רָשַׁשׁ
𐤓𐤔𐤔
râshash
H7567 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To batter, shatter, or break in pieces; used of physical destruction (crushing to fragments) or, less frequently, of figurative ruin or collapse. This verb denotes active breaking or crumbling, often with connotations of violence or the result of hostile action. In some contexts, it is extended to describe being reduced in status, strength, or resources (i.e., impoverished).
Semantic Range
to shatter, break in pieces, crush, demolish; to reduce to ruins or fragments; (figuratively) to bring to ruin, impoverish, reduce to a powerless state
Root / Etymology
Root: ר-ש-ש. Derives from the Hebrew root meaning 'to break in pieces' or 'to shatter.' The core idea is that of intense, often violent, reduction—whether physically (as in breaking pottery) or metaphorically (as in reducing a person or community to poverty or ruin).
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term רָשַׁשׁ appears infrequently in the Hebrew Bible. Its primary force denotes a complete and violent breaking apart, more intense than general terms for 'breaking' such as שָׁבַר (shabar). In poetic and prophetic literature, it is sometimes used to articulate the total destruction of cities, peoples, or the wicked, emphasizing not mere defeat but utter ruin or pulverization. When extended metaphorically to 'impoverish,' it emphasizes reduction to a powerless or destitute state, rather than material poverty per se. English translations sometimes use 'crush,' 'break in pieces,' or 'demolish,' but these may not fully capture the underlying imagery of a thing shattered to fragments. The verb is rare and should be distinguished from related roots like 'שִׁדֵּד' (shidded, to devastate or rob) or 'דָּכָא' (daka', to crush or bruise), which carry somewhat different nuances.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to demolish; impoverish.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
רשש (r-sh-sh) — break in pieces, shatter, crush thoroughly
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7567-02 |
יְרֹשֵׁ֞שׁ | yeroshesh | HVmi3ms |
it will impoverish | he will shatter to pieces | 1 |
H7567-01 |
רֻשַּׁ֗שְׁנוּ | rushashenu | HVPp1cp |
we-have-been-devastated | we have been shattered | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7567-02 |
Jeremiah 5:17 | יְרֹשֵׁ֞שׁ | yeroshesh | HVmi3ms |
it will impoverish | he will shatter to pieces |
H7567-01 |
Malachi 1:4 | רֻשַּׁ֗שְׁנוּ | rushashenu | HVPp1cp |
we-have-been-devastated | we have been shattered |