שָׁמַד
𐤔𐤌𐤃
shâmad
H8045 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To destroy completely, annihilate, or exterminate, often with a sense of intentional or total removal. The verb denotes the act of causing the cessation of existence, frequently with an emphasis on violence and eradication. In various grammatical forms it can refer to bringing people, objects, or even places to an utter end.
Semantic Range
to destroy completely, annihilate, exterminate (people, places, or things); to be destroyed; to bring to an end; to perish utterly; to wipe out; to overthrow (in the sense of eradication); to cause utter cessation
Root / Etymology
Root: שׁמד. The root appears only in the derived verb form and is not attested outside Hebrew. The core meaning is 'to destroy entirely, exterminate.' The verb form שָׁמַד (qal, niphal, hiphil, hophal) has the sense of 'to be destroyed/annihilated' (niphal), 'to destroy/annihilate' (hiphil), and passive or causative uses.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, שָׁמַד is primarily used with reference to the near or complete destruction of nations, peoples, or particular groups—often in contexts of warfare or divine judgment. It does not refer merely to damage or defeat, but to the act of removing any trace of the target. In the Deuteronomistic literature (Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges), שָׁמַד regularly refers to instructions regarding the elimination or extermination of non-Israelite populations in the land of Canaan. This root differs semantically from חָרַם (ḥāram), which emphasizes both ban/consecration and total destruction, and from שׁחת (shaḥat), which more generally means 'to ruin, corrupt, destroy.' Later biblical texts broaden the term to metaphorical destruction, such as the removal of idolatrous objects or institutions. Most English translations use 'destroy,' 'exterminate,' or 'annihilate,' but occasionally renderings like 'bring to nothing' or 'perish' appear. The term gains pejorative or intensified nuance when paired with adverbs or idioms signifying utter completion ('utterly destroy'). In post-biblical Hebrew, שָׁמַד refers to national calamity or persecution—revealing a semantic shift, but this lies outside the First Temple and exilic literature.
Translation Consistency
'Destroy' is the most natural, widely used English verb that captures the primary SILEX sense of complete, violent annihilation or utter cessation. It matches the typical usage across contexts (people, places, things) better than the more technical or narrower alternatives ('annihilate', 'exterminate') and will produce idiomatic translations when inflected for person/tense.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to desolate; destory(-uction), bring to nought, overthrow, perish, pluck down, [idiom] utterly.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שׁמד (sh-m-d) — destroy, annihilate, exterminate
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H8046 | שְׁמַד | to exterminate |
Word Forms
49 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8045-19 |
לְ/הַשְׁמִ֥יד | lehashemid | HR/Vhc |
to destroy | to annihilate | to destroy | 11 |
H8045-12 |
הִשְׁמִ֤יד | hishemid | HVhp3ms |
had destroyed | he annihilated | he annihilated | 5 |
H8045-15 |
הִשְׁמִיד֛/וֹ | hishemido | HVhp3ms/Sp3ms |
destroyed him | he annihilated him | he destroyed him | 4 |
H8045-30 |
וּ/לְ/הַשְׁמִ֣יד | ulehashemid | HC/R/Vhc |
and to destroy | and to annihilate | and to destroy | 4 |
H8045-38 |
וְ/הִשְׁמַדְתִּ֞י | vehishemadeti | HC/Vhq1cs |
and I will destroy | and I will annihilate | and I will destroy | 4 |
H8045-08 |
הִשָּׁמְדָֽ/ךְ | hishamedakhe | HVNc/Sp2fs |
he has destroyed you | your being annihilated | your being destroyed | 4 |
H8045-46 |
יַשְׁמִ֞יד | yashemid | HVhi3ms |
he will destroy | he will annihilate | he will destroy | 3 |
H8045-42 |
וְ/נִשְׁמַ֣ד | venishemad | HC/VNq3ms |
and Moab will be destroyed | and he was annihilated | and it was destroyed | 3 |
H8045-49 |
יִשָּׁמֵ֛ד | yishamed | HVNi3ms |
be destroyed | he will be annihilated | he will be destroyed | 2 |
H8045-34 |
וַ/יַּשְׁמֵ֣ד | vayashemed | HC/Vhw3ms |
and destroyed | and he annihilated | and he destroyed | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
90 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8045-43 |
Genesis 34:30 | וְ/נִשְׁמַדְתִּ֖י | venishemadeti | HC/VNp1cs |
I shall be destroyed | and I was annihilated | and I shall be destroyed |
H8045-38 |
Leviticus 26:30 | וְ/הִשְׁמַדְתִּ֞י | vehishemadeti | HC/Vhq1cs |
And I will destroy | and I will annihilate | and I will destroy |
H8045-28 |
Numbers 33:52 | תַּשְׁמִֽידוּ | tashemidu | HVhi2mp |
you-shall-demolish | you (masculine plural) will annihilate | you (masculine plural) will destroy |
H8045-21 |
Deuteronomy 1:27 | לְ/הַשְׁמִידֵֽ/נוּ | lehashemidenu | HR/Vhc/Sp1cp |
to-destroy-us | to annihilate us | to annihilate us |
H8045-36 |
Deuteronomy 2:12 | וַ/יַּשְׁמִידוּ/ם֙ | vayashemidum | HC/Vhw3mp/Sp3mp |
and-destroyed-them | they annihilated them | and they destroyed them |
H8045-35 |
Deuteronomy 2:21 | וַ/יַּשְׁמִידֵ֤/ם | vayashemidem | HC/Vhw3ms/Sp3mp |
and he destroyed them | and he annihilated them | and he annihilated them |
H8045-12 |
Deuteronomy 2:22 | הִשְׁמִ֤יד | hishemid | HVhp3ms |
he destroyed | he annihilated | he annihilated |
H8045-17 |
Deuteronomy 2:23 | הִשְׁמִידֻ֖/ם | hishemidum | HVhp3cp/Sp3mp |
destroyed-them | they annihilated them | they destroyed them |
H8045-15 |
Deuteronomy 4:3 | הִשְׁמִיד֛/וֹ | hishemido | HVhp3ms/Sp3ms |
destroyed him | he annihilated him | he destroyed him |
H8045-07 |
Deuteronomy 4:26 | הִשָּׁמֵ֖ד | hishamed | HVNa |
destroyed | to be utterly annihilated | to be utterly annihilated |