Original Word: שָׁדַד
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: shadad
Pronunciation: shah-DAD
Phonetic Spelling: (shaw-dad')
KJV: dead, destroy(-er), oppress, robber, spoil(-er), X utterly, (lay) waste
NASB: destroyed, destroyer, destroy, devastated, ruined, destroyers, destroying
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. (properly) to be burly
2. (figuratively) to be powerful
3. (passively) to be impregnable
4. (by implication) to ravage

dead, destroyer, oppress, robber, spoiler, utterly, lay waste

A primitive root; properly, to be burly, i.e. (figuratively) powerful (passively, impregnable); by implication, to ravage -- dead, destroy(-er), oppress, robber, spoil(-er), X utterly, (lay) waste.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to deal violently with, despoil, devastate, ruin
NASB Translation
assaults (1), completely destroyed (1), dead (1), desolate (1), despoil (1), destroy (7), destroyed (12), destroyer (9), destroyer still destroys (1), destroyers (4), destroying (2), devastate (2), devastated (6), lays waste (1), robbers (1), ruined (6).

[שָׁדַד]₅₆ verb deal violently with, despoil, devastate, ruin (Late Hebrew id., Niph`al; Arabic stop up, obstruct, arrest, make firm; Ethiopic expel; Assyrian šadâdu is draw, drag); —

Qal Perfect3plural consecutive וְשָֽׁדְדוּ Ezekiel 32:12; suffix שַׁדּוּנִי Psalm 17:9; Imperfect3masculine singular יָשׁוּד (metaplastic, compare Ges^{§ 67q} Bae) Psalm 91:6 suffix יְשָׁדֵּם (Ges^{§ 67n}) Proverbs 11:3 Qr (Kt Perfect ושׁדם), יְשָׁדְדֵם Jeremiah 5:6; Imperative masculine plural שָׁדְדו (Ges^{§ 67cc}) Jeremiah 49:28; Infinitive absolute שָׁדוֺד Micah 2:4; construct לִשְׁדוֺד Jeremiah 47:4 (Ges^{§ 45g}), compare also שֹׁד Hosea 10:14; Participle active שֹׁדֵד Jeremiah 6:26 +,etc.; pass. שָׁדוּד Judges 5:27 +, feminine שְׁדוּדָה Psalm 137:8; — violently destory, person, = slay Judges 5:27 (passive), Jeremiah 5:6 (wolf subject; "" הִכָּה); accusative Philistines Jeremiah 47:4 ("" הִכְרִית), Jeremiah 47:4 (subject ׳י); = devastate, accusative בָּבֶל (subject ׳י) Jeremiah 51:55, compare Psalm 137:8 (read probably הַשֹּׁדֵדָה We Du, compare Ew Hi הַשָּׁדוֺדָה see Kö^ii.194); אֶתגְּֿאוֺן מִצְרַיִם Ezekiel 32:12 ("" נִשְׁמַד), compare Hosea 10:14, אֶתמַֿרְעִיתָם Jeremiah 25:36 (subject ׳י), absolute Isaiah 21:2 ("" בָּגַד), Isaiah 33:1 (on use of pt see Ges^{§ 120b}), pass Isaiah 33:1 ("" בָּגַד), אַתְּי שָׁדוּד Jeremiah 4:30 (Gf Ba^{NB 179}, but dubious; < Du שְׁדוּדָה); = despoil, accusative of person Jeremiah 49:28; = bring person to ruin Micah 2:4 (Infinitive absolute + Niph`al q. v.), Proverbs 11:3; weaker, assail Psalm 17:9; elsewhere Participle active as substantive devastator (despoiler?): of national foes Isaiah 16:4; Isaiah 21:2; Isaiah 33:1; Jeremiah 6:26 8t. Jeremiah; שׁוֺדְדֵי לַיְלָה Obadiah 5 ("" גַּנָּבִים) strike out Now GASm; personal foe Job 15:21; representing wicked in General Job 12:6 ("" מַרְגִּיזֵי אֵל).

Niph`al Perfect1plural שָׁדוֺד נְשַׁדֻּנוּ (Ges^{§ 67u} Kö^{i. 342 f.}) we are utterly ruined.

Pi`el Imperfect2masculine singular אַלתְּֿשַׁדֵּד רִבְצוֺ Proverbs 24:15 assault not his dwelling-place ("" אַלאֱֶֿרֹב); Participle as substantive מְשַׁדֶּדאָֿב Proverbs 19:26 he who assaults, maltreats (his) father ("" יַבְרִיחַ אֵם).

Pu`al Perfect3masculine singular שֻׁדַּד Isaiah 15:1 +, 3 feminine singular שֻׁדְּדָה Jeremiah 4:20 +, שָׁדְּדָה Nahum 3:7 (Ges<sup>§ 52q</sup>), etc.; — be devastated, of city Isaiah 15:1 (twice in verse); Isaiah 23:1; Jeremiah 48:1; Jeremiah 49:3; Nahum 3:7, country or nation Jeremiah 4:20, compare Jeremiah 4:13; Jeremiah 9:18; Jeremiah 48:15,20; Jeremiah 49:10, dwellings (אֹהֶל) Jeremiah 4:20; Jeremiah 10:20, trees Zechariah 11:2 (strike out Sta<sup>ZAW 1 (1881), 25</sup>), compare Zechariah 11:33, stength of ships Isaiah 23:14, field (by drought) Joel 1:10, crop Joel 1:10. Po`l. violently destroy: Imperfect3masculine singular יְשֹׁרֵד מַצֵּבוֺתָם Hosea 10:2 ("" יַעֲרֹף מִוְבְּחֹתָם).

Hoph`al Imperfect (or

Qal passive Imperfect? compare Ges^{§ 53u}) be devastated:3masculine singular כָּלמִֿבְצָרֶיךָ יוּשָּׁ֑ד Hosea 10:14 (of Ephraim, < We plural יושׁדו); 2 masculine singular תּוּשַּׁד Isaiah 33:1 (subject שׁוֺדֵד, see Qal).

Root Meaning and Overview

שָׁדַד (shadad) portrays violent stripping away, plundering, or devastation. The verb regularly describes the ruthless action of a stronger power against a weaker target, whether human aggressors or the LORD Himself executing judgment. It can denote both sudden, destructive raids and prolonged oppression that leaves the victim emptied and ruined.

Frequency and Distribution

Roughly fifty-seven occurrences are scattered from Job through Zechariah. The highest concentrations are in the prophetic books (Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Hosea–Zephaniah) where national judgment is in view. Wisdom literature employs the verb for interpersonal oppression, while historical narratives are virtually devoid of it, highlighting its rhetorical weight in preaching and prophecy.

Contexts of Devastation and Judgment

1. Foreign Invaders
• Isaiah 33:1—“Woe to you, O destroyer, never destroyed…” emphatically warns Assyria that its own tactics will return upon it.
• Jeremiah 48:8—“The destroyer will come against every city, and no town will escape”; Moab will suffer the very violence it once inflicted.
• Jeremiah 51:20–23 uses Babylon as the LORD’s war-club to “shatter” (shadad) nations, yet that same Babylon is shattered in 51:56.
2. Divine Warrior Motif
• Zephaniah 1:13—“Their wealth will be plundered and their houses laid waste.” Though Babylon will carry out the act, the text attributes the devastation to the day of the LORD.
• Hosea 10:14 presents Shalman devastating Beth-arbel, yet verse 15 argues that such destruction reflects the LORD’s retributive justice on a faithless Israel.
3. Social Oppression
• Proverbs 22:22-23—“Do not rob the poor…for the LORD will take up their case and will ruin those who rob them.” The same verb that describes imperial conquest also indicts street-level exploitation.
• Psalm 17:9 defines “the wicked who oppress me” as those who plunder with predatory zeal.

Theological Themes

Judgment with Measure. Shadad never implies random violence; it unfolds under divine sovereignty. Isaiah 10:5-7 presents Assyria as the “rod of My anger,” yet Assyria’s unchecked desire “to destroy and cut off many nations” brings its own judgment (10:12).

Retributive Justice. The moral calculus is clear: what a nation or individual does in violent plunder returns upon them (Obadiah 1:5-7; Psalm 137:8).

Hope for the Oppressed. Repeated vows that the LORD will “ruin those who ruin” His people (Jeremiah 30:16) ground the believer’s confidence that no injustice escapes His notice.

Christological and Redemptive Implications

While shadad focuses on material ruin, it foreshadows the ultimate reversal in Christ. At the cross the powers of darkness sought to “plunder” the Son, yet Colossians 2:15 declares that He “disarmed the rulers and authorities.” Revelation 18 applies the plunder motif to end-time Babylon, promising final vindication for the saints.

Pastoral and Homiletical Applications

• Warning Against Predatory Behavior. The verb’s breadth—spanning grand armies to personal theft—allows preachers to confront any form of unjust gain.
• Comfort in Affliction. Congregations facing persecution or economic exploitation find assurance in texts such as Jeremiah 4:10 and Nahum 2:2, where the LORD pledges to restore all that has been ravaged.
• Call to Forgive and Await God’s Justice. Romans 12:19 echoes the prophetic pattern: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay.”

Related Terms and Contrastive Concepts

שֹׁד (shod, “violence/devastation”) is the noun cognate, frequently paired with שָׁדַד. By contrast, שָׁלֵם (shalem, “to make whole, repay, complete”) depicts restoration. Scripture holds these side by side: the God who allows shadad as discipline also promises shalom as the ultimate state (Isaiah 32:17-18).

Representative Reference List

Job 5:22; Psalm 17:9; Isaiah 16:4; Isaiah 33:1; Isaiah 42:22; Jeremiah 4:7; Jeremiah 6:26; Jeremiah 12:12; Jeremiah 30:16; Jeremiah 48:8, 15, 18; Jeremiah 49:28; Jeremiah 50:11; Jeremiah 51:48, 56; Hosea 10:14; Joel 1:10; Amos 4:2; Micah 2:2; Nahum 2:2; Habakkuk 2:8, 17; Zephaniah 1:13; Zephaniah 3:10; Zechariah 11:6.

הַשְּׁד֫וּדָ֥ה הַשֹּׁדֵ֖ד הַשּׁוֹדְדִ֖ים השדד השדודה השודדים וְהַשּׁוֹדֵ֣ד ׀ וְשָֽׁדְדוּ֙ וְשָׁדְד֖וּ והשודד ושדדו יְשָׁדְדֵ֔ם יְשֹׁדֵ֖ד יְשָׁדֵּֽם׃ יוּשַּׁ֔ד יושד ישדד ישדדם ישדם׃ לְשֹׁ֥דְדִ֗ים לִשְׁד֣וֹד לשדדים לשדוד מְֽשַׁדֶּד־ משדד־ נְשַׁדֻּ֔נוּ נשדנו שַׁדּ֑וּנִי שָׁד֔וּד שָׁד֜וּד שָׁד֣וֹד שָׁדְּדָ֣ה שָׁדֽוּד׃ שֹֽׁדְדִ֔ים שֹׁדְדִ֛ים שֹׁדֵ֜ד שֹׁדֵ֣ד שֹׁדֵ֤ד שֹׁדֵ֥ד שֻׁדְּד֣וּ שֻׁדְּדָ֖ה שֻׁדְּדָה־ שֻׁדַּ֖ד שֻׁדַּ֣ד שֻׁדַּ֤ד שֻׁדַּ֥ד שֻׁדַּ֨ד שֻׁדָּ֑דְנוּ שֻׁדָּ֑דוּ שֻׁדָּ֔ד שֻׁדָּ֔דָה שֻׁדָּֽדְנוּ׃ שׁ֣וֹדְדֵי שׁוֹדֵ֑ד שׁוֹדֵ֔ד שׁוֹדֵ֗ד שׁוֹדֵ֥ד שׁוֹדֵד֙ שדד שדדה שדדה־ שדדו שדדים שדדנו שדדנו׃ שדוד שדוד׃ שדוני שודד שודדי תְּשַׁדֵּ֥ד תּוּשַּׁ֔ד תושד תשדד haš·šə·ḏū·ḏāh haš·šō·ḏêḏ haš·šō·wḏ·ḏîm hashsheDuDah hashshodDim hashshoDed haššəḏūḏāh haššōḏêḏ haššōwḏḏîm lə·šō·ḏə·ḏîm leShodeDim ləšōḏəḏîm liš·ḏō·wḏ lišḏōwḏ lishDod mə·šad·deḏ- məšaddeḏ- meshadded nə·šad·du·nū nəšaddunū neshadDunu šā·ḏō·wḏ šā·ḏūḏ šād·də·ḏāh šad·dū·nî šāddəḏāh šaddūnî šāḏōwḏ šāḏūḏ shaddeDah shadDuni shaDod shaDud Shoddei shoDed shodeDim shudDad shudDadah shudDadenu shudDadu shuddeDah shuddeDu šō·ḏə·ḏîm šō·ḏêḏ šō·w·ḏêḏ šō·wḏ·ḏê šōḏêḏ šōḏəḏîm šōwḏḏê šōwḏêḏ šud·dā·ḏāh šud·dā·ḏə·nū šud·dā·ḏū šud·daḏ šud·dāḏ šud·də·ḏāh šud·də·ḏāh- šud·də·ḏū šuddaḏ šuddāḏ šuddāḏāh šuddāḏənū šuddāḏū šuddəḏāh šuddəḏāh- šuddəḏū tə·šad·dêḏ təšaddêḏ teshadDed tūš·šaḏ tushShad tūššaḏ vehashshoDed veshadeDu wə·haš·šō·w·ḏêḏ wə·šā·ḏə·ḏū wəhaššōwḏêḏ wəšāḏəḏū yə·šā·ḏə·ḏêm yə·šād·dêm yə·šō·ḏêḏ yəšāddêm yəšāḏəḏêm yeshadDem yeshadeDem yeshoDed yəšōḏêḏ yūš·šaḏ yushShad yūššaḏInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts