Original Word: אֲבַד
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: abad
Pronunciation: ah-VAHD
Phonetic Spelling: (ab-ad')
NASB: destroy, destroyed, perish
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H6 (אָבַד - perish)]

1. destroy, perish

destroy, perish

(Aramaic) corresponding to 'abad -- destroy, perish.

see HEBREW 'abad

Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to abad
Definition
to perish
NASB Translation
destroy (3), destroyed (3), perish (1).

Overview

אֲבַד appears seven times in the Old Testament, exclusively in the Aramaic sections of Jeremiah and Daniel. It expresses the idea of being brought to nothing—whether through judgment that causes a person or empire to “perish,” or through a deliberate act that “destroys” something opposed to the rule of God. The verb always arises in contexts that contrast the fleeting nature of human power with the enduring sovereignty of the Most High.

Literary Contexts and Occurrences

Jeremiah 10:11 stands alone in the prophetic book as a brief Aramaic warning to idol-worshipers: “The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth will perish from the earth and from beneath these heavens”. The word punctures the illusion of permanence projected by false deities.

Six further uses cluster in Daniel. Four relate to Nebuchadnezzar’s decree against the wise men (Daniel 2:12, 2:18, 2:24 [twice]), where political power threatens to “destroy” the court sages unless divine revelation intervenes. The remaining two occur in Daniel’s night visions (Daniel 7:11, 7:26), depicting the final removal of bestial world empires that oppose God. Together they form a literary arc: from the threatened destruction of godly servants to the ultimate destruction of ungodly kingdoms.

Theological Themes

1. Divine Supremacy over Idols and Empires

Both Jeremiah and Daniel reveal that anything raised against the Creator is destined to perish. The same verb links wooden idols (Jeremiah 10:11) with colossal beasts (Daniel 7:11). What human culture venerates—whether crafted gods or imperial systems—cannot withstand the decree of the true God.

2. Conditional Mercy and Judgment

The crisis of Daniel 2 shows that judgment (“to destroy all the wise men”) is not God’s final word. Through prayer and revelation Daniel and his companions “would not perish” (Daniel 2:18). The verb thus lends itself to a theology of conditionality: judgment is real, but repentance and divine intervention provide rescue.

3. Eschatological Certainty

In Daniel 7 the verb is cast forward into the end-time courtroom. “The beast was slain, and its body destroyed” (Daniel 7:11), and the final adversary’s dominion “will be destroyed forever” (Daniel 7:26). The word therefore contributes to biblical eschatology by assuring believers that evil powers face an irreversible terminus.

Historical Setting

All seven occurrences are embedded in literature produced during, or reflecting upon, the Babylonian exile. In that milieu God’s people lived under foreign domination, tempted to fear imperial decrees and impressed by visible grandeur. By declaring that idols and empires alike will perish, the writers reaffirm the covenantal hope that history remains under Yahweh’s control.

Connections with Broader Biblical Revelation

The Hebrew Bible often employs the cognate אבַד to speak of covenant curses (Deuteronomy 30:18) or the fate of the wicked (Psalm 1:6). The Aramaic אֲבַד in Jeremiah and Daniel aligns with this pattern, while its themes carry effortlessly into the New Testament: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). The consistent message—from exile to Calvary—remains that rebellion leads to perishing, but divine grace offers deliverance.

Pastoral and Homiletical Applications

• Warning against Idolatry: As in Jeremiah 10:11, modern idols of materialism or self-sufficiency are destined to vanish; preaching can expose their frailty.
• Encouragement under Oppression: Daniel 2 and 7 equip believers facing hostile authorities. Earthly decrees may threaten, yet God’s sovereign plan ensures that His servants will not ultimately perish.
• Hope in Final Justice: The picture of destroyed beasts anchors Christian confidence that every anti-godly power will meet its appointed end.

Suggested Cross-References for Study

Deuteronomy 32:39; Psalm 92:9; Isaiah 41:11-12; Obadiah 1:10; Matthew 10:28; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 18:2.

וְהוּבַ֣ד וּלְהוֹבָדָ֖ה והובד ולהובדה יְהֹֽבְדוּן֙ יֵאבַ֧דוּ יאבדו יהבדון לְה֣וֹבָדָ֔ה לְהוֹבָדָ֖ה להובדה תְּהוֹבֵ֔ד תהובד lə·hō·w·ḇā·ḏāh leHoaDah ləhōwḇāḏāh tə·hō·w·ḇêḏ tehoVed təhōwḇêḏ ū·lə·hō·w·ḇā·ḏāh ulehoaDah ūləhōwḇāḏāh vehuVad wə·hū·ḇaḏ wəhūḇaḏ yê·ḇa·ḏū yə·hō·ḇə·ḏūn yêḇaḏū yəhōḇəḏūn yehoeDun yeVaduInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts