Lexical Summary
shod: Destruction, devastation, ruin, violence, havoc
Original Word:שֹׁד
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:shod
Pronunciation:shode
Phonetic Spelling:(shode)
KJV: desolation, destruction, oppression, robbery, spoil(-ed, -er, -ing), wasting
NASB:destruction, devastation, violence, destroyed
Word Origin:[fromH7736 (שׁוּד - To ruin)]
1. violence, ravage
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
desolation, destruction, oppression, robbery, spoiled wasting
Or showd (Job 5:21) {shode}; fromshuwd; violence, ravage -- desolation, destruction, oppression, robbery, spoil(-ed, -er, - ing), wasting.
see HEBREWshuwd
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
shadadDefinitionviolence, havoc, devastation, ruin
NASB Translationdestroyed (1), destruction (12), devastation (7), violence (5).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. , (see below) ; — absolute
Hosea 7:13 +; construct
Isaiah 22:4 +; —
violence, havoc, as social sin:Amos 3:10;Jeremiah 6:7;Jeremiah 20:5;Ezekiel 45:2,Habakkuk 1:3,Hosea 12:2 (1. , We Marti a.),Isaiah 59:7;Isaiah 60:18;Proverbs 24:2 ("" ;Proverbs 21:7; with Genitive objectPsalm 12:6.
devastation, ruin, for nationHosea 7:13,Isaiah 13:6 (simile of ) =Joel 1:13;Isaiah 16:4 (Lo Gr CheHpt Marti ; "" ),Isaiah 22:4,Isaiah 51:19;Jeremiah 48:3; more GenerallyAmos 5:9 (twice in verse); for individualJob 5:21 (van d. H. ),Job 5:22; for beastsHabakkuk 2:17 (+ ). —Hosea 10:14 seeInfinitive — ()Hosea 9:6 read We Now Marti. — II. , see . below
see below ; > here, Thes and others
(√ of following; Arabic
moisten,
breast; Aramaic Plural ,
breasts; compare LagBN 171; Hebrew noun originally * BaNB 9, compare Id.ZMG xii (1887), 637).
Topical Lexicon
Overview of Biblical Usageשֹׁד (shōd) denotes devastation, ruin, violence, and oppressive plunder. Its twenty-five appearances span Wisdom literature, Psalms, and a wide range of prophetic books. The word almost always portrays either (1) the wicked acts of humans who exploit, plunder, or destroy, or (2) the outworking of divine judgment that brings devastation upon persistent rebellion. Because Scripture is unified, both streams ultimately serve God’s redemptive purposes—exposing sin, warning of consequences, and pointing to lasting deliverance in the Messiah.
Wisdom Literature: Personal Protection and Moral Warning
Job 5:21–22 records Eliphaz’s assurance that God “will protect you from the scourge of the tongue, and you will not fear devastation when it comes”. Even though Eliphaz’s theology is misapplied to Job’s situation, the principle stands: the righteous find refuge from shōd. In Proverbs the term becomes a moral barometer. “The violence of the wicked will sweep them away, because they refuse to do what is just” (Proverbs 21:7), whileProverbs 24:2 links shōd to deceitful plotting. Wisdom therefore calls God’s people to reject every form of predatory gain.
Psalms: God’s Advocacy for the Oppressed
Psalm 12:5 offers the divine verdict: “Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the LORD. Shōd here awakens God’s personal intervention. The psalm positions Yahweh as Advocate, underscoring that violence against the vulnerable is an affront He will surely confront.
Major Prophets: National Judgment and Promised Restoration
Isaiah repeatedly employs shōd to describe both oncoming judgment and anticipated peace.
•Isaiah 13:6 announces “destruction from the Almighty” against Babylon.
•Isaiah 22:4 laments Jerusalem’s looming devastation.
•Isaiah 51:19 places shōd beside famine and sword as twin calamities overwhelming Zion.
• YetIsaiah 60:18 casts the eschatological reversal: “No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor devastation or destruction within your borders.” Judgment yields to salvation as God establishes everlasting peace.
Jeremiah parallels Isaiah’s message. The prophet likens Jerusalem to a well that “keeps its waters fresh, so she keeps fresh her wickedness; violence and destruction resound in her” (Jeremiah 6:7). Persistent injustice guarantees the Babylonian siege, fulfilling covenant curses (Leviticus 26;Deuteronomy 28).
Minor Prophets: Exposing Covenant Breach
Hosea, Amos, Joel, and Habakkuk funnel shōd into covenant lawsuit language. Israel’s unfaithfulness invites devastation:
•Hosea 7:13—“Woe to them, for they have fled from Me! Destruction awaits them.”
•Amos 3:10 indicts Samaria’s ruling class who “do not know how to do what is right…who store up violence and destruction in their citadels.”
•Joel 1:15 frames the locust invasion as “destruction from the Almighty” foreshadowing the Day of the LORD.
Habakkuk 1:3 complains that shōd is unchecked in Judah, forcing the prophet to wrestle with divine tolerance of evil. The answer—Babylon as God’s instrument—is sobering, and yetHabakkuk 2:17 promises Babylon’s own downfall because of the shōd it inflicts on Lebanon.
Theological Themes
1. Moral Accountability: Shōd unmasks sin. Societies tolerate exploitation at their peril.
2. Divine Sovereignty: God may permit or commission temporal devastation, yet never loses control of events. His judgments are measured, purposeful, and righteous.
3. Redemptive Hope: Final deliverance from shōd is guaranteed.Isaiah 60:18 anticipates the New Jerusalem where violence is forever silenced (Revelation 21:4).
4. Justice and Mercy: While judgment falls, God simultaneously extends refuge to those who repent (Isaiah 16:4;Joel 2:12–14).
Historical Background
The eighth–sixth centuries B.C. saw Near-Eastern powers—Assyria, Babylon, later Medo-Persia—practice ruthless conquest. Prophets used shōd both descriptively and theologically: Assyrian brutality illustrates human depravity; Babylon’s rise and fall demonstrate God’s power to raise or dash empires according to covenant fidelity.
Pastoral and Ministry Applications
• Advocacy: The church must mirror God’s concern for victims of violence, standing against trafficking, exploitation, and systemic injustice.
• Lament and Hope:Isaiah 22:4 legitimizes tears over national ruin;Isaiah 60:18 anchors believers in promised restoration. Both lament and hope should shape Christian worship and intercession.
• Evangelism: Destruction motifs awaken conscience. Proclaiming deliverance from shōd through Christ provides a tangible gospel bridge for cultures plagued by violence.
Christological Fulfilment
At the cross Jesus absorbed humanity’s violence and divine wrath, disarming the powers (Colossians 2:15). His resurrection inaugurates the Kingdom where shōd has no lasting claim. Believers, already delivered from the dominion of darkness, await the consummation when “the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Romans 16:20)—the ultimate end of devastation.
Key Takeaways
• Shōd is both a human sin and a divine instrument.
• God hears the cries of the plundered and will arise on their behalf.
• Earthly manifestations of shōd anticipate a final reckoning at the Day of the LORD.
• In Christ, God provides refuge now and guarantees a future free from every form of violence.
Forms and Transliterations
הַשֹּׁ֧ד השד וְשֹׁ֖ד וְשֹׁ֥ד וָ֠שֹׁד וָשֹׁ֖ד וָשֹׁד֙ וּכְשֹׁ֖ד וכשד ושד כְּשֹׁ֖ד כְּשֹׁ֧ד כשד לְשֹׁ֣ד לשד מִ֝שֹּׁ֗ד מִשֹּׁ֔ד מִשֹּׁ֥ד משד שֹׁ֔ד שֹׁ֖ד שֹׁ֥ד שֹׁ֭ד שֹׁד־ שד שד־ haš·šōḏ hashShod haššōḏ kə·šōḏ keShod kəšōḏ lə·šōḏ leShod ləšōḏ miš·šōḏ mishShod miššōḏ shod šōḏ šōḏ- ū·ḵə·šōḏ ucheShod ūḵəšōḏ Vashod veShod wā·šōḏ wāšōḏ wə·šōḏ wəšōḏ
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