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אׇבְדַן

𐤀𐤁𐤃𐤍

ʼobdan

H13 noun

SILEX Entry

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

Definition

(n.m.) State or process of perishing, total loss, or destruction; denotes the outcome or condition of something being lost, ruined, or annihilated. The term emphasizes the consequence of irreversible ruin or devastation, often in reference to people, possessions, or communities. While it denotes an abstract state, it can be used with specific reference to the destruction wrought by divine judgment, war, calamity, or neglect.

Semantic Range

act of perishing, state of destruction, loss, annihilation, irrevocable ruin

Root / Etymology

From the root אבד meaning 'to perish, be lost, be destroyed.' The noun אׇבְדַן is formed from this root and denotes the state or result of perishing or being destroyed, rather than the process itself.

Historical & Contextual Notes

אׇבְדַן is a masculine noun, relatively rare, attested mainly in later stages of Biblical Hebrew, particularly in exilic and post-exilic literature. It is semantically similar to the abstract noun אַבָּדֹן (Abaddon), which later acquires a personified or mythological sense, especially in poetic and apocalyptic contexts. By contrast, אׇבְדַן retains a more concrete and general sense of loss or ruin. In standard English translations, it is usually rendered 'destruction' or 'perishing,' but these may not fully reflect the broader sense of irrevocable loss, which can include people, communities, or wealth. The word occurs in contexts focusing on the irreversible outcome of destruction rather than the act itself. It is distinct from closely related terms like שֶׁבֶר (shever, 'breaking, collapse') or חָרָבָה (charavah, 'desolation'), which have more specific connotations of disaster or ruin.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from אָבַד; a perishing; destruction.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

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

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H10 אֲבַדֹּה and destruction-of
H11 אֲבַדּוֹן Realm of Destruction
H12 אַבְדָן and utter ruin
H5648 עֲבַד he perished
H6 אָבַד utterly destroying

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H13-01 בְּ/אָבְדַ֖ן beavedan HR/Ncmsc in-destruction in ruin-of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H13-01 Esther 8:6 בְּ/אָבְדַ֖ן beavedan HR/Ncmsc in-destruction in ruin-of
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