Lexical Summary meshammah: Desolation, waste, horror Original Word: מְשַׁמָּה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance astonishment, desolate From shamem; a waste or amazement -- astonishment, desolate. see HEBREW shamem NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom shamem Definition devastation, waste, horror NASB Translation desolate (2), object of horror (1), waste (4). Brown-Driver-Briggs מְשַׁמָּה noun feminine = שַׁמָּה: — absolute 1 = devastation, waste, ׳אֶתהָֿאָרֶץ שְׁמָמָה וּמ ׳וְנָתַתִּ Ezekiel 6:14; Ezekiel 33:28, compare Ezekiel 33:29; Ezekiel 35:3, + Ezekiel 35:7a, see שְׁמָמָה; plural מְשַׁמּוֺת Isaiah 15:16 = Jeremiah 48:34. 2 horror, ׳וְהָֽיְתָה חֶרְמָּה ֗֗֗ וּמ Ezekiel 5:15. שָׁמָּה see שָׁם. שְׁמָמִית see שְׂמָמִית. Topical Lexicon מְשַׁמָּה (Strong’s Hebrew 4923)Overview of Biblical Usage Appearing seven times in Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, the term captures the shock, devastation, and eerie silence that follow divine judgment. More than physical ruin, it describes the emotional and spiritual appallment that overtakes peoples and places when the LORD confronts sin. Prophetic Contexts 1. Judgment on Moab – Isaiah 15:6; Jeremiah 48:34 “For even the waters of Nimrim will become desolate” (Jeremiah 48:34). Once-fertile springs turn into symbols of hopelessness, showing that prideful security collapses under God’s verdict. 2. Judgment on Jerusalem – Ezekiel 5:15; 6:14; 33:28-29 “So you will be a reproach and a taunt, a warning and a horror to the nations around you” (Ezekiel 5:15). Israel’s holy calling makes her disobedience more grievous; the resulting horror is designed to drive both Israel and the nations to acknowledge the LORD. 3. Judgment on Edom – Ezekiel 35:3 “I will stretch out My hand against you and make you a desolate waste”. Edom’s perpetual hostility meets the same standard of justice applied to Israel, underscoring God’s impartial rule. Historical Setting The word surfaces during the turbulent eighth-to-sixth centuries B.C., a period marked by Assyrian and Babylonian campaigns. Archaeological layers of burned cities and abandoned fields corroborate the scene of widespread desolation evoked by the prophets. Theological Themes • Holiness and Justice – Desolation manifests God’s intolerance of persistent rebellion. Literary Features and Intertextual Echoes Usually paired with words such as “reproach,” “taunt,” and “astonishment,” the term heightens the impact of prophetic laments: withered grass (Isaiah 15:6), dried waterways (Jeremiah 48:34), and deserted mountains (Ezekiel 33:28). These images move the audience from intellectual acknowledgment to visceral alarm. Ministry Significance • Sin’s corporate reach warns modern communities that collective rebellion invites collective consequences. Eschatological Resonance Revelation mirrors these themes as it portrays the final fall of Babylon and the astonishment of onlookers. מְשַׁמָּה foreshadows the ultimate reckoning and simultaneously amplifies the glory of the new creation where desolation is no more. Forms and Transliterations וּמְשַׁמָּ֔ה וּמְשַׁמָּֽה׃ וּמְשַׁמָּה֙ ומשמה ומשמה׃ לִמְשַׁמּ֖וֹת למשמות מְשַׁמּ֣וֹת משמות lim·šam·mō·wṯ limšammōwṯ limshamMot mə·šam·mō·wṯ məšammōwṯ meshamMot ū·mə·šam·māh ūməšammāh umeshamMahLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 15:6 HEB: מֵ֥י נִמְרִ֖ים מְשַׁמּ֣וֹת יִֽהְי֑וּ כִּֽי־ NAS: of Nimrim are desolate. Surely KJV: of Nimrim shall be desolate: for the hay INT: the waters of Nimrim are desolate become Surely Jeremiah 48:34 Ezekiel 5:15 Ezekiel 6:14 Ezekiel 33:28 Ezekiel 33:29 Ezekiel 35:3 7 Occurrences |
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