ἐρήμ-ωσις G2050
desolation, devastation; the act or state of being made utterly waste
This noun describes the act of making something desolate or the resulting state of devastation and abandonment. It appears exclusively in the Synoptic apocalyptic discourse, referring to Daniel's 'abomination of desolation'—a prophetic symbol of desecration and judgment. The term evokes utter ruin, whether of the Jerusalem temple in AD 70 or eschatological tribulation. It carries overtones of divine judgment resulting in complete devastation.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Every translation uses desolation language: Spanish desolación, French désolation. All three occurrences cite Daniel's 'abomination of desolation': Matthew 24:15 warns 'when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel,' Mark 13:14 contains the same warning with added emphasis ('let the reader understand'), and Luke 21:20 interprets it as 'when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near.' The term points to catastrophic judgment and the desecration of what was holy. 3×
AR["الخَرابِ", "خَرابُ", "خَرَابِ"]·ben["ধ্বংস", "ধ্বংসের"]·DE["ἐρήμωσις", "ἐρημώσεως"]·EN["desolation", "of-desolation"]·FR["désolation"]·heb["חֻרְבָן", "שְׁמָמָה"]·HI["उजाड़", "उजाड़-की"]·ID["kebinasaan", "kehancuran", "yang-membinasakan"]·IT["eremoseos", "eremosis"]·jav["karisakan", "karusakan"]·KO["황폐가", "황폐의"]·PT["desolação"]·RU["запустения", "опустошение"]·ES["desolación"]·SW["-", "uharibifu"]·TR["yıkılışı", "yıkımın"]·urd["بربادی", "ویرانی-کی"]
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
ἐρήμ-ωσις, εως, ἡ, making desolate, LXX+2nd c.AD+