Lexical Summary shechith: Destruction, ruin, corruption Original Word: שְׁחִית Strong's Exhaustive Concordance destruction, pit From shachah; a pit-fall (literally or figuratively) -- destruction, pit. see HEBREW shachah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom shachah Definition a pit NASB Translation destructions (1), pits (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [שְׁחִית] noun feminine id.; — plural suffix נִלְכַּד בִּשְׁתִיתוֺתָם Lamentations 4:20, ׳וִימַלֵּט מִשּׁ Psalm 107:20. שׁחוֺר see שִׁיחוֺר. שְׁחוֺר see I. שׁחר. Topical Lexicon Root and Semantic Range The term evokes an environment of peril—an abyss from which only divine intervention can rescue. Whether literal or figurative, it consistently portrays a sphere of death, ruin, or entrapment that lies beyond human remedy. Canonical Occurrences Psalm 107:20 connects the “pit” with illness and spiritual bondage: “He sent forth His word and healed them; He rescued them from the Pit.” Here the motif of redemption is inseparable from the power of the spoken word of God. Lamentations 4:20 laments the downfall of Judah’s monarchy: “The LORD’s anointed, our very life breath, was captured in their pits, of whom we had said, ‘Under his shadow we will live among the nations.’” The overthrow of the king is depicted as a communal descent into the pit, highlighting corporate solidarity in judgment. Historical Context Psalm 107 reflects Israel’s return from exile, cataloging situations in which God repeatedly delivers His people. The “pit” image suits exilic despair, reminding readers of captivity’s depth. Lamentations 4 chronicles Jerusalem’s devastation in 586 BC. The capture of the “anointed” (King Zedekiah) is framed as a fatal snare, signaling the apparent collapse of covenant hopes anchored in the Davidic line. Theological Themes 1. Divine Deliverance: Only God bridges the chasm. Human agency cannot escape the pit; the Word must be “sent.” Prophetic and Messianic Implications Lamentations 4:20 presents a paradox: the “breath of our nostrils…captured.” Ultimately, the prophetic trajectory points past Zedekiah to the Messiah—captured, buried, yet rising from the grave. The pit becomes the stage on which resurrection glory overturns ruin. Practical Ministry Applications • Counseling Hope: Congregations facing seemingly inescapable crises can be pointed to Psalm 107:20 as assurance that God’s Word still rescues. Summary Strong’s Hebrew 7825 binds together images of death, captivity, and utter helplessness while simultaneously magnifying the Lord’s power to redeem. In both individual affliction and national catastrophe, the pit is never God’s final word; deliverance is. Forms and Transliterations בִּשְׁחִיתוֹתָ֑ם בשחיתותם מִשְּׁחִיתוֹתָֽם׃ משחיתותם׃ biš·ḥî·ṯō·w·ṯām bishchitoTam bišḥîṯōwṯām miš·šə·ḥî·ṯō·w·ṯām mishshechitoTam miššəḥîṯōwṯāmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Psalm 107:20 HEB: וְיִרְפָּאֵ֑ם וִֽ֝ימַלֵּ֗ט מִשְּׁחִיתוֹתָֽם׃ ׆ NAS: them, And delivered [them] from their destructions. KJV: them, and delivered [them] from their destructions. INT: and healed and delivered their destructions Lamentations 4:20 2 Occurrences |
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