מִדְחֶה
𐤌𐤃𐤇𐤄
midcheh
H4072 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A place of downfall or destruction; specifically, an area or site associated with ruin, overthrow, or a violent removal. The term appears rarely and refers particularly to a location marked by displacement or calamity, whether strategic (e.g., military defeat) or destructive (e.g., waste place). The sense in context is of something driven away or cast down.
Semantic Range
place of overthrow, site of ruin, area of destruction, dumping ground, locus of rejection or displacement
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root דחה (d-h-h), meaning 'to thrust, push, drive away, reject.' The noun מִדְחֶה likely denotes a place to which something or someone is thrust or cast away, hence 'place of casting away' or 'overthrow.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
מִדְחֶה occurs only once in the Hebrew Bible (Ezekiel 43:11), where it refers to ruined or rejected places in the context of Temple structures. The word draws on the imagery of rejection or displacement, and its unique usage limits the semantic precision. Related terms from the same root, such as דָּחָה (to reject), help clarify the nuance of forced removal or ruin. English translations often render it as 'ruin' or 'dump,' though the underlying Hebrew emphasizes the act of being pushed aside or thrown down more than the state of ruin itself. In later rabbinic literature, the concept of dḥy is associated with ritual separation or rejection, but the biblical sense remains focused on physical or spatial displacement. מִדְחֶה is distinct from terms for generic destruction (e.g., חָרְבָּה), emphasizing the idea of violent removal or being cast aside.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from דָּחָה; overthrow; ruin.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
דחה (d-ḥ-h) — to thrust, push away, drive off, reject
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1760 | דָּחָה | to thrust away |
| H1761 | דַּחֲוָה | and struck instruments |
| H1762 | דְּחִי | a thrusting down |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4072-01 |
מִדְחֶֽה | midecheh | HNcmsa |
ruin | place of casting away | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4072-01 |
Proverbs 26:28 | מִדְחֶֽה | midecheh | HNcmsa |
ruin | place of casting away |