What does שָׁחַת · עַם mean in the Bible?
שָׁחַת · עַם is a Hebrew phrase meaning "Do not destroy your people — the intercessory appeal to the LORD's prior claim".
Hebrew · H7843, H5971
אַל-תַּשְׁחֵת עַמְּךָ
To decay , i.e. (causatively) ruin (literally or figuratively) · a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants ; figuratively, a flock
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What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
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Words in this compound — expand to study each participant
שָׁחַתH7843to decay , i.e. (causatively) ruin (literally or figuratively)
Pronunciationshachat
Destruction through decay or corruption; often describes moral/spiritual ruin, not merely physical damage.
Open lexicon entry →עַםH5971a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants ; figuratively, a flock
Pronunciationam
Collective body unified by kinship or covenant; Israel's foundational term for God's chosen people as organic whole.
Open lexicon entry →What does אַל-תַּשְׁחֵת עַמְּךָ (al-tashchet amekha) mean in the Bible?
שָׁחַת · עַם is a Hebrew phrase meaning "Do not destroy your people — the intercessory appeal to the LORD's prior claim".
Full entry for אַל-תַּשְׁחֵת עַמְּךָ (H7843, H5971) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How many biblical occurrences are listed for H7843, H5971?
H7843, H5971 is connected to 2,017 lexical occurrence verses in the lexicon data.
Evidence Summary
Hebrew phrase. Do not destroy your people — the intercessory appeal to the LORD's prior claim
Source Gloss
Do not destroy your people — the intercessory appeal to the LORD's prior claim
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups4Aligned forms62
Hiphilcausative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action42×
Imperfect2Sam 20:20 · Gen 18:28 · Gen 18:31 · Gen 18:32 · Jer 13:9 · Ruth 4:6 · Dan 8:24 · Dan 8:25 · Dan 9:26 · Mal 3:11 · Prov 11:9 · Ps 78:38 · Deut 20:19 · Deut 20:20 · Lev 19:27 · Isa 11:917×
Participle active1Chr 21:12 · 2Chr 27:2 · 2Sam 20:15 · Gen 19:13 · Gen 19:14 · Isa 1:4 · Isa 54:16 · Jer 2:30 · Jer 6:28 · Jer 22:7 · Jer 51:1 · Judg 20:42 · Prov 6:32 · Prov 28:2414×
Perfect2Chr 34:11 · Isa 37:12 · Jer 49:9 · Ps 14:1 · Ps 53:2 · Zeph 3:7 · Gen 6:127×
JussiveDeut 9:261×
Infinitive absoluteDeut 31:291×
Infinitive constructIsa 65:81×
CohortativeJer 11:191×
Pielintensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action14×
PerfectDeut 9:12 · Deut 32:5 · Exod 32:7 · Jer 48:18 · Lam 2:5 · Lam 2:6 · 2Kgs 19:12 · Hos 9:9 · Jer 12:10 · Nah 2:3 · Ezek 28:17 · Isa 14:20 · Mal 2:813×
Infinitive constructGen 13:101×
Hophalcausative passive — the subject is caused to perform the action2×
Participle passiveMal 1:14 · Prov 25:262×
Niphalpassive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action3×
PerfectGen 6:12 · Jer 13:72×
ImperfectExod 8:201×
Word Origins
אַל-תַּשְׁחֵת עַמְּךָ is a primitive root - no further derivation.