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שָׁוָה

𐤔𐤅𐤄

shâvâh

H7738 verb

SILEX Entry

Root שׁוה to devastate, to ruin, to lay waste

Definition

To devastate, lay waste, or ruin—particularly with the connotation of reducing something to desolation or a state of being leveled. Used primarily to signify bringing to ruin, destruction of cities or land, or causing utter devastation in a metaphorical or literal sense. Less frequently, can indicate an act that brings something or someone to a condition of nothingness, emptiness, or nonexistence.

Semantic Range

to destroy, to devastate, to lay waste, to bring to ruin, to cause utter desolation, to reduce to nothing, to obliterate

Root / Etymology

From the root שׁוה meaning 'to lay waste, devastate.' While שָׁוָה also shares root consonants with other, more common roots bearing senses like 'to equal, be like, value,' the destructive meaning (as in this lexeme) is contextually and semantically separate from the more common root family. The link to destructive connotation develops through extended causative or intensive forms (esp. piel and hiphil conjugations).

Historical & Contextual Notes

שָׁוָה in the sense of destruction is relatively rare in the Hebrew Bible, mostly attested in poetic or prophetic texts (e.g., Isaiah 23:1; Ezekiel 32:28). The meaning is closely related to that of שמם ('to be desolate'), though שָׁוָה is more active, focusing on the act of bringing about ruin rather than simple desolation. Unlike the much more common root שׁוה 'to make equal, value, consider,' this verb form is marked by its destructive nuance and is rarely used in narrative texts. English translations often render it as 'destroy,' 'ruin,' or 'make desolate,' but sometimes with idiomatic margins (substance, obliterate, etc.) that lack the precision of the Hebrew term. The semantic boundary between שָׁוָה in this destructive sense and other, more common usages of שָׁוָה, depends entirely on context and verb pattern.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to destroy; [idiom] substance (from the margin).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שוה (š-w-h) — to devastate, to ruin, to lay waste

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3145 יוֹשַׁוְיָה And Yahweh-has-established
H3438 יִשְׁוָה and Yishvah
H3440 יִשְׁוִי to Yishvi
H3441 יִשְׁוִי the Yishvite
H7737 שָׁוָה I will make equal

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7738-01 תשוה tshvh HVPi2ms in the storm you will be devastated 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7738-01 Job 30:22 תשוה tshvh HVPi2ms in the storm you will be devastated
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