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מַשּׁוּאָה

𐤌𐤔𐤅𐤀𐤄

mashshûwʼâh

H4876 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שאה to devastate, lay waste, be desolate

Definition

A ruin, site left in a state of devastation or destruction; refers primarily to places (often cities, settlements, or structures) that have been laid waste. Semantic nuances include a desolate place, a heap of ruins, a visibly destroyed or forsaken area, or the condition of devastation itself. The term often communicates a sense of visible, sometimes lamented, aftermath of calamity.

Semantic Range

ruin, site of devastation, heap of ruins, state of desolation, destruction; aftermath of catastrophe; ruined place, abandoned site

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root שׁאה (SHAʾH), meaning 'to devastate, lay waste.' The form מַשּׁוּאָה is a noun formation from this root, indicating the product or result of devastation, i.e., a ruin or state of desolation.

Historical & Contextual Notes

מַשּׁוּאָה appears in poetic and prophetic contexts describing the aftermath of judgment or disaster, often linked to the destruction of cities or nations. It is synonymous in some contexts with the more common שְׁמָמָה (shemāmāh, 'desolation'), but can have a starker focus on the visual or material aftermath of destruction. The term conveys a sense of loss and abandonment and is frequently used in laments or divine pronouncements regarding the fate of the wicked or hostile peoples. English translations such as 'ruin,' 'desolation,' or 'destruction' may variously capture aspects of its meaning, but sometimes obscure the word's concrete reference to the remains or heap of what once stood. Its usage does not carry religious or ethnic specificity, but rather a focus on the physical and social consequences of destruction in the ancient Near Eastern context. In biblical usage, מַשּׁוּאָה is mainly post-monarchic, often reflecting exilic or post-exilic perspectives on catastrophe and its visible aftermath.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or מַשֻּׁאָה; for מְשׁוֹאָה; ruin; desolation, destruction.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

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

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7582 שָׁאָה to cause desolation
H7583 שָׁאָה the one appalling himself
H7584 שַׁאֲוָה like a crashing storm
H7588 שָׁאוֹן like roaring tumult
H7591 שְׁאִיָּה and devastation

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4876-01 לְ/מַשּׁוּאֽוֹת lemashuot HR/Ncfpa to destructions to ruined sites 2

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4876-01 Psalms 73:18 לְ/מַשּׁוּאֽוֹת lemashuot HR/Ncfpa to destructions to ruined sites
H4876-01 Psalms 74:3 לְ/מַשֻּׁא֣וֹת lemashuot HR/Ncfpc to the desolations to ruined sites
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