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אָבַד

𐤀𐤁𐤃

ʼâbad

H6 verb

SILEX Entry

Root אבד to be lost, to perish, to be destroyed, to go astray

Definition

To be lost, to perish, to come to ruin or destruction. Used to describe the state of being lost (literally or figuratively), perishing in adversity, or experiencing complete ruin or obliteration. In causative stems, to destroy or bring to ruin. The verb is used for physical objects, people, entire communities, moral character, or outcomes, ranging from simple loss and disappearance to annihilation or death.

Semantic Range

to be lost, to perish, to be destroyed, to die, to go astray, to be rendered void, to vanish, to fail (utterly)

Root / Etymology

From the root אבד, whose base meaning is 'to lose' or 'to perish.' The primary lexical sense 'to be lost' or 'to perish' extends naturally to the causative sense 'to cause to perish' or 'to destroy,' as found in the piel and hiphil forms.

Historical & Contextual Notes

אָבַד occurs throughout all periods of Biblical Hebrew, appearing in prose, poetry, narrative, and legal texts. In narratives, it describes both literal loss (such as lost objects or livestock) and destruction/perishing (of people, cities, or nations). In legal and prophetic passages, it conveys judicial destruction or catastrophe, often as a result of wrongdoing. The term encompasses irreversible loss or annihilation, but can also refer to less dramatic states, such as a lost object, depending on context. In wisdom literature, it may refer to moral or existential ruin. In contrast to שָׁחַת (shakhat, “to corrupt, to spoil, to destroy”), אָבַד emphasizes the lost or vanishing state rather than moral corruption or decay. English translations vary widely, using 'perish,' 'be lost,' 'be destroyed,' or 'go astray,' and at times narrow the scope; none reflect the full semantic breadth. Later rabbinic usage and post-biblical Hebrew continue to use אָבַד for both physical loss and metaphoric perishing or moral ruin.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; properly, to wander away, i.e. lose oneself; by implication to perish (causative, destroy); break, destroy(-uction), [phrase] not escape, fail, lose, (cause to, make) perish, spend, [idiom] and surely, take, be undone, [idiom] utterly, be void of, have no way to flee.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אבד (ʾ-b-d) — to be lost, to perish, to be destroyed, to go astray

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H10 אֲבַדֹּה and destruction-of
H11 אֲבַדּוֹן Realm of Destruction
H12 אַבְדָן and utter ruin
H13 אׇבְדַן in ruin-of
H5648 עֲבַד he perished

Word Forms

82 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6-02 אָבַ֥ד avad HVqp3ms has perished he perished 14
H6-81 יֹאבְד֤וּ yovedu HVqi3mp will perish they will perish 13
H6-68 וְ/הַֽאֲבַדְתִּ֛י vehaavadeti HC/Vhq1cs and I will destroy and I made perish 8
H6-62 וְ/אָבַ֖ד veavad HC/Vqq3ms and flight shall perish and he perished 8
H6-38 אֹבֵ֣ד oved HVqrmsa perishing perishing one 7
H6-55 וַ/אֲבַדְתֶּ֖ם vaavadetem HC/Vqq2mp and you will perish and you perished 5
H6-45 תֹּאבַ֥ד tovad HVqi3fs be lost she will perish 5
H6-11 אָבְדָ֖ה avedah HVqp3fs has-perished she has perished 5
H6-15 אָבֹ֣ד avod HVqa perish to perish 4
H6-46 תֹּאבֵֽד toved HVqi3fs will perish she will perish 4

Occurrences in Scripture

185 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6-11 Exodus 10:7 אָבְדָ֖ה avedah HVqp3fs is destroyed she has perished
H6-68 Leviticus 23:30 וְ/הַֽאֲבַדְתִּ֛י vehaavadeti HC/Vhq1cs and I will destroy and I made perish
H6-55 Leviticus 26:38 וַ/אֲבַדְתֶּ֖ם vaavadetem HC/Vqq2mp and you shall perish and you perished
H6-60 Numbers 16:33 וַ/יֹּאבְד֖וּ vayovedu HC/Vqw3mp and they perished and they perished
H6-06 Numbers 17:27 אָבַ֖דְנוּ avadenu HVqp1cp we are lost we have perished
H6-06 Numbers 17:27 אָבָֽדְנוּ avadenu-2 HVqp1cp we are lost we have perished
H6-07 Numbers 21:29 אָבַ֖דְתָּ avadeta HVqp2ms you are destroyed you perished
H6-02 Numbers 21:30 אָבַ֥ד avad HVqp3ms has perished he perished
H6-71 Numbers 24:19 וְ/הֶֽאֱבִ֥יד veheevid HC/Vhq3ms and destroy and he caused to perish
H6-73 Numbers 33:52 וְ/אִ֨בַּדְתֶּ֔ם veibadetem HC/Vpq2mp and-you-shall-destroy and you destroyed
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