אָבַד (H6) — Hebrew Lexicon — Scattered Israelites

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אָבַד

𐤀𐤁𐤃

ʼâbad

H6 verb

SILEX Entry

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.

Translation Consistency

primary "perish" 34 occurrences

Perish fits the primary intransitive sense (‘be lost, die, come to ruin’) while naturally extending to causative/destructive contexts (be destroyed, brought to ruin). It is the most frequent and semantically central rendering in the SILEX data and yields natural English across people, objects, and communities without forcing overly technical wording.

Alternatives (16 occurrences):

"destroy" (5x) "destroyed" (4x) "destroys" (2x) "lost" (2x) "utterly destroying" (1x) "utterly destroy" (1x) "lost ones" (1x)

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

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

Root Family

אבד (Avadon) — to perish, to vanish, to be lost, to be destroyed

Root אבד 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
H7	אֲבַד	to cause to perish
H9	אֲבֵדָה	she has perished

Word Forms

82 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`H6-02`	אָבָ֔ד	avad	`HVqp3ms`	has perished	he perished	he perished	14
`H6-81`	יֹאבֵ֑דוּ	yovedu	`HVqi3mp`	will perish	they will perish	they will perish	13
`H6-62`	וְ/אָבַ֖ד	veavad	`HC/Vqq3ms`	and flight shall perish	and he perished	and it perished	8
`H6-68`	וְ/הַ֣אֲבַדְתִּ֔י	vehaavadeti	`HC/Vhq1cs`	and I will destroy	and I made perish	and I will destroy	8
`H6-38`	אֹבֵ֣ד	oved	`HVqrmsa`	perishing	perishing one	perishing one	7
`H6-11`	אָבְדָ֖ה	avedah	`HVqp3fs`	has-perished	she has perished	it has perished	5
`H6-45`	תֹּאבַ֥ד	tovad	`HVqi3fs`	be lost	she will perish	she will perish	5
`H6-55`	וַ/אֲבַדְתֶּ֣ם	vaavadetem	`HC/Vqq2mp`	and you will perish	and you perished	and you perished	5
`H6-15`	אָבֹ֣ד	avod	`HVqa`	perish	to perish	to perish	4
`H6-46`	תֹּאבֵֽד	toved	`HVqi3fs`	will perish	she will perish	it will perish	4
`H6-48`	תֹּאבֵדוּ/ן֮	tovedun	`HVqi2mp/Sn`	you shall perish	you will perish	you will perish	4
`H6-76`	וְ/יֹאבְד֖וּ	veyovedu	`HC/Vqi3mp`	and they perish	and they will perish	and they will perish	4
`H6-09`	אָבַ֖דְתִּי	avadeti	`HVqp1cs`	I perish	I have perished	I perish	3
`H6-26`	לְ/אַבֵּ֔ד	leabed	`HR/Vpc`	to destroy	to cause to perish	to cause to perish	3
`H6-27`	לְ/אַבְּדָ֑/ם	leabedam	`HR/Vpc/Sp3mp`	to destroy them	to utterly destroy them	to destroy them	3
`H6-49`	וּ/לְ/אַבֵּ֣ד	uleabed	`HC/R/Vpc`	and to annihilate	and to cause to perish	and to perish	3
`H6-51`	וּ/לְ/הַאֲבִ֣יד	ulehaavid	`HC/R/Vhc`	and to destroy	and to cause to perish	and to cause to perish	3
`H6-61`	וְ/אַבֵּ֔ד	veabed	`HC/Vpa`	and destroyed	and utterly destroying	and destroyed	3
`H6-64`	וְ/אָבְדָ֥ה	veavedah	`HC/Vqp3fs`	and perish	and she perished	and it perished	3
`H6-80`	יֹאבֵ֑ד	yoved	`HVqi3ms`	will perish	he will perish	he will perish	3
`H6-03`	אָבָ֑דָה	avadah	`HVqp3fs`	perished	she perished	she perished	2
`H6-06`	אָבַ֖דְנוּ	avadenu	`HVqp1cp`	we are lost	we have perished	we have perished	2
`H6-14`	אָבְד֥וּ	avedu	`HVqp3cp`	have perished	they served	they perish	2
`H6-18`	הָ/אֹבֶ֖דֶת	haovedet	`HTd/Vqrfsa`	lost	the perishing one	the perishing one	2
`H6-22`	אִבַּ֖ד	ibad	`HVpp3ms`	he had destroyed	he brought to ruin	he caused to perish	2
`H6-31`	לְ/הַֽאֲבִיד֑/וֹ	lehaavido	`HR/Vhc/Sp3ms`	to destroy it	to cause him to perish	to cause him to perish	2
`H6-35`	נֹאבֵֽד	noved	`HVqi1cp`	perish	we will perish	we will perish	2
`H6-41`	תְּאַבֵּד֮	teabed	`HVpi2ms`	you will destroy	you will cause to perish	you will destroy	2
`H6-56`	וַ/תְּאַבֵּ֔ד	vateabed	`HC/Vpw3fs`	and she destroyed	and she caused to perish	and she caused to perish	2
`H6-58`	וַ/יְאַבְּדֵ֣/ם	vayeabedem	`HC/Vpw3ms/Sp3mp`	and destroys them	and he destroyed them	and he caused them to perish	2
`H6-59`	וַֽ/יְאַבְּדֽוּ/ם	vayeabedum	`HC/Vpw3mp/Sp3mp`	and they have destroyed them	they destroyed them	and they caused them to perish	2
`H6-60`	וַ/יֹּאבְד֖וּ	vayovedu	`HC/Vqw3mp`	and they perished	and they perished	and they perished	2
`H6-65`	וְ/אָֽבְדוּ֙	veavedu	`HC/Vqq3cp`	and they shall perish	and they served	and they perished	2
`H6-66`	וְ/הַאֲבַדְתָּ֣	vehaavadeta	`HC/Vhq2ms`	and you shall destroy	and you will cause to perish	and you will cause to perish	2
`H6-73`	וְ/אִבַּדְתֶּ֣ם	veibadetem	`HC/Vpq2mp`	and obliterate	and you destroyed	and you caused to perish	2
`H6-77`	וִֽ/יאַבֵּ֥ד	viabed	`HC/Vpi3ms`	and destroy	and he will destroy	and he will cause to perish	2
`H6-78`	יְאַבֵּ֥ד	yeabed	`HVpi3ms`	destroys	he destroys	he will cause to perish	2
`H6-79`	יֹאבַ֥ד	yovad	`HVqi3ms`	Let it perish	he will perish	it will perish	2
`H6-01`	אַבֵּ֣ד	abed	`HVpa`	destroying	utterly destroying	utterly destroying	1
`H6-04`	אֲבָדְ/ךָ֙	avadekha	`HVqc/Sp2ms`	your perishing	he has lost you	your perishing	1
`H6-05`	אֲבָדְ/כֶ֗ם	avadekhem	`HVqc/Sp2mp`	perishing-your(pl)	your perishing	your perishing	1
`H6-07`	אָבַ֖דְתָּ	avadeta	`HVqp2ms`	you are destroyed	you perished	you are destroyed	1
`H6-08`	אָבַ֔דְתְּ	avadete	`HVqp2fs`	you have perished	you perished	you have perished	1
`H6-10`	אָבָֽדוּ	avadu	`HVqp3cp`	have perished	they perished	they perished	1
`H6-12`	אָבְדָ֑/ם	avedam	`HVqc/Sp3mp`	of their destruction	their perishing	their destruction	1
`H6-13`	אָבְדֶֽ/ךָ	avedekha	`HVqc/Sp2ms`	your perishing	your servant	your perishing	1
`H6-16`	הַאֲבִ֖יד	haavid	`HVhc`	destroy	to cause to perish	to destroy	1
`H6-17`	הַאֲבִיד֖/וֹ	haavido	`HVhc/Sp3ms`	he destroys	to destroy him	he destroys	1
`H6-19`	הָ/אֹֽבְדִים֙	haovedim	`HTd/Vqrmpa`	those who were lost	the perishing ones	the lost ones	1
`H6-20`	הָ/אֹבְד֣וֹת	haovedot	`HTd/Vqrfpa`	the-lost-ones	the perishing ones	the lost ones	1
`H6-21`	הֶאֱבַֽדְתָּ	heevadeta	`HVhp2ms`	you destroy	you caused to perish	you caused to perish	1
`H6-23`	אִבַּ֣דְתָּ	ibadeta	`HVpp2ms`	you have destroyed	you have brought to ruin	you have destroyed	1
`H6-24`	אִבַּ֨דְתִּי֙	ibadeti	`HVpp1cs`	I destroyed	I brought to ruin	I brought to ruin	1
`H6-25`	אִבְּדָ/ם֙	ibedam	`HVpp3ms/Sp3mp`	destroyed them	he destroyed them	he destroyed them	1
`H6-28`	לְ/אַבְּדֵ֑/נִי	leabedeni	`HR/Vpc/Sp1cs`	to destroy me	to bring me to ruin	to destroy me	1
`H6-29`	לְ/הַאֲבִ֥יד	lehaavid	`HR/Vhc`	to destroy	to cause to perish	to destroy	1
`H6-30`	לְ/הַאֲבִידֵ֑/נוּ	lehaavidenu	`HR/Vhc/Sp1cp`	to destroy us	to make us perish	to make us perish	1
`H6-32`	לְ/אוֹבֵ֑ד	leoved	`HR/Vqrmsa`	to him who is perishing	perishing one	to the perishing one	1
`H6-33`	מַאֲבִ֣יד	maavid	`HVhrmsa`	destroys	destroying one	destroys	1
`H6-34`	מְאַבְּדִ֧ים	meabedim	`HVprmpa`	who are destroying	destroyers	destroyers	1
`H6-36`	נֹאבְדָ֗ה	novedah	`HVqh1cp`	let us perish	let us perish	let us perish	1
`H6-37`	אֹבַ֥ד	ovad	`HVqrmsc`	void	perishing one	perishing one	1
`H6-39`	אֹֽבְדוֹת֙	ovedot	`HVqrfpa`	lost	perishing ones	perishing ones	1
`H6-40`	אֹבִ֥ידָה	ovidah	`HVhh1cs`	I will destroy	let me cause to perish	let me cause to perish	1
`H6-42`	תְּאַבְּדֵֽ/ם	teabedem	`HVpi3fs/Sp3mp`	will destroy them	she will destroy them	will destroy them	1
`H6-43`	תְּאַבֵּ֔דוּ	teabedu	`HVpi2mp`	you-shall-destroy	you will destroy	you shall destroy	1
`H6-44`	תְּ֠אַבְּדוּ/ן	teabedun	`HVpi2mp/Sn`	you shall destroy	you men will destroy	you will utterly destroy	1
`H6-47`	תֹּאבֵ֑דוּ	tovedu	`HVqi2mp`	will-perish	you will perish	you will perish	1
`H6-50`	וּֽ/לְ/אַבְּדָֽ/ם	uleabedam	`HC/R/Vpc/Sp3mp`	and to destroy them	and to bring them to ruin	and to destroy them	1
`H6-52`	וּ/בַ/אֲבֹ֖ד	uvaavod	`HC/R/Vqc`	and-in-perishing	and in perishing	and in perishing	1
`H6-53`	וּ֝/בְ/אָבְדָ֗/ם	uveavedam	`HC/R/Vqc/Sp3mp`	but when they perish	and in their perishing	and in their perishing	1
`H6-54`	וָֽ/אַבֶּדְ/ךָ֙	vaabedekha	`HC/Vpw1cs/Sp2ms`	and I destroyed you	and I brought you to ruin	and I destroyed you	1
`H6-57`	וַ/תֹּאבַ֨דְנָה֙	vatovadenah	`HC/Vqw3fp`	and they were lost	and they perished	and they were lost	1
`H6-63`	וְ/אָבָֽדוּ	veavadu	`HC/Vqq3cp`	and they will perish	and they perished	and they will perish	1
`H6-67`	וְ/הַֽאַבַדְתָּ/ם֙	vehaavadetam	`HC/Vhq2ms/Sp3mp`	and you shall destroy them	you will cause them to perish	and you will cause them to perish	1
`H6-69`	וְ/הַאֲבַדְתִּ֖י/ךָ	vehaavadetikha	`HC/Vhq1cs/Sp2ms`	and I will destroy you	and I will cause you to perish	and I will destroy you	1
`H6-70`	וְ/הַאֲבַדְתִּ֖י/ךְ	vehaavadetikhe	`HC/Vhq1cs/Sp3fs`	and I will destroy you	and I will cause you to perish	and I will cause you to perish	1
`H6-71`	וְ/הֶֽאֱבִ֥יד	veheevid	`HC/Vhq3ms`	and destroy	and he caused to perish	and he destroyed	1
`H6-72`	וְ/אִבַּ֥ד	veibad	`HC/Vpq3ms`	and will destroy	and he destroyed	and he destroyed	1
`H6-74`	וְ/אִבַּדְתִּ֖י	veibadeti	`HC/Vpq1cs`	and-I-will-destroy	and I destroyed	and I will destroy	1
`H6-75`	וְ/תֹ֬אבְדוּ	vetovedu	`HC/Vqi2mp`	and you perish	and you will perish	and you perish	1
`H6-82`	יאבדו	yvdv	`HVqi3mp`	they will perish	they will perish	they will perish	1

Occurrences in Scripture

185 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`H6-11`	Exodus 10:7	אָבְדָ֖ה	avedah	`HVqp3fs`	is destroyed	she has perished	it has perished
`H6-68`	Leviticus 23:30	וְ/הַֽאֲבַדְתִּ֛י	vehaavadeti	`HC/Vhq1cs`	and I will destroy	and I made perish	and I will destroy
`H6-55`	Leviticus 26:38	וַ/אֲבַדְתֶּ֖ם	vaavadetem	`HC/Vqq2mp`	and you shall perish	and you perished	and you shall perish
`H6-60`	Numbers 16:33	וַ/יֹּאבְד֖וּ	vayovedu	`HC/Vqw3mp`	and they perished	and they perished	and they perished
`H6-06`	Numbers 17:27	אָבַ֖דְנוּ	avadenu	`HVqp1cp`	we are lost	we have perished	we have perished
`H6-06`	Numbers 17:27	אָבָֽדְנוּ	avadenu-2	`HVqp1cp`	we are lost	we have perished	we have perished
`H6-07`	Numbers 21:29	אָבַ֖דְתָּ	avadeta	`HVqp2ms`	you are destroyed	you perished	you are destroyed
`H6-02`	Numbers 21:30	אָבַ֥ד	avad	`HVqp3ms`	has perished	he perished	he perished
`H6-71`	Numbers 24:19	וְ/הֶֽאֱבִ֥יד	veheevid	`HC/Vhq3ms`	and destroy	and he caused to perish	and he destroyed
`H6-73`	Numbers 33:52	וְ/אִ֨בַּדְתֶּ֔ם	veibadetem	`HC/Vpq2mp`	and-you-shall-destroy	and you destroyed	and you caused to perish
`H6-43`	Numbers 33:52	תְּאַבֵּ֔דוּ	teabedu	`HVpi2mp`	you-shall-destroy	you will destroy	you shall destroy
`H6-15`	Deuteronomy 4:26	אָבֹ֣ד	avod	`HVqa`	perish	to perish	perish
`H6-48`	Deuteronomy 4:26	תֹּאבֵדוּ/ן֮	tovedun	`HVqi2mp/Sn`	you will perish	you will perish	you will perish
`H6-31`	Deuteronomy 7:10	לְ/הַאֲבִיד֑/וֹ	lehaavido	`HR/Vhc/Sp3ms`	to destroy them	to cause him to perish	to cause him to perish
`H6-15`	Deuteronomy 7:20	אֲבֹ֗ד	avod	`HVqc`	perish	to perish	to perish
`H6-66`	Deuteronomy 7:24	וְ/הַאֲבַדְתָּ֣	vehaavadeta	`HC/Vhq2ms`	and you shall destroy	and you will cause to perish	and you will cause to perish
`H6-15`	Deuteronomy 8:19	אָבֹ֖ד	avod	`HVqa`	you shall surely perish	to perish	to perish
`H6-48`	Deuteronomy 8:19	תֹּאבֵדֽוּ/ן	tovedun	`HVqi2mp/Sn`	you shall perish	you will perish	you will perish
`H6-33`	Deuteronomy 8:20	מַאֲבִ֣יד	maavid	`HVhrmsa`	destroys	destroying one	destroys
`H6-48`	Deuteronomy 8:20	תֹאבֵד֑וּ/ן	tovedun	`HVqi2mp/Sn`	you shall perish	you will perish	you will perish
`H6-67`	Deuteronomy 9:3	וְ/הַֽאַבַדְתָּ/ם֙	vehaavadetam	`HC/Vhq2ms/Sp3mp`	and you shall destroy them	you will cause them to perish	and you will cause them to perish
`H6-58`	Deuteronomy 11:4	וַ/יְאַבְּדֵ֣/ם	vayeabedem	`HC/Vpw3ms/Sp3mp`	and he destroyed them	and he destroyed them	and he caused them to perish
`H6-55`	Deuteronomy 11:17	וַ/אֲבַדְתֶּ֣ם	vaavadetem	`HC/Vqq2mp`	and you will perish	and you perished	and you perished
`H6-01`	Deuteronomy 12:2	אַבֵּ֣ד	abed	`HVpa`	destroying	utterly destroying	utterly destroying
`H6-44`	Deuteronomy 12:2	תְּ֠אַבְּדוּ/ן	teabedun	`HVpi2mp/Sn`	you shall destroy	you men will destroy	you will utterly destroy
`H6-73`	Deuteronomy 12:3	וְ/אִבַּדְתֶּ֣ם	veibadetem	`HC/Vpq2mp`	and obliterate	and you destroyed	and you caused to perish
`H6-45`	Deuteronomy 22:3	תֹּאבַ֥ד	tovad	`HVqi3fs`	he has lost	she will perish	will be lost
`H6-38`	Deuteronomy 26:5	אֹבֵ֣ד	oved	`HVqrmsa`	perishing	perishing one	perishing one
`H6-04`	Deuteronomy 28:20	אֲבָדְ/ךָ֙	avadekha	`HVqc/Sp2ms`	your perishing	he has lost you	your perishing
`H6-13`	Deuteronomy 28:22	אָבְדֶֽ/ךָ	avedekha	`HVqc/Sp2ms`	your perishing	your servant	your perishing
`H6-17`	Deuteronomy 28:51	הַאֲבִיד֖/וֹ	haavido	`HVhc/Sp3ms`	he destroys	to destroy him	he destroys
`H6-29`	Deuteronomy 28:63	לְ/הַאֲבִ֥יד	lehaavid	`HR/Vhc`	to destroy	to cause to perish	to destroy
`H6-15`	Deuteronomy 30:18	אָבֹ֖ד	avod	`HVqa`	perish	to perish	to perish
`H6-48`	Deuteronomy 30:18	תֹּאבֵד֑וּ/ן	tovedun	`HVqi2mp/Sn`	you shall surely perish	you will perish	you will perish
`H6-37`	Deuteronomy 32:28	אֹבַ֥ד	ovad	`HVqrmsc`	void	perishing one	perishing one
`H6-30`	Joshua 7:7	לְ/הַאֲבִידֵ֑/נוּ	lehaavidenu	`HR/Vhc/Sp1cp`	to destroy us	to make us perish	to make us perish
`H6-05`	Joshua 23:13	אֲבָדְ/כֶ֗ם	avadekhem	`HVqc/Sp2mp`	perishing-your(pl)	your perishing	your perishing
`H6-55`	Joshua 23:16	וַ/אֲבַדְתֶּ֣ם	vaavadetem-2	`HC/Vqq2mp`	and you will perish	and you perished	and you perish
`H6-81`	Judges 5:31	יֹאבְד֤וּ	yovedu	`HVqi3mp`	let them perish	they will perish	let them perish
`H6-57`	1 Samuel 9:3	וַ/תֹּאבַ֨דְנָה֙	vatovadenah	`HC/Vqw3fp`	and they were lost	and they perished	and they were lost
`H6-20`	1 Samuel 9:20	הָ/אֹבְד֣וֹת	haovedot	`HTd/Vqrfpa`	the-lost-ones	the perishing ones	the lost ones
`H6-60`	2 Samuel 1:27	וַ/יֹּאבְד֖וּ	vayovedu	`HC/Vqw3mp`	have perished	and they perished	and they perished
`H6-62`	2 Kings 9:8	וְ/אָבַ֖ד	veavad	`HC/Vqq3ms`	and shall perish	and he perished	and shall perish
`H6-16`	2 Kings 10:19	הַאֲבִ֖יד	haavid	`HVhc`	destroy	to cause to perish	to destroy
`H6-56`	2 Kings 11:1	וַ/תְּאַבֵּ֔ד	vateabed	`HC/Vpw3fs`	and she destroyed	and she caused to perish	and she caused to perish
`H6-25`	2 Kings 13:7	אִבְּדָ/ם֙	ibedam	`HVpp3ms/Sp3mp`	destroyed them	he destroyed them	he destroyed them
`H6-59`	2 Kings 19:18	וַֽ/יְאַבְּדֽוּ/ם	vayeabedum	`HC/Vpw3mp/Sp3mp`	and they have destroyed them	they destroyed them	and they caused them to perish
`H6-22`	2 Kings 21:3	אִבַּ֖ד	ibad	`HVpp3ms`	he had destroyed	he brought to ruin	he caused to perish
`H6-31`	2 Kings 24:2	לְ/הַֽאֲבִיד֑/וֹ	lehaavido	`HR/Vhc/Sp3ms`	to destroy it	to cause him to perish	to destroy it
`H6-56`	Isaiah 26:14	וַ/תְּאַבֵּ֥ד	vateabed	`HC/Vpw2ms`	and you have wiped out	and she caused to perish	and you destroyed

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