שְׁחִית
𐤔𐤇𐤉𐤕
shᵉchîyth
H7825 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A place of destruction, ruin, or a pit—most often a literal pit or pitfall (such as dug for trapping animals), but in poetic and prophetic usage also a figurative locus of ruin, destruction, or utter downfall. Used to indicate both physical places (traps, dungeons, places of grave danger or death) and metaphorical states of devastation or utter demise.
Semantic Range
pit, trap, place of ruin, destruction, destruction (figurative), grave-like place, calamity, utter downfall
Root / Etymology
From the root שחת (sh-ḥ-t), which carries the core meaning 'to ruin, destroy, corrupt.' The noun שְׁחִית (shᵉchîyth) is formed by affixation indicating a concrete place or state associated with destruction or ruin. The root itself denotes 'to destroy, corrupt, lay waste.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
שְׁחִית appears to denote something more specific than simply 'pit', often pointing to a deliberate or purposeful trap intended to cause harm, or to a place symbolic of total ruin. In early Israelite poetry and didactic literature (e.g., Psalms, Proverbs), it stands as a potent metaphor for moral or existential calamity. In prophetic texts, it may denote the fate of nations or individuals condemned to destruction. Later use becomes more abstract, sometimes signifying a state of irreversible ruin rather than a literal pit. The term overlaps with but is not identical to other nouns such as בּוֹר (bor, 'cistern, pit') or שַׁחַת (shaḥat, 'pit, grave'), which may refer more narrowly to physical pit-like structures or burial places. Standard English translations (e.g., 'pit', 'destruction', 'grave') sometimes insufficiently capture its metaphorical force and connection to the root's nuance of corruption or ruination. The term also acquired broader use in later interpretive traditions, at times associated with punishment or the realm of the dead, contextually dependent within the Hebrew Bible itself.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from שָׁחָה; a pit-fall (literally or figuratively); destruction, pit.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שחת (sh-ḥ-t) — destroy, corrupt, ruin, lay waste
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4892 | מַשְׁחֵת | his ruin-place |
| H516 | אַל תַּשְׁחֵת | Do not destroy |
| H7843 | שָׁחַת | I will cause to ruin |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7825-01 |
בִּ/שְׁחִיתוֹתָ֑/ם | bishechitotam | HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp |
in their pits | in their ruin-pits | 1 | |
H7825-02 |
מִ/שְּׁחִיתוֹתָֽ/ם | mishechitotam | HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp |
from their destructions | from their ruin-pits | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7825-02 |
Psalms 107:20 | מִ/שְּׁחִיתוֹתָֽ/ם | mishechitotam | HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp |
from their destructions | from their ruin-pits | |
H7825-01 |
Lamentations 4:20 | בִּ/שְׁחִיתוֹתָ֑/ם | bishechitotam | HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp |
in their pits | in their ruin-pits |