ἐρημ-όω G2049
To lay waste, make desolate, bring to ruin; used of kingdoms, cities, and commercial empires destroyed by judgment.
Describes the devastating reduction of something populated or prosperous to emptiness and ruin. Jesus warns that a kingdom or household divided against itself is 'brought to desolation' (Matt 12:25; Luke 11:17), a principle with both political and spiritual force. In Revelation, the word takes on apocalyptic intensity: the beast and its allies lay waste to Babylon the Great (Rev 17:16), and merchants and shipmasters lament as her vast wealth is made desolate 'in one hour' (Rev 18:17, 19). Spanish 'desolada/devastado' and French 'dévaster' preserve the word's violent finality.
Senses
1. sense 1 — To lay waste, make desolate, bring to ruin — to reduce a place, structure, or institution from a state of flourishing to emptiness and devastation. Spanish 'desolada/asolado/devastado' and French 'dévaster' all point to catastrophic destruction. Jesus applies it proverbially to internal division destroying any kingdom or household (Matt 12:25; Luke 11:17). In Revelation it describes divine judgment on Babylon: the beast devours and burns her (Rev 17:16), and her commercial splendor is annihilated in a single hour (Rev 18:17, 19), prompting cosmic lamentation. 5×
AR["تَخرَبُ", "خَرِبَ", "خَرِبَتْ", "مُوحِشَةً", "يَخْرَبُ"]·ben["ধ্বংস-হয়", "ধ্বংসস্তূপ-হল", "ধ্বংসস্তূপে"]·DE["verwuesten", "ἐρημοῦται"]·EN["having-been-made-desolate", "is-brought-to-desolation", "is-made-desolate", "she-was-laid-waste", "was-laid-waste"]·FR["dévaster"]·heb["חָרַב", "נֶחְרֶבֶת", "שְׁמָמָה", "תֵּחָרֵב"]·HI["उजअद-हो-जअतअ-है", "उजड़-होता-है", "उजड़ी-हुई"]·ID["hancur", "menjadi-sunyi", "sunyi-senyap"]·IT["distruggere", "ērēmōmenēn", "ērēmōthē"]·jav["karisak", "risak", "risak,"]·KO["황폐되고", "황폐하게", "황폐해졌다", "황폐해지고"]·PT["devastada", "foi-devastada"]·RU["опустошается", "опустошена", "опустошено", "опустошённой"]·ES["desolada", "es-asolado", "es-devastado", "fue-desolada"]·SW["huharibika", "umeharibika", "umeharibika.", "unaharibiwa,", "wamefanywa-ukiwa"]·TR["harap-olur", "viran", "viran-oldu", "viran-olur"]·urd["ویران", "ویران-ہو-جاتی-ہے", "ویران-ہو-گئی", "ویران-ہوتی-ہے"]
Related Senses
H4421 1. war, battle, armed conflict (319×)H0341 1. enemy, adversary, foe (284×)H3898a 1. Nifal: to fight, wage war (167×)H2026 1. kill, slay (active) (146×)H2451 1. wisdom, discernment (146×)H5483b 1. horse (the animal) (138×)H0006 1. to perish, be destroyed (105×)H7843 1. Hifil: destroy, annihilate (83×)H2491a 1. slain, fatally pierced (74×)H6862c 1. adversary, enemy, foe (69×)H8045 1. destroy, exterminate (69×)G0615 1. kill, put to death (60×)H6571b 1. horseman, cavalryman (52×)H8077a 1. desolation, waste (abstract state) (52×)G4678 1. of wisdom (51×)G4717 1. crucify, fasten to a cross (46×)H2763a 1. utterly destroy (Hifil active) (44×)G0622 1. perish, be destroyed (intransitive) (41×)H0006 2. to destroy, annihilate (Piel) (38×)H8074 1. be desolate, lie waste (36×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἐρημ-όω, strip bare, desolate, lay waste, ἱερὰ θεῶν LXX+5th c.BC+:—passive, ἐρημωθείσης Κρήτης NT+5th c.BC+ __II bereave one of a thing, with double accusative, ἐ. τινὰ εὐφροσύνας μέρος Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐ. ναυβατῶν ἐρετμά to leave the oars without men, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἑαυτὸν ἐρημοῖς (i.e. φίλων) Refs 5th c.BC+:—passive, to be bereft of, ἀνδρῶν Refs 5th c.BC+left without, Refs 5th c.BC+ __II.2 set…