Original Word: רָטָשׁ
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: ratash
Pronunciation: rah-tash
Phonetic Spelling: (raw-tash')
KJV: dash (in pieces)
NASB: dashed in pieces, dashed to pieces, dash in pieces, mow down
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to dash down

dash in pieces

A primitive root; to dash down -- dash (in pieces).

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to dash in pieces
NASB Translation
dash in pieces (1), dashed in pieces (2), dashed to pieces (2), mow down (1).

[רָטַשׁ] verb Pi`el dash in pieces (compare ᵑ7 רְטַשׁ cast away, reject; but possibly akin to לָטַשׁ); —

Pi`el Imperfect2masculine singular תְּרַטֵּשׁ 2 Kings 8:12 their children thou will dash in pieces; 3 feminine plural קְשָׁתוֺת נְעָרִים תְּרַטַּשְׁנָה Isaiah 13:18, but probably corrupt, Du conjecture נְעָרוֺת תְּרֻטַּשְׁנָה compare Che.

Pu`al Perfect3feminine singular אֵם עַלֿ בָּנִים רֻטָּ֑שָׁה Hosea 14:14; Imperfect3masculine plural יְרֻטְּשׁוּ Isaiah 13:16; Nahum 3:10, יְרֻטָּ֑שׁוּ Hosea 14:1, all of children.

רִי see רוה.

Overview

The verb רָטָשׁ pictures a violent shattering—most often the brutal destruction of infants in wartime. Each biblical occurrence links the act to divine judgment upon nations that have hardened themselves in sin. The word therefore functions as an embodied warning: when a people reject the Lord, the very lives of their most vulnerable become endangered.

Occurrences and Contexts

• 2 Kings 8:12 – Elisha foresees the cruelty Hazael will inflict on Israel: “You will … dash their little ones to pieces.” The forecast is a grief-stricken prophecy, exposing what unchecked ambition and idolatry will spawn.
• Isaiah 13:16, 18 – Babylon’s conquest of proud, pagan Babylon (ironically announced before the nation even rises to power) will bring identical horrors: “Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes.” The cruelty Babylon will mete out to others will in turn be visited upon her.
• Hosea 10:14; 13:16 – Samaria’s rebellion ushers in a day when “their infants will be dashed to pieces.” Apostate Israel faces consequences no different from pagan nations because covenant privilege never nullifies covenant accountability.
• Nahum 3:10 – The fate of the great Egyptian city Thebes supplies a sobering precedent: “Her infants were dashed to pieces at every street corner.” Assyria, once an agent of judgment, must remember that the Judge of all the earth is impartial.

Theological Themes

Judgment and Justice – The term embodies the lex talionis principle. Violence begets violence; nations that sow bloodshed reap bloodshed (Genesis 9:6; Revelation 16:6).

Sanctity of Life – Scripture’s horror at the act underscores the inestimable worth of every human life (Psalm 139:13-16). The prophetic writers select the most appalling atrocity imaginable to awaken moral sensibility.

Accountability of Nations – Whether Israel, Assyria, Babylon, or Egypt, no kingdom is exempt from the moral governance of God (Jeremiah 18:7-10).

Sin’s Domino Effect – Covenant infidelity does not remain private; it unleashes societal disintegration that ultimately imperils the defenseless.

Historical Background

Ancient Near-Eastern warfare often targeted infants and pregnant women to terrorize populations (cf. Neo-Assyrian annals). The prophets do not sanitize this reality but frame it within God’s redemptive storyline: such brutality is never random; it exposes the hideous harvest of idolatry and pride.

Ministry and Pastoral Applications

1. Call to Repentance – The specter of רָטָשׁ urges modern readers to confront personal and corporate sin before judgment escalates (2 Chronicles 7:14).
2. Advocacy for the Vulnerable – From unborn children to war-torn refugees, the church must oppose every form of violence against the defenseless, reflecting the heart of the One who gathers lambs in His arms (Isaiah 40:11).
3. Healing for Survivors – The graphic language validates the trauma of victims. Ministers can point sufferers to the Man of Sorrows who bore even “the griefs” of war (Isaiah 53:4).
4. Hope in Ultimate Justice – Revelation 19:11-16 assures believers that Christ will finally end all atrocities, fulfilling the longing voiced in the prophets.

Cross-Biblical Echoes

Psalm 137:9 foretells the downfall of Babylon with similar imagery, while Matthew 2:16 records Herod’s massacre, showing that the enemy’s hatred of the “seed” persists. Yet the gospel reverses the curse: Jesus welcomes children (Matthew 19:14) and triumphs over death itself (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).

Summary

רָטָשׁ confronts readers with the extremity of judgment when humanity spurns the Giver of life. By spotlighting the most helpless victims, Scripture exposes sin’s cruelty and magnifies God’s passion to protect, redeem, and ultimately renew His creation.

יְרֻטְּשׁ֖וּ יְרֻטָּ֔שׁוּ ירטשו רֻטָּֽשָׁה׃ רטשה׃ תְּרַטֵּ֔שׁ תְּרַטַּ֑שְׁנָה תרטש תרטשנה ruṭ·ṭā·šāh ruṭṭāšāh rutTashah tə·raṭ·ṭaš·nāh tə·raṭ·ṭêš teratTashnah təraṭṭašnāh təraṭṭêš teratTesh yə·ruṭ·ṭā·šū yə·ruṭ·ṭə·šū yerutTashu yəruṭṭāšū yerutteShu yəruṭṭəšūInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts