H2721b H2721b
Desolation, waste, ruin; the state of being laid waste (distinct from horev 'dryness' and herev 'sword')
A noun meaning 'desolation' or 'ruin,' closely related to the verb harav ('to be waste') but distinct from horev I ('dryness, drought') and herev ('sword'). It describes the utter devastation of cities and lands: Isaiah 61:4 speaks of rebuilding 'cities of desolation' (arei horev), Jeremiah 49:13 prophesies that Bozrah will become a waste, and Ezekiel 29:10 declares Egypt 'wastes of desolation.' The pairing with shomemot ('desolations') and harvot ('ruins') reinforces its semantic field of comprehensive destruction.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The state of utter devastation or ruin, applied to cities and regions under divine judgment. In Isaiah 61:4, the Servant's mission includes rebuilding 'cities of horev' (parallel to shomemot and horvot, 'desolations and ruins'). Jeremiah 49:13 uses it of Bozrah's coming fate, and Ezekiel 29:10 compounds it as 'horvot horev' ('wastes of desolation') over Egypt. The multilingual glosses reveal translator difficulty: French and German render 'epee/Schwert' (sword), likely confusing this noun with herev, while English correctly gives 'desolation' and Spanish 'destruccion/sequedad.' Zephaniah 2:14's occurrence in the oracle against Nineveh may require emendation to orev ('raven') per Wellhausen. 4×
AR["-الْخَرَابِ", "خَرَابٌ", "خَرَابٍ", "لِلْخَرَابِ"]·ben["ধ্বংস", "ধ্বংসপ্রাপ্ত", "শূন্যতা", "শূন্যতার-জন্য"]·DE["Schwert", "zum-Schwert"]·EN["desolation", "for-a-waste", "ruin", "waste"]·FR["sécheresse", "à-l’épée", "épée"]·heb["חורב", "ל-חורב"]·HI["के-लिए-उजाड़", "नगर", "सूखापन"]·ID["kekeringan", "menjadi-kerusakan", "reruntuhan", "yang-hancur"]·IT["[לחרב]", "spada"]·jav["dados-sepen", "karusakan", "rusak"]·KO["메마른", "폐허로", "폐허의", "황폐"]·PT["devastação", "para-ruína", "ruína"]·RU["в-разорение", "разрушение", "разрушению", "разрушенные"]·ES["destrucción", "para-ruina", "sequedad", "sequía"]·SW["iliyoharibiwa", "uharibifu", "ukavu", "ukiwa"]·TR["-için-yıkıntı", "harabe", "harabelerin", "harabelik"]·urd["خرابی", "ویران", "ویرانی"]
Related Senses
H2719 1. sword, weapon of war (410×)H4196 1. altar (place of sacrifice) (403×)H7393 1. chariot, chariotry (117×)H7198 1. bow (weapon) (72×)H7979 1. table (71×)H7782 1. ram's horn trumpet (69×)H4294 2. staff, rod, scepter (63×)H4043 1. shield, defensive weapon (60×)H0646 1. ephod (priestly garment) (49×)H8504 1. blue (violet-blue yarn/fabric) (49×)H2595 1. spear, lance (48×)H2671 1. arrow, projectile weapon (46×)H4818 1. chariot, war-chariot (44×)H3658 1. lyre, harp (stringed instrument) (42×)H1537 1. Gilgal (place name) (41×)H0713 1. purple (fabric/dye) (38×)H0905 3. poles, staves (37×)H7392 1. Qal participle: rider, charioteer (37×)H4501 1. cultic lampstand (menorah) (36×)H0212 1. wheel (35×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† II. חֹ֫רֶב n.[m.] desolation;—עָרֵי ח׳ Is 61:4 cities of desolation (‖ שֹׁמֲמוֹת, and, in v a, חָרְבוֹת); cf. Zp 2:14 (but read עֹרֵב, 𝔊 We al.) Je 49:13; מִצְרַיִם חָרְבוֹת ח׳ Ez 29:10 Egypt shall be wastes of desolation (but 𝔊 𝔙 Co wastes of the sword, חֶרֶב for חֹרֶב); + Ez 38:8 Co, who reads מֵחֹרֶב (or מֵחָרְבָּה).