Original Word: צָמַת
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: tsamath
Pronunciation: tsaw-math'
Phonetic Spelling: (tsaw-math')
KJV: consume, cut off, destroy, vanish
NASB: destroy, destroyed, silenced, consumed, cut off, silent
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to extirpate (literally or figuratively)

consume, cut off, destroy, vanish

A primitive root; to extirpate (literally or figuratively) -- consume, cut off, destroy, vanish.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to put an end to, exterminate
NASB Translation
consumed (1), cut off (1), destroy (6), destroyed (4), silenced (2), silent (1).

[צָמַת] verb put an end to, exterminate, in poetry and (in

Qal, Pi`el) hyperbolic (properly compress, Late Hebrew id., press together; Arabic is be silent, II, IV.make speechless, silence; Syriac be silent (in Lexicons)); —

Qal Perfect3plural צָֽמְתוּ ֗֗֗ חַיָּ֑י Lamentations 3:63 = they have put an end to my life (Bu conjectures Pi`el).

Niph`al be ended, annihilated; Perfect1singular נִצְמַתִּת מִמְּנֵיאחשֶׁךְ Job 23:17 I am [not] annihilated because of (the) darkness; 3 plural נִצְמָ֑תוּ Job 6:17 (of dried-up brooks).

Pi`el Perfect3feminine singular suffix צִמְּתַתְנִי Psalm 119:139 קִנְאָתִי hath put an end to me (it is so intense).

Pi`lel Perfect3plural suffix צִמְּתֻתוּנִי (but read צִמְּתוּנִי Ges^{§ 55d}, or צִמְּתָ֑תְנִי) Hi [Ges^{§ 145k}]; compare Bae) Psalm 88:17 thine alarms have annihilated me.

Hiph`il Perfect2masculine singular הִצְמַתָּה Psalm 73:27; Imperfect3masculine singular suffix יַצְמִיתֵם Psalm 94:23 (twice in verse); 2masculine singular תַּצְמִית Psalm 143:12, etc.; Imperative masculine singular suffix הַצְמִיתֵם Psalm 54:7; Participle plural suffix מַצְמִיתַי Psalm 69:5; — exterminate, annihilate, with accusative of person, subject Psalmist Psalm 18:41 = 2 Samuel 22:41 (read as in Psalms), Psalm 101:5; Psalm 101:8; his foes Psalm 69:5; ׳י Psalm 54:7; Psalm 73:27; Psalm 94:23 (twice in verse); Psalm 143:12.

Root Idea and Narrative Flow

The verb conveys the decisive act of cutting off, silencing, or bringing to an end. Whether the object is an enemy army, an unfaithful heart, or a rushing torrent, the motion is always toward total cessation. Scripture therefore employs the word when a situation reaches its God–determined terminus—either in judgment or in protective deliverance.

Distribution across Canonical Genres

• Historical Narrative: 2 Samuel 22:41 records David’s battlefield victory—“I destroyed those who hated me”—and stands as the earliest canonical use, subsequently echoed in the parallel Psalm 18:40.
• Wisdom Literature: Job 6:17; Job 23:17 apply the word to natural phenomena and personal anguish, illustrating that even creation and inner turmoil can be “cut off” or “silenced.”
• Psalms of Lament and Praise: Eleven occurrences span individual (Psalms 54, 69, 88, 119, 143) and communal (Psalms 73, 94, 101) worship, showing the vocabulary of annihilation scaled from private prayer to national hope.
• Prophetic Poetry: Lamentations 3:53 transfers the verb to Jeremiah’s own persecution, giving post-exilic Israel language for trauma.

Themes of Divine Justice

1. Retributive Judgment. Psalm 94:23 repeats the verb twice for emphasis: “He will … destroy them … the LORD our God will destroy them,” framing judgment as both certain and righteous.
2. Covenant Vindication. Psalm 54:5 pleads, “Cut them off in Your truth.” Truth (ʾĕmet) binds God’s act of removal to His covenant fidelity.
3. Moral Purging. Psalm 101:5, 8 places the king in partnership with God, “I will destroy” slanderers and “put to silence all the wicked,” highlighting the verb’s role in maintaining holy community life.

Experience of the Righteous under Pressure

The word is not reserved only for the fate of the wicked. In Psalm 88:16 the sufferer cries, “Your terrors have destroyed me,” acknowledging that the righteous may feel swallowed up by divine discipline. Job likewise wrestles with the apparent silence of God (Job 23:17) yet confesses that darkness has not truly “silenced” him. The shared vocabulary of enemy destruction and personal despair reminds the worshiper that God’s cutting work refines saints even as it removes sinners.

Eschatological Trajectory

Psalm 73:27 expands the vision to the ultimate horizon: “You destroy all who are unfaithful to You.” Final judgment is the grand consummation foreshadowed in each historical and personal deliverance. The verb’s consistent application assures the reader that evil will not merely diminish; it will end.

Christological Echoes

David’s martial use of the term (2 Samuel 22:41; Psalm 18:40) anticipates a greater Anointed One who will “cut off” the wicked (compare Isaiah 11:4) while providing refuge for the contrite. At the cross the forces of darkness believed they had “silenced” the Son, yet resurrection reversed the verdict, displaying that only the unrepentant remain under the threat of final extermination.

Pastoral and Ministry Implications

• Confidence in Prayer: Believers may petition God to terminate injustice (Psalm 143:12) without fear of contradicting divine mercy, for Scripture holds both together.
• Zeal for Holiness: Psalm 119:139 links zeal with the verb—“My zeal consumes me”—encouraging pastors to cultivate congregational passion that will “cut off” apathy.
• Guarding Speech: Psalm 101:5 warns leaders to remove slander from the covenant community, modeling decisive, measured discipline.
• Hope amid Despair: When saints feel “destroyed” (Psalm 88:16), they can look to the resurrection pattern that God brings new life after apparent annihilation.

Historical Interpretation

Rabbinic commentators viewed the verb primarily as legal retribution against covenant violators. Early Church Fathers extended the concept to demonic defeat and final judgment. Reformation preachers stressed its relevance for civil governance, citing Psalm 101 in support of moral laws. Modern evangelical missions literature employs the term to frame unreached peoples’ peril, urging proclamation so that “cutting off” falls only on persistent unbelief.

Summary of Theological Emphasis

The fifteen appearances of צָמַת weave a unified testimony: God’s holiness guarantees that evil will meet an irrevocable end, yet His covenant promises secure mercy for those who trust Him. The word therefore functions both as a sobering warning and a steadfast consolation, summoning every generation to refuge in the righteous Judge who alone determines when the final “cutting off” occurs.

אַ֫צְמִ֥ית אַצְמִ֥ית אַצְמִיתֵֽם׃ אצמית אצמיתם׃ הִ֝צְמַ֗תָּה הַצְמִיתֵֽם׃ הצמיתם׃ הצמתה וָאַצְמִיתֵֽם׃ ואצמיתם׃ יַ֝צְמִיתֵ֗ם יַצְמִיתֵ֑ם יצמיתם מַ֭צְמִיתַי מצמיתי נִ֭צְמַתִּי נִצְמָ֑תוּ נצמתו נצמתי צִמְּתַ֥תְנִי צִמְּתוּתֻֽנִי׃ צָֽמְת֤וּ צמתו צמתותני׃ צמתתני תַּצְמִ֪ית תצמית ’aṣ·mî·ṯêm ’aṣ·mîṯ ’aṣmîṯ ’aṣmîṯêm atzMit atzmiTem haṣ·mî·ṯêm haṣmîṯêm hatzmiTem hiṣ·mat·tāh hiṣmattāh hitzMattah maṣ·mî·ṯay maṣmîṯay Matzmitai niṣ·mā·ṯū niṣ·mat·tî niṣmattî niṣmāṯū Nitzmatti nitzMatu ṣā·mə·ṯū ṣāməṯū ṣim·mə·ṯaṯ·nî ṣim·mə·ṯū·ṯu·nî ṣimməṯaṯnî ṣimməṯūṯunî taṣ·mîṯ taṣmîṯ tatzMit tzameTu tzimmeTatni tzimmetuTuni vaatzmiTem wā’aṣmîṯêm wā·’aṣ·mî·ṯêm yaṣ·mî·ṯêm yaṣmîṯêm yatzmiTemInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts