִּרְסֵם (kirsem) takes up and intensifies this idea, directing it toward the devastation or ravaging of land, especially through stripping or consuming so thoroughly that nothing is left productive. Some scholars suggest phonetic similarity to roots relating to consuming or gnawing, but the root likely centers on cutting off or total removal.
Historical & Contextual Notes
כִּרְסֵם appears in poetic or prophetic language depicting scenes of utter destruction, especially in the context of divine judgment or military campaigns. The verb is rare in the Hebrew Bible and is used to denote not merely the act of destruction, but the process whereby productive land is rendered totally useless—sometimes compared to complete grazing or stripping by locusts or animals. Its sense overlaps with, but is stronger than, related terms such as שָׁדַד (to destroy violently) and שָׁמֵם (to devastate, lay waste, usually with an emphasis on desolation). Standard English translations tend to use 'lay waste' or 'devastate,' but these may not fully capture the image of thorough stripping or consuming inherent in the term. The nuance of כִּרְסֵם as an intensive or causative form situates it in contexts of emphatic, complete ruin rather than incidental or collateral damage. There are no significant differences in usage between patriarchal and later periods due to its rarity, but when used, the context is one of total removal of fertility or livability from a place.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from כָּסַם; to lay waste; waste.
Bantu Hebrew
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כסם (k-s-m) — cutting off, shearing, trimming, stripping away
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3765-01 |
יְכַרְסְמֶ֣/נָּֽה | yekharesemenah | HVpi3ms/Sp3fs |
gnaws-at-it | he will strip her bare | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3765-01 |
Psalms 80:14 | יְכַרְסְמֶ֣/נָּֽה | yekharesemenah | HVpi3ms/Sp3fs |
gnaws-at-it | he will strip her bare |