Original Word: אֵיד
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: eyd
Pronunciation: [ayd]
Phonetic Spelling: (ade)
KJV: calamity, destruction
NASB: calamity, disaster, destruction
Word Origin: [from the same as H181 (אוּד - brand) (in the sense of bending down)]

1. oppression
2. (by implication) misfortune, ruin

calamity, destruction

From the same as 'uwd (in the sense of bending down); oppression; by implication misfortune, ruin -- calamity, destruction.

see HEBREW 'uwd

Word Origin
from the same as odoth
Definition
distress, calamity
NASB Translation
calamity (17), destruction (1), disaster (6).

אֵיד noun masculine^{Job 18:12} distress, calamity (under which one bends, compare Arabic burdening) Bev^{Jphil. xxvi. 302} derives from Arabic be strong [also oppress, burden], whence (or ) calamity. — ׳א Job 21:30 +; construct id. Job 31:23 +; אֵידי 2 Samuel 22:19 = Psalm 18:19 etc.; — distress, calamity (in poetry chiefly Wisdom Literature & late); Proverbs 17:5; Proverbs 27:10.

1 national calam. of Israel (apostate) Jeremiah 18:17; Ezekiel 35:5; Obadiah 13 (3 t. in verse); of Egypt Jeremiah 46:21; Moab Jeremiah 48:16; Edom (עֵשָׂו ׳א) Jeremiah 49:8; Hazor Jeremiah 49:32.

2 of righteous sufferer 2 Samuel 22:19 = Psalm 18:19 compare אֵל ׳א i.e. from God Job 31:23 & אָרְחוֺת אֵידָם Job 30:12 their calamitous paths (suffix reference to bereavement, pain, etc.)

3 often of wicked Job 18:12; Job 21:17; Job 31:3; Proverbs 1:26,27 (wisd. mocks at; "" מַּחַד) Proverbs 6:15; Proverbs 24:22; also ׳יוֺם א Deuteronomy 32:35; Job 21:30 (compare above 2 Samuel 22:19 = Psalm 18:19; Proverbs 27:10; Jeremiah 18:17; Jeremiah 46:21; Obadiah 13 (3 t. in verse) where "" יוֺם אֹבֶד יוֺם צָרה Jeremiah 46:12; Jeremiah 46:14, compare יוֺם יהוה Jeremiah 46:15).

Concept and Range of Meaning

אֵיד describes sudden, often divinely-superintended calamity that overtakes the wicked or serves as a crucible for the righteous. It is never a random misfortune; Scripture consistently presents it as morally connected to God’s justice, whether through direct judgment or providential trial.

Canonical Distribution

Twenty-four occurrences span Torah, Historical Books, Wisdom Literature, Prophets, and one Minor Prophet. The breadth of usage shows that the theme of calibrated judgment permeates every era of Israel’s history. Most appearances cluster in poetic or prophetic contexts, underscoring the word’s emotive weight.

Covenantal Justice in the Torah

Deuteronomy 32:35 anchors the theme: “Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; in time their foot will slip, for their day of disaster is near”. Moses frames calamity as the inevitable outworking of covenant sanctions. Israel’s enemies fall when their iniquity ripens, but the same principle would later warn Israel herself.

Historical Narratives

David’s testimony in 2 Samuel 22:19 (cf. Psalm 18:18) reveals the believer’s security amid calamity: “They confronted me in my day of calamity, but the Lord was my support.” אֵיד becomes the backdrop for showcasing divine deliverance, a pattern echoed whenever the righteous suffer but are ultimately vindicated.

Wisdom Literature: Retribution and Instruction

1. Retributive certainty: Job wrestles with the timing of judgment—“For the wicked are reserved for the day of calamity” (Job 21:30).
2. Pedagogical warning: Proverbs personifies Wisdom promising derision when rebels meet sudden ruin (Proverbs 1:26-27), while vowing punishment on any who “gloat over calamity” (Proverbs 17:5).
3. Pastoral comfort: The righteous acknowledge that “calamity from God terrifies me” (Job 31:23), cultivating trembling humility that guards against presumption.

Prophetic Oracles: National Catastrophe

Jeremiah and Ezekiel employ אֵיד to announce judgment on Egypt, Moab, Edom, and unrepentant Judah. “The calamity of Moab is near, and his affliction is rushing swiftly” (Jeremiah 48:16). The prophets interpret geopolitical disaster as Yahweh’s moral governance of the nations, reinforcing His sovereignty over history.

Obadiah: The Ethics of Response

Obadiah 1:13 repeats אֵיד three times to condemn Edom’s opportunistic cruelty: “You should not have looked on the day of your brother in the day of his calamity.” The text extends the doctrine of calamity to include accountability for bystanders. Gloating or profiteering when others fall invites the same judgment.

Theological Themes

• Divine recompense: Calamity is intertwined with the principle that God “pays back” evil (Deuteronomy 32:35).
• Moral causality: Though sometimes delayed (Job’s laments), judgment is certain.
• Covenant mercy: For the faithful, calamity becomes a stage for salvation (2 Samuel 22:19).
• Communal responsibility: Scripture prohibits exploiting another’s disaster (Obadiah; Proverbs 17:5).

Historical Setting and Message for Israel

During the exilic and post-exilic periods, references to אֵיד reminded the remnant that foreign invasions were not random tragedies but instruments of divine discipline aimed at restoration. This interpretation preserved hope and staved off fatalism.

Ministry and Pastoral Application

1. Call to repentance: Preachers may urge hearers to flee sin before “their day of disaster is near.”
2. Comfort in trials: Believers, like David, can affirm that calamity does not nullify God’s support.
3. Warning against schadenfreude: Churches must not exploit or mock those under judgment, lest they incur Proverbs 17:5.
4. Eschatological sobriety: The pattern of sudden ruin anticipates the final Day of the Lord, galvanizing evangelism and holy living.

Christological and Eschatological Trajectory

At the cross the righteous One entered the ultimate “day of calamity” on behalf of sinners. His resurrection demonstrates that divine judgment and deliverance converge in Him, guaranteeing the final overthrow of all unrighteousness while providing refuge for those who trust Him (cf. Romans 5:9).

Summary

אֵיד threads through Scripture as a sober reminder that God rules history with moral precision. Calamity warns the unrepentant, refines the faithful, restrains human pride, and foreshadows the climactic judgment and salvation secured in Jesus Christ.

אֵ֣יד אֵ֥יד אֵ֭יד אֵיד֑וֹ אֵידִ֑י אֵידֶ֑ךָ אֵידָ֑ם אֵידָ֔ם אֵידָ֖ם אֵידָ֛ם אֵידָֽם׃ אֵידֽוֹ׃ אֵיד־ איד איד־ אידו אידו׃ אידי אידך אידם אידם׃ בְּאֵידְכֶ֣ם באידכם וְ֝אֵ֗יד וְֽ֭אֵידְכֶם ואיד ואידכם לְ֝אֵ֗יד לאיד ’ê·ḏām ’ê·ḏe·ḵā ’ê·ḏî ’ê·ḏōw ’êḏ ’êḏ- ’êḏām ’êḏeḵā ’êḏî ’êḏōw bə’êḏəḵem bə·’ê·ḏə·ḵem beeideChem eid eiDam eiDecha eiDi eiDo lə’êḏ lə·’êḏ leEid veEid Veeidechem wə’êḏ wə’êḏəḵem wə·’ê·ḏə·ḵem wə·’êḏInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts