שָׁסָה
𐤔𐤎𐤄
shâçâh
H8154 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To plunder, to lay waste, to despoil—most often referring to the forcible taking or stripping away of goods, property, or people from a defeated party. Used especially in the context of military action, conquest, or acts of violence in which victors seize the possessions of the vanquished. May also carry the sense of causing devastation or ruin in the process of looting.
Semantic Range
to plunder, to despoil, to lay waste, to rob, to utterly strip, to destroy in process of looting or conquest
Root / Etymology
Root: שׁסה. The root conveys the core idea of violently taking or seizing by force, especially in contexts of war or aggression. The verb is a primitive root in Hebrew, and the form appears rarely and mostly poetically or in descriptions of conquest and devastation. The nearly identical variant שָׁשָׂה (Isa 10:13) likely reflects the same root, with orthographic variance rather than a separate origin.
Historical & Contextual Notes
שָׁסָה is a rare but vivid term in Biblical Hebrew, typically found in poetic or prophetic texts to describe the acts of foreign conquerors or oppressors. In Isaiah 10:13, for example, it is used by the Assyrian king in boasting about his victories and conquests against the nations, claiming to have 'plundered their treasures.' The term is distinct from other common Hebrew words for 'to take spoil' (such as בזז bzz) and often connotes a more violent or devastating process of stripping and looting. English translations (such as 'plunder,' 'rob,' 'spoil') generally capture the core idea, but may not always reflect the strong sense of ruin and force the original conveys. There is little evidence for a technical or specialized use in historical Israelite or later periods, and its appearance is mainly literary, underlining moments of defeat, aggression, or disaster. In later periods, related words may also be used with reference to lawlessness or criminal violence, but the biblical usage centers on conquest and destruction. This word is not directly connected with the English term "Jew" or later concepts of Jewishness; rather, it refers to general acts of pillaging carried out by or against various peoples.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or שָׁשָׂה; (Isaiah 10:13), a primitive root; to plunder; destroyer, rob, spoil(-er).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שסה (š-s-h) — to plunder, to seize by force, to strip
Word Forms
9 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8154-07 |
שֹׁסִ֔ים | shosim | HVqrmpa |
are plundering | plundering-ones | 3 |
H8154-03 |
שׁוֹשֵׂ֔תִי | shoseti | HVmp1cs |
I-put-down | I utterly plundered | 1 |
H8154-02 |
שֹׁסֵֽ/הוּ | shosehu | HVqrmsc/Sp3ms |
those who plundered it | his plunderer | 1 |
H8154-04 |
שֹׁסֵ֖י | shosey | HVqrmpc |
plunderers | plunderers of | 1 |
H8154-06 |
שׁוֹסֵ֔י/נוּ | shoseynu | HVqrmpc/Sp1cp |
of those who plunder us | our plunderers | 1 |
H8154-01 |
שָׁ֣סוּ | shasu | HVqp3cp |
they-plunder | they plundered | 1 |
H8154-08 |
וְ/שָׁסוּי֒ | veshasuy | HC/Vqsmsa |
and plundered | plundered one | 1 |
H8154-09 |
יִשְׁסֶ֔ה | yisheseh | HVqi3ms |
will plunder | he will plunder | 1 |
H8154-05 |
שֹׁסֵי/הֶֽם | shoseyhem | HVqrmpc/Sp3mp |
their-plunderers | plunderers of them | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
11 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8154-07 |
Judges 2:14 | שֹׁסִ֔ים | shosim | HVqrmpa |
of plunderers | plundering-ones |
H8154-05 |
Judges 2:16 | שֹׁסֵי/הֶֽם | shoseyhem | HVqrmpc/Sp3mp |
their-plunderers | plunderers of them |
H8154-02 |
1 Samuel 14:48 | שֹׁסֵֽ/הוּ | shosehu | HVqrmsc/Sp3ms |
those who plundered it | his plunderer |
H8154-07 |
1 Samuel 23:1 | שֹׁסִ֥ים | shosim | HVqrmpa |
are plundering | plundering-ones |
H8154-07 |
2 Kings 17:20 | שֹׁסִ֑ים | shosim | HVqrmpa |
plunderers | plundering-ones |
H8154-03 |
Isaiah 10:13 | שׁוֹשֵׂ֔תִי | shoseti | HVmp1cs |
I-put-down | I utterly plundered |
H8154-06 |
Isaiah 17:14 | שׁוֹסֵ֔י/נוּ | shoseynu | HVqrmpc/Sp1cp |
of those who plunder us | our plunderers |
H8154-08 |
Isaiah 42:22 | וְ/שָׁסוּי֒ | veshasuy | HC/Vqsmsa |
and plundered | plundered one |
H8154-04 |
Jeremiah 50:11 | שֹׁסֵ֖י | shosey | HVqrmpc |
plunderers | plunderers of |
H8154-09 |
Hosea 13:15 | יִשְׁסֶ֔ה | yisheseh | HVqi3ms |
will plunder | he will plunder |