What does שָׁמֵם (shāmēm) mean in the Bible?
H8074 can describe a place laid waste, a person stunned or appalled, and devastation that leaves life or movement absent. 15, the prophet sits among the exiles for seven days overwhelmed before speaking.
Hebrew · H8074
שָׁמֵם
To stun (or intransitively, grow numb ), i.e. devastate or (figuratively) stupefy (both usually in a passive sense)
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שָׁמֵםH8074
Pronunciationshāmēm
What does שָׁמֵם (shāmēm) mean in the Bible?
H8074 can describe a place laid waste, a person stunned or appalled, and devastation that leaves life or movement absent. 15, the prophet sits among the exiles for seven days overwhelmed before speaking.
Reader summary
Full entry for שָׁמֵם (H8074) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H8074?
The BSB source-word alignment has 86 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include will be appalled (6), are appalled (4), desolate (3), are deserted (2), in horror (2).
Where does שָׁמֵם (shāmēm) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Leviticus 26:22. Its strongest book concentrations include Ezekiel (23), Jeremiah (11), Isaiah (10), Daniel (8).
What This Word Actually Means
H8074 can describe a place laid waste, a person stunned or appalled, and devastation that leaves life or movement absent. In Ezek. 3. 15, the prophet sits among the exiles for seven days overwhelmed before speaking. In Isa. 33. 8, deserted highways accompany broken treaty, despised witnesses, and disregard for human life. In Dan. 9. 18, Daniel asks God to see Jerusalem's desolation and appeals to divine compassion rather than human righteousness.
H8074 opens teaching on trauma-aware presence, devastated infrastructure, moral shock, honest lament, and prayer grounded in mercy. It does not make visible ruin proof of a victim's personal sin, romanticize desolation, or demand immediate explanations from overwhelmed people.
How the Bible Uses It
H8074 joins ruined lands, cities, roads, sanctuaries, and harvests with the astonishment, horror, numbness, or self-ruin of observers. The word can name both objective devastation and a human response to it.
- Ezek.3.15
I came to the exiles at Tel-abib who dwelt by the River Kebar. And for seven days I sat where they sat and remained there among them, overwhelmed.
Ezekiel sits overwhelmed among the exiles for seven days before his watchman commission proceeds.
- Isa.33.8
The highways are deserted; travel has ceased. The treaty has been broken, the witnesses are despised, and human life is disregarded.
Deserted highways, broken covenant, despised witnesses, and disregarded human life portray social devastation.
- Dan.9.18
Incline Your ear, O my God, and hear; open Your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears Your name. For we are not presenting our petitions before You because of our righteous acts, but because of Your great compassion.
Daniel presents the city's desolation before God and relies on great compassion rather than communal righteousness.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itwill be appalled6×Leviticus 26:32, 1 Kings 9:8, 2 Chronicles 7:21, Jeremiah 18:16
are appalled4×Job 17:8, Job 18:20, Ezekiel 27:35, Ezekiel 28:19
desolate3×Ezekiel 29:12, Ezekiel 30:7, Ezekiel 36:35
are deserted2×Isaiah 33:8, Lamentations 1:4
in horror2×Ezra 9:3, Ezra 9:4
it lies desolate2×Leviticus 26:34, Leviticus 26:35
of desolation2×Daniel 11:31, Daniel 12:11
that causes desolation2×Daniel 8:13, Daniel 9:27
the desolate2×Isaiah 54:3, Ezekiel 36:34
will be made desolate2×Jeremiah 49:20, Jeremiah 50:45
[him]1×Daniel 9:27
and be appalled1×Job 21:5
and desolate places1×Isaiah 49:19
and devastated1×Psalms 79:7
and empty1×Ezekiel 32:15
and lay waste1×Leviticus 26:31
appalled1×Ezekiel 26:16
are destitute1×Lamentations 4:5
are destroyed1×Zephaniah 3:6
are in ruins1×Joel 1:17
be appalled1×Psalms 40:15
be deserted1×Psalms 69:25
Be stunned1×Jeremiah 2:12
became desolate1×Ezekiel 35:15
by lying desolate1×Leviticus 26:43
desolations1×Daniel 9:26
destitute1×Lamentations 1:16
devastated1×Isaiah 61:4
He was amazed1×Isaiah 59:16
I might devastate them1×Ezekiel 20:26
I was appalled1×Isaiah 63:5
I was confounded1×Daniel 8:27
I will bring desolation1×Ezekiel 30:12
I will destroy1×Hosea 2:12
I will lay waste1×Ezekiel 30:14
is dismayed1×Psalms 143:4
is laid waste1×Jeremiah 12:11
its desolate1×Isaiah 49:8
lie desolate1×Leviticus 26:22
of the desolate woman1×Isaiah 54:1
of the desolation1×2 Chronicles 36:21
overwhelmed1×Ezekiel 3:15
ravaging them1×1 Samuel 5:6
should you destroy yourself?1×Ecclesiastes 7:16
that are deserted1×Jeremiah 33:10
that was desolate1×Ezekiel 36:35
the desolation1×Daniel 9:18
the desolations1×Isaiah 61:4
the ruined1×Amos 9:14
They are desolate1×Ezekiel 35:12
they have devastated1×Jeremiah 10:25
they have made you desolate1×Ezekiel 36:3
they will be appalled1×Ezekiel 4:17
They will be desolate1×Ezekiel 30:7
to be appalled1×Ezekiel 32:10
to ruin you1×Micah 6:13
was laid waste1×Ezekiel 25:3
was left desolate1×Zechariah 7:14
We demolished them1×Numbers 21:30
were appalled1×Isaiah 52:14
what was desolate1×Ezekiel 36:36
which lies desolate1×Lamentations 5:18
will be demolished1×Ezekiel 6:4
will be deserted1×Amos 7:9
will be horrified1×Jeremiah 50:13
will become desolate1×Ezekiel 33:28
will lay waste1×Leviticus 26:32
will tremble in fear1×Jeremiah 4:9
You have devastated1×Job 16:7
Show sample aligned rows
Leviticus 26:22וְנָשַׁ֖מּוּtolie desolateConjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common pluralLeviticus 26:31וַהֲשִׁמּוֹתִ֖יtoand lay wasteConjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singularLeviticus 26:32וַהֲשִׁמֹּתִ֥יtowill lay wasteConjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singularLeviticus 26:32וְשָֽׁמְמ֤וּtowill be appalledConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common pluralLeviticus 26:34הֳשַׁמָּ֔הtoit lies desolateVerb - Hofal - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singularLeviticus 26:35הָשַּׁמָּ֖הtoit lies desolateVerb - Hofal - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singularLeviticus 26:43בָּהְשַׁמָּה֙toby lying desolatePreposition-b | Verb - Hofal - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singularNumbers 21:30וַנַּשִּׁ֣יםtoWe demolished themConjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - first person common plural1 Samuel 5:6וַיְשִׁמֵּ֑םtoravaging themConjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural1 Kings 9:8יִשֹּׁ֣םtowill be appalledVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowLeviticus 26:22
Aligned rows86
Books represented20
Leviticus7Numbers11 Samuel11 Kings12 Chronicles2Ezra2Job4Psalms4Ecclesiastes1Isaiah10Jeremiah11Lamentations4Ezekiel23Daniel8Hosea1Joel1Amos2Micah1Zephaniah1Zechariah1
Source forms
וְנָשַׁ֙מּוּ֙4xwə·nā·šam·mūJeremiah 4:9, Ezekiel 4:17, Ezekiel 6:4, Amos 7:9
יִשֹּׁ֥ם3xyiš·šōmJeremiah 19:8, Jeremiah 49:17, Jeremiah 50:13
יַשִּׁ֛ים2xyaš·šîmJeremiah 49:20, Jeremiah 50:45
מְשׁוֹמֵֽם׃2xmə·šō·w·mêmEzra 9:3, Daniel 11:31
נָשַׁ֣מּוּ2xnā·šam·mūJob 18:20, Isaiah 33:8
נָשַׁ֙מּוּ֙2xnā·šam·mūJoel 1:17, Zephaniah 3:6
שָׁמְמ֖וּ2xšā·mə·mūEzekiel 27:35, Ezekiel 28:19
שֹׁמֵמֽוֹת׃2xšō·mê·mō·wṯIsaiah 49:8, Daniel 9:26
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular6xLeviticus 26:31, Leviticus 26:32, Ezekiel 30:12, Ezekiel 30:14
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural6xLeviticus 26:22, Jeremiah 4:9, Ezekiel 4:17, Ezekiel 6:4
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular6x1 Kings 9:8, 2 Chronicles 7:21, Jeremiah 18:16, Jeremiah 19:8
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural5xJob 18:20, Isaiah 33:8, Lamentations 4:5, Joel 1:17
Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine plural4xIsaiah 54:3, Ezekiel 29:12, Ezekiel 30:7, Amos 9:14
Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular4xEzra 9:3, Ezra 9:4, Daniel 9:27, Daniel 11:31
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural4xIsaiah 52:14, Ezekiel 27:35, Ezekiel 28:19, Ezekiel 35:12
Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine singular3xEzekiel 36:34, Ezekiel 36:35, Ezekiel 36:36
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Do not tell disaster, war, infertility, or abuse survivors that their desolation proves a specific personal sin.
- Do not use graphic ruin imagery for emotional effect without centering affected people and concrete care.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that H8074 always means physical ruins or always predicts one final event.
- Do not claim that being overwhelmed is unbelief or that a stunned person must immediately speak.
Evidence Summary
Revelation
Hebrew word. Devastation that numbs or stuns the observer; desolation as both physical destruction and psychological shock.
Strong'sH8074
Lexical occurrences86 versesWord forms5 forms51 referencesVerse guides0 guides
Study linkIsaiah 13:17-22Source Gloss
to stun (or intransitively, grow numb ), i.e. devastate or (figuratively) stupefy (both usually in a passive sense)
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Devastation that numbs or stuns the observer; desolation as both physical destruction and psychological shock.
to stun (or intransitively, grow numb), i.e. devastate or (figuratively) stupefy (both usually in a passive sense) BDB: be desolated Usage: make amazed, be astonied, (be an) astonish(-ment), (be, bring into, unto, lay, lie, make) desolate(-ion, places), be destitute, destroy (self), (lay, lie, make) waste, wonder.
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 groups5Aligned forms51
Qalbasic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense26×
Participle activeDan 8:13 · Dan 9:26 · Dan 9:27 · Dan 12:11 · Isa 49:8 · Isa 54:1 · Isa 61:4 · Lam 1:4 · Lam 1:1610×
Imperfect1Kgs 9:8 · 2Chr 7:21 · Jer 18:16 · Jer 19:8 · Jer 49:17 · Jer 50:13 · Job 17:8 · Ps 40:168×
PerfectEzek 27:35 · Ezek 28:19 · Ezek 35:12 · Isa 52:14 · Ezek 35:156×
Infinitive constructEzek 36:31×
Sequential imperfectJer 2:121×
Niphalpassive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action12×
PerfectIsa 33:8 · Job 18:20 · Joel 1:17 · Lam 4:5 · Zeph 3:6 · Ezek 25:3 · Jer 12:117×
Participle activeAmos 9:14 · Ezek 29:12 · Ezek 30:7 · Isa 54:3 · Ps 69:265×
Poel4×
Participle activeDan 9:27 · Dan 11:312×
Participle passiveEzra 9:3 · Ezra 9:42×
Hiphilcausative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action7×
PerfectJer 10:25 · Ps 79:7 · Job 16:73×
ImperfectJer 49:20 · Jer 50:452×
Participle activeEzek 3:151×
Infinitive absoluteMic 6:131×
Hithpolel2×
ImperfectEccl 7:16 · Ps 143:42×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
To be devastated or laid waste.
To be devastated or laid waste.
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 86 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
שָׁמֵם is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Why This Word Matters
The word conveys the total and lasting character of Babylon’s ruin.Isaiah 13:17-22
The term underscores the completeness of judgment.Isaiah 15:1-9
Canonical Themes
Revelation
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
H8074 gives language to devastation outside and within. Roads fall silent, cities empty, sanctuaries are ruined, and observers become stunned or overwhelmed. Ezekiel's seven days among the exiles model a ministry that first sits where people sit. The silence is not a complete trauma protocol, but it resists instant explanation. Isaiah links empty highways to broken agreements and disregard for human life, showing that desolation includes social trust and public movement, not only damaged buildings.
Daniel prays over Jerusalem's ruin without claiming merit; he appeals to God's compassion. Some passages attribute desolation to covenant judgment, yet application must not infer that modern disaster victims bear special guilt. Faithful response listens, documents losses, restores safe access, prays honestly, and supports rebuilding. Hope does not deny the appalling scene; it expects God to meet people amid ruins and to judge the powers that produced them.
Anchor passage
Ezek.3.15
Doctrinal connections
- H8074: sitting among exiles before speaking honors the weight of displacement and grief.
- H8074: desolation includes broken roads, treaties, worship, livelihoods, and regard for human life.
- H8074: moral astonishment can be an appropriate response to betrayal and covenant evil.
- H8074: confession appeals to God's compassion rather than claiming restoration as earned merit.
- H8074: ruined places can receive Sabbath and later rebuilding without making the ruin itself good.
- H8074: prophetic hope names devastation truthfully while refusing to grant it the final word.
H8074 is a Hebrew verb with senses of being desolate, devastated, appalled, stunned, or brought to ruin. Active, passive, and reflexive forms help distinguish damaged places, affected observers, and self-destructive action.
From Old to New Testament
Jesus speaks of desolation in Jerusalem's future, sits with grief, and promises restoration, while the New Testament calls communities to mourn with those who mourn and to seek a lasting city.