8046. shmad

Lexical Summary

shmad: To destroy, annihilate, exterminate

Original Word: שְׁמַד
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: shmad
Pronunciation: shah-MAD
Phonetic Spelling: (shem-ad')
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H8045 (שָׁמַד - destroyed)]

1. consume

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

consume

(Aramaic) corresponding to shamad -- consume.

see HEBREW shamad

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[שְׁמַד] verb Haph`el destroy (ᵑ7 Pa`el make apostatize; compare Biblical Hebrew); — Infinitive לְהַשְׁמָדָה Daniel 7:26 (object omitted, = dominion).

Topical Lexicon

Meaning and Usage

The verb שְׁמַד (Strong’s Hebrew 8046) depicts an act of decisive, total destruction. Though found only once in the Old Testament, its single appearance in Daniel 7:26 bears weighty theological and prophetic overtones. The word conveys an irreversible end to the power in view, highlighting the finality of divine judgment.

Canonical Context

Daniel 7 records four apocalyptic visions in which successive world empires rise and fall. The fourth beast, “different from all the others” (Daniel 7:7), represents an aggressive, persecuting dominion that ultimately gives rise to a blasphemous little horn. Verse 26 announces heaven’s response:

“But the court will convene, and his dominion will be taken away and completely destroyed forever.” (Daniel 7:26)

Here שְׁמַד communicates that the dominion of evil powers will not merely diminish but will be utterly and eternally abolished.

Prophetic Significance in Daniel

1. Final Judgment: The heavenly court sits in session, underscoring God’s sovereignty over earthly kingdoms. The decree of destruction reflects an eschatological climax where human empires are measured, judged, and terminated.
2. Vindication of the Saints: Immediately following, “the saints will be given possession of the kingdom” (Daniel 7:27). The annihilation of the oppressor paves the way for everlasting dominion by the people of God.
3. Messianic Connection: The Son of Man receiving “authority, glory, and sovereign power” (Daniel 7:14) frames שְׁמַד as part of a larger messianic narrative fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who will “abolish all rule and all authority and power” (1 Corinthians 15:24).

Comparative Scriptural Themes

While other Hebrew verbs describe destruction, שְׁמַד in Daniel accentuates:
• Permanence – echoed in Revelation 19:20 where the beast is “thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.”
• Divine Initiative – paralleled by Isaiah 60:12, “the nations that refuse to serve you will perish.”
• Judicial Context – mirrored in Psalms 9:8, where God “judges the world with justice.”

Historical Background

Daniel received the vision during the exile, a period marked by foreign domination and longing for deliverance. Empires such as Babylon, Media-Persia, and Greece had already risen; Rome loomed on the horizon. The promise of total eradication of wicked rule offered hope that no earthly empire—however brutal—could escape God’s verdict. Jewish apocalyptic literature thereafter adopted similar language to assure the faithful of eventual triumph.

Theological Implications

• Divine Sovereignty: God alone determines the lifespan of kingdoms.
• Eschatological Hope: History is moving toward a predetermined conclusion where evil structures are not reformed but eliminated.
• Moral Accountability: Earthly power is held accountable in the highest court, encouraging ethical governance and personal integrity.

Application for Faith and Ministry

1. Perseverance under Oppression: Believers facing hostility draw courage from the certainty that tyranny will be “completely destroyed forever.”
2. Preaching the Whole Counsel of God: Balanced proclamation includes both the hope of the kingdom and the warning of irrevocable judgment.
3. Holiness and Mission: Knowing that God will eradicate wickedness motivates personal holiness (2 Peter 3:11) and evangelistic urgency (2 Corinthians 5:11).
4. Pastoral Comfort: Suffering congregations can be reminded that present afflictions are temporary; ultimate justice is assured.

Summary

Though שְׁמַד appears only once, its placement in Daniel 7:26 anchors a sweeping biblical theme: God will definitively terminate every rebellious power. This word therefore feeds Christian hope, informs theological reflection on divine judgment, and energizes ministry that anticipates the unshakeable kingdom of the Son of Man.

Forms and Transliterations

לְהַשְׁמָדָ֥ה להשמדה lə·haš·mā·ḏāh lehashmaDah ləhašmāḏāh

Englishman's Concordance

Daniel 7:26
HEB: וְשָׁלְטָנֵ֣הּ יְהַעְדּ֔וֹן לְהַשְׁמָדָ֥ה וּלְהוֹבָדָ֖ה עַד־
NAS: will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed
KJV: his dominion, to consume and to destroy
INT: and his dominion will be taken annihilated and destroyed unto

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 8046
1 Occurrence

lə·haš·mā·ḏāh — 1 Occ.