שְׁמָמָה (H8077) — Hebrew Lexicon

שְׁמָמָה

𐤔𐤌𐤌𐤄

shᵉmâmâh

H8077 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שׁמם to be desolate, to be appalled, to be stunned

Definition

State of utter desolation, ruin, or wasteland, often the result of catastrophic action or neglect. Used for both literal devastation of land, cities, or buildings and, in more figurative extension, for profound bewilderment or horror at calamity. It primarily denotes a place made uninhabitable, stripped of normal life or function, but can connote the effect of such ruin on observers.

Semantic Range

desolation, devastation, waste, ruined place, state of utter ruin, source or cause of horror or appallment, wasteland, astonishment (due to calamity)

Root / Etymology

Feminine noun derived from the root שָׁמֵם (sh-m-m), which means 'to be desolate, appalled, stunned'. While the root conveys the sense 'to be desolated' or 'to be appalled', שְׁמָמָה is a feminine formation expressing the state or condition brought about by the root action: desolation or devastation. The alternate form שִׁמָמָה reflects a different vocalization with the same semantic range.

Historical & Contextual Notes

שְׁמָמָה is a recurring term in texts describing the aftermath of disaster, divine judgment, or military conquest, particularly with reference to destroyed Israelite cities, sanctuaries, or agricultural lands. It functions both as a concrete description of ruined places and, at times, as a figurative description of emotional or psychological appallment. In prophetic literature, it frequently denotes the threatened or realized state of the land of Israel after exile or conquest (e.g., Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel). The Septuagint tends to translate the term as ἐρῆμος (erēmos, 'wilderness, deserted'), which conveys the physical aspect but does not always capture the emotional connotation of horror or appallment in Hebrew usage. The term is sometimes paired with synonyms like חָרְבָּה (ḥorbāh, 'ruin') or עֲרֵמוֹת (ʿarēmōt, 'heaps'). The scope of שְׁמָמָה includes both literal devastation and the emotional, cognitive reaction to such scenes. Later English translations commonly use 'desolation' or 'waste', but may underrepresent nuances of horror, astonishment, or utter emptiness inherent in Hebrew contexts, especially in poetic or prophetic books.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or שִׁמָמָה; feminine of שָׁמֵם; devastation; figuratively, astonishment; (laid, [idiom] most) desolate(-ion), waste.

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Root Family

שׁמם (sh-m-m) — to be desolate, to be appalled, to be stunned

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H4923	מְשַׁמָּה	to desolations
H8047	שַׁמָּה	for utter desolation
H8049	שַׁמְהוּת	Shamhuth
H8054	שַׁמּוֹת	Shammoth
H8060	שַׁמַּי	Shammay
H8064	שָׁמַיִם	in the lofty-heights
H8074	שָׁמֵם	I will desolate them
H8075	שְׁמַם	he was appalled
H8076	שָׁמֵם	the desolated one
H8078	שִׁמָּמוֹן	in devastating desolation
H8079	שְׂמָמִית	house-dwelling gecko

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H8077-04`	שְׁמָמָ֔ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	desolation	utter desolation	39
`H8077-03`	לִ/שְׁמָמָ֔ה	lishemamah	`HR/Ncfsa`	a desolation	for desolation	8
`H8077-07`	וּ/שְׁמָמָ֖ה	ushemamah	`HC/Ncfsa`	and-a-desolation	and utter desolation	5
`H8077-05`	שִׁמְמ֥וֹת	shimemot	`HNcfpc`	desolations	desolations of	3
`H8077-06`	שֹֽׁמְמֹתֵ֔י/נוּ	shomemoteynu	`HVqrfpc/Sp1cp`	our desolations	our desolate-ones	1
`H8077-01`	לְ/שִֽׁמְמָ֖ה	leshimemah	`HR/Ncfsa`	for-a-desolation	for desolation	1
`H8077-02`	לְ/שִֽׁמְמ֥וֹת	leshimemot	`HR/Ncfpc`	to-desolations	to desolations of	1

Occurrences in Scripture

58 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H8077-04`	Exodus 23:29	שְׁמָמָ֔ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	desolate	utter desolation
`H8077-04`	Leviticus 26:33	שְׁמָמָ֔ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	desolation	utter desolation
`H8077-04`	Joshua 8:28	שְׁמָמָ֔ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	a desolation	utter desolation
`H8077-04`	Isaiah 1:7	שְׁמָמָ֔ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	is desolate	utter desolation
`H8077-07`	Isaiah 1:7	וּ/שְׁמָמָ֖ה	ushemamah	`HC/Ncfsa`	and it is desolation	and utter desolation
`H8077-04`	Isaiah 6:11	שְׁמָמָֽה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	a waste	utter desolation
`H8077-04`	Isaiah 17:9	שְׁמָמָֽה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	desolation	utter desolation
`H8077-04`	Isaiah 62:4	שְׁמָמָ֔ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	Desolate	utter desolation
`H8077-04`	Isaiah 64:9	שְׁמָמָֽה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	a desolation	utter desolation
`H8077-04`	Jeremiah 4:27	שְׁמָמָ֥ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	desolation	utter desolation
`H8077-04`	Jeremiah 6:8	שְׁמָמָ֔ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	a desolation	utter desolation
`H8077-04`	Jeremiah 9:10	שְׁמָמָ֖ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	a-desolation	utter desolation
`H8077-04`	Jeremiah 10:22	שְׁמָמָ֖ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	a desolation	utter desolation
`H8077-04`	Jeremiah 12:10	שְׁמָמָֽה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	desolation	utter desolation
`H8077-03`	Jeremiah 12:11	לִ/שְׁמָמָ֔ה	lishemamah	`HR/Ncfsa`	a desolation	for desolation
`H8077-02`	Jeremiah 25:12	לְ/שִֽׁמְמ֥וֹת	leshimemot	`HR/Ncfpc`	to-desolations	to desolations of
`H8077-04`	Jeremiah 32:43	שְׁמָמָ֥ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	desolate	utter desolation
`H8077-04`	Jeremiah 34:22	שְׁמָמָ֖ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	a desolation	utter desolation
`H8077-03`	Jeremiah 44:6	לִ/שְׁמָמָ֖ה	lishemamah	`HR/Ncfsa`	a-desolation	for desolation
`H8077-04`	Jeremiah 49:2	שְׁמָמָ֔ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	of desolation	utter desolation
`H8077-04`	Jeremiah 49:33	שְׁמָמָ֖ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	a desolation	utter desolation
`H8077-04`	Jeremiah 50:13	שְׁמָמָ֖ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	a desolation	utter desolation
`H8077-05`	Jeremiah 51:26	שִׁמְמ֥וֹת	shimemot	`HNcfpc`	desolations	desolations of
`H8077-05`	Jeremiah 51:62	שִׁמְמ֥וֹת	shimemot	`HNcfpc`	desolations	desolations of
`H8077-04`	Ezekiel 6:14	שְׁמָמָ֤ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	desolation	utter desolation
`H8077-04`	Ezekiel 7:27	שְׁמָמָ֔ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	with desolation	utter desolation
`H8077-04`	Ezekiel 12:20	שְׁמָמָ֣ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	desolation	utter desolation
`H8077-04`	Ezekiel 14:15	שְׁמָמָה֙	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	desolate	utter desolation
`H8077-04`	Ezekiel 14:16	שְׁמָמָֽה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	desolate	utter desolation
`H8077-04`	Ezekiel 15:8	שְׁמָמָ֑ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	a desolation	utter desolation
`H8077-07`	Ezekiel 23:33	וּ/שְׁמָמָ֔ה	ushemamah	`HC/Ncfsa`	and-desolation	and utter desolation
`H8077-03`	Ezekiel 29:9	לִ/שְׁמָמָ֣ה	lishemamah	`HR/Ncfsa`	a desolation	for desolation
`H8077-04`	Ezekiel 29:10	שְׁמָמָ֔ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	desolate	utter desolation
`H8077-04`	Ezekiel 29:12	שְׁמָמָ֜ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	desolation	utter desolation
`H8077-04`	Ezekiel 29:12	שְׁמָמָ֔ה	shemamah-2	`HNcfsa`	desolation	utter desolation
`H8077-04`	Ezekiel 32:15	שְׁמָמָ֣ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	desolation	utter desolation
`H8077-04`	Ezekiel 33:28	שְׁמָמָ֣ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	desolation	utter desolation
`H8077-04`	Ezekiel 33:29	שְׁמָמָ֣ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	desolation	utter desolation
`H8077-04`	Ezekiel 35:3	שְׁמָמָ֥ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	desolation	utter desolation
`H8077-04`	Ezekiel 35:4	שְׁמָמָ֣ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	desolation	utter desolation
`H8077-01`	Ezekiel 35:7	לְ/שִֽׁמְמָ֖ה	leshimemah	`HR/Ncfsa`	for-a-desolation	for desolation
`H8077-07`	Ezekiel 35:7	וּ/שְׁמָמָ֑ה	ushemamah	`HC/Ncfsa`	and-a-desolation	and utter desolation
`H8077-05`	Ezekiel 35:9	שִֽׁמְמ֤וֹת	shimemot	`HNcfpc`	desolations	desolations of
`H8077-04`	Ezekiel 35:14	שְׁמָמָ֖ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	desolation	utter desolation
`H8077-04`	Ezekiel 35:15	שְׁמָמָ֨ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	a desolation	utter desolation
`H8077-04`	Ezekiel 36:34	שְׁמָמָ֔ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	a desolation	utter desolation
`H8077-04`	Joel 2:3	שְׁמָמָ֔ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	desolation	utter desolation
`H8077-07`	Joel 2:20	וּ/שְׁמָמָה֒	ushemamah	`HC/Ncfsa`	and-desolate	and utter desolation
`H8077-03`	Joel 4:19	לִ/שְׁמָמָ֣ה	lishemamah	`HR/Ncfsa`	for desolation	for desolation
`H8077-04`	Joel 4:19	שְׁמָמָ֖ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	desolation	utter desolation
`H8077-04`	Micah 1:7	שְׁמָמָ֑ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	desolation	utter desolation
`H8077-03`	Micah 7:13	לִ/שְׁמָמָ֖ה	lishemamah	`HR/Ncfsa`	a desolation	for desolation
`H8077-03`	Zephaniah 1:13	לִ/שְׁמָמָ֑ה	lishemamah	`HR/Ncfsa`	for desolation	for desolation
`H8077-03`	Zephaniah 2:4	לִ/שְׁמָמָ֑ה	lishemamah	`HR/Ncfsa`	for-desolation	for desolation
`H8077-07`	Zephaniah 2:9	וּ/שְׁמָמָ֖ה	ushemamah	`HC/Ncfsa`	and desolation	and utter desolation
`H8077-03`	Zephaniah 2:13	לִ/שְׁמָמָ֔ה	lishemamah	`HR/Ncfsa`	a desolation	for desolation
`H8077-04`	Malachi 1:3	שְׁמָמָ֔ה	shemamah	`HNcfsa`	a desolation	utter desolation
`H8077-06`	Daniel 9:18	שֹֽׁמְמֹתֵ֔י/נוּ	shomemoteynu	`HVqrfpc/Sp1cp`	our desolations	our desolate-ones

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