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שְׁאִיָּה

𐤔𐤀𐤉𐤄

shᵉʼîyâh

H7591 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שאה to lay waste, destroy, devastate

Definition

State of devastation or utter ruin; a condition or place that is laid waste, typically as the result of overwhelming destruction by natural or human agency. Most frequently used to convey the sense of a place rendered uninhabitable or deserted, especially in prophetic literature to describe judgment upon a land or city.

Semantic Range

devastation, desolation, wasteland, utter ruin, condition of being deserted; result of overwhelming destruction

Root / Etymology

From the Hebrew root שָׁאָה (sha'ah), meaning 'to lay waste, be in ruins, be desolate.' The noun formation שְׁאִיָּה refers specifically to the result or state produced by the action of the root: namely, desolation or devastation.

Historical & Contextual Notes

שְׁאִיָּה appears in prophetic and poetic contexts (e.g., Isaiah 24:12), often to emphasize the totality of destruction—whether of land, cities, or peoples. It tends to describe not merely physical ruin, but the absence of life and activity, an emptiness left behind. During the monarchic and exilic periods, its usage reflects themes of divine judgment, particularly in the context of warnings against Israelite or foreign nations. While frequently rendered 'desolation' or 'ruin' in English translations, the nuance can range from a temporary devastated state to permanent abandonment. Related terms like חָרְבָּה (ḥorbah, 'ruins') or שַׁמָּה (shammah, 'astonishment, devastation') are sometimes used in parallel, though שְׁאִיָּה often carries a more absolute and total connotation. In later biblical periods, the word continues to signify not only physical devastation but the psychological and social consequences of such destruction. Standard translations emphasize emptiness or wasteland, but the original term often implies a state from which recovery is uncertain or impossible.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from שָׁאָה; desolation; destruction.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שאה (š-ʾ-h) — to lay waste, devastate, destroy, be desolate

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4876 מַשּׁוּאָה to ruined sites
H7582 שָׁאָה to cause desolation
H7583 שָׁאָה the one appalling himself
H7584 שַׁאֲוָה like a crashing storm
H7588 שָׁאוֹן like roaring tumult

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7591-01 וּ/שְׁאִיָּ֖ה usheiyah HC/Ncfsa and ruin and devastation 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7591-01 Isaiah 24:12 וּ/שְׁאִיָּ֖ה usheiyah HC/Ncfsa and ruin and devastation
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