שָׁמֵם

𐤔𐤌𐤌

shâmêm

H8074 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To be or become desolate, deserted, or devastated; to experience devastation or horror, to be appalled or stunned, often as a result of witnessing or experiencing catastrophic ruin. The term can describe both literal destruction of places and figurative states of astonishment or horror from calamity. Usage typically reflects passive experience but can also denote actively bringing ruin upon something.

Semantic Range

to be laid waste, to be deserted, to become desolate, to stun or be appalled, to devastate, to horrify, to be numbed, to amaze, to cause to desolate, to astonish

Root / Etymology

From the root שָׁמֵם (שׁ-מ-ם), which conveys the idea of emptiness, barrenness, or desolation. The verbal form שָׁמֵם emerges from this root, expressing the action or result of becoming desolate or stunned. There is no clear cognate in closely related Semitic languages, but the core notion is consistent within Hebrew usage.

Historical & Contextual Notes

שָׁמֵם is common in prophetic, poetic, and lament texts, describing wastelands, ruined cities, or the emotional state of devastation following calamity (such as exile or military defeat). The term signals both physical desolation (cities, land, sanctuary) and emotional/psychic devastation (astonishment, horror). In many passages, it is paired with imagery of infertility, silence, and utter abandonment. Later biblical and post-biblical Hebrew preserve both senses. English translations like 'desolate' or 'astonished' can capture part of the range but often obscure the somatic, visceral nuance of the verb—where numbness and horror overlap. Related Hebrew terms (e.g., שָׁדַד 'to ruin, devastate,' חָרֵב 'to be dry, ruin') can overlap in context but generally have narrower physical or agricultural connotations. שָׁמֵם is distinct for regularly denoting both existential and physical desolation. In exilic and post-exilic texts, the term often describes the ruined state of Jerusalem and the land, with implications for both landscape and the people's emotional state. In poetic parallels, it is sometimes paired with verbs for mourning or amazement, highlighting its range from environmental to psychological impact.

Translation Consistency

primary "devastate" 28 occurrences

Covers the primary senses of H8074 — physical laying waste/destruction and the passive experience of being ruined or stunned/appalled. 'Devastate' works naturally in both transitive (to devastate a place) and intransitive/passive (to be devastated, to become devastated) uses and fits the typical emotional and catastrophic contexts found in the lemma’s semantic range.

Alternatives (58 occurrences):
"appalled" (17x) "desolate" (9x) "become desolate" (4x) "make desolate" (3x) "devastation" (3x) "desolated one" (3x) "made desolate" (2x) "desolated ones" (2x) "became appalled" (2x) "became desolate" (2x) "desolation" (1x) "caused desolation" (1x) "desolations of" (1x) "stunned one" (1x) "make him desolate" (1x) "make appalled" (1x) "desolated" (1x) "desolations" (1x) "making desolate" (1x) "desolate ones" (1x) "which is desolate" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to stun (or intransitively, grow numb), i.e. devastate or (figuratively) stupefy (both usually in a passive sense); make amazed, be astonied, (be an) astonish(-ment), (be, bring into, unto, lay, lie, make) desolate(-ion, places), be destitute, destroy (self), (lay, lie, make) waste, wonder.

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

שׁמם (sh-m-m) — to be desolate, to be devastated, to be appalled, to be stunned

Root שׁ־מ־ם to be desolate, to be appalled, to be devastated, to be stunned
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4923 מְשַׁמָּה to desolations
H8047 שַׁמָּה for utter desolation
H8049 שַׁמְהוּת Shamhuth
H8054 שַׁמּוֹת Shammoth
H8060 שַׁמַּי Shammay

Word Forms

44 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H8074-38 וְ/נָשַׁ֖מּוּ venashamu HC/VNq3cp and they will be appalled and they became desolate and they were devastated 6
H8074-44 יִשֹּׁ֣ם yishom HVqi3ms will be appalled he will become desolate will be appalled 6
H8074-30 וַ/הֲשִׁמּוֹתִ֖י vahashimoti HC/Vhq1cs and I will make desolate and I devastated and I will make desolate 6
H8074-13 נָשַׁ֣מּוּ nashamu HVNp3cp are desolate they became desolate they were devastated 5
H8074-17 שָׁמְמ֤וּ shamemu HVqp3cp are appalled they were devastated are appalled 4
H8074-11 מְשֹׁמֵ֔ם meshomem HVmrmsa appalled devastating one appalled 4
H8074-15 נְשַׁמּ֖וֹת neshamot HVNrfpa desolated desolated ones devastated ones 4
H8074-25 שֹׁמֵמֽוֹת shomemot HVqrfpa desolations desolate ones devastating ones 4
H8074-21 שֹׁמֵ֔ם shomem HVqrmsa of desolation desolated one desolated one 3
H8074-39 וְ/שָֽׁמְמ֤וּ veshamemu HC/Vqq3cp and they will be appalled and they became desolate and they became desolate 3

Occurrences in Scripture

86 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H8074-38 Leviticus 26:22 וְ/נָשַׁ֖מּוּ venashamu HC/VNq3cp and be desolate and they became desolate and they were devastated
H8074-30 Leviticus 26:31 וַ/הֲשִׁמּוֹתִ֖י vahashimoti HC/Vhq1cs and-I-will-make-desolate and I devastated and I will make desolate
H8074-30 Leviticus 26:32 וַ/הֲשִׁמֹּתִ֥י vahashimoti HC/Vhq1cs and-I-will-lay-waste and I devastated and I devastated
H8074-39 Leviticus 26:32 וְ/שָֽׁמְמ֤וּ veshamemu HC/Vqq3cp and-they-will-be-appalled and they became desolate and they will be desolate
H8074-09 Leviticus 26:34 הֳשַׁמָּ֔/ה hoshamah HVHc/Sp3fs of desolation her being made desolate her being made desolate
H8074-05 Leviticus 26:35 הָשַּׁמָּ֖/ה hashamah HVHc/Sp3fs that it is desolate her being made desolate her being devastated
H8074-02 Leviticus 26:43 בָּ/הְשַׁמָּ/ה֙ baheshamah HR/VHc/Sp3fs in-its-desolation her being made desolate in her desolation
H8074-32 Numbers 21:30 וַ/נַּשִּׁ֣ים vanashim HC/Vhw1cp we have laid waste and we caused desolation and we caused desolation
H8074-33 1 Samuel 5:6 וַ/יְשִׁמֵּ֑/ם vayeshimem HC/Vhw3ms/Sp3mp and he devastated them and he caused them to be desolated and he devastated them
H8074-44 1 Kings 9:8 יִשֹּׁ֣ם yishom HVqi3ms will-be-appalled he will become desolate will be appalled