Word Study for G2049 (ἐρημόω)

erēmóō /er-ay-mo'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom ἔρημος

Meaningto lay waste (literally or figuratively)

KJV usage(bring to, make) desolate(-ion), come to nought.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of erēmóō — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word erēmóō, represented by G2049, means to lay waste or make desolate. It appears 5 times across 5 unique verses in the Bible. The term is used both literally and figuratively to describe a state of ruin, desolation, or coming to nothing.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the Gospels, G2049 is used by Jesus to illustrate a principle: a kingdom G932 or house G3614 divided against itself is brought to desolation (Matthew 12:25, Luke 11:17). This highlights internal strife as a cause of ruin. The word takes on a more dramatic and prophetic tone in Revelation. It describes the ultimate fate of the great city, Babylon, which will be made desolate in a single hour Revelation 18:19. This desolation is portrayed as a comprehensive judgment, where great riches come to nought Revelation 18:17 and the entity herself is made both desolate and naked G1131 by those who once supported her Revelation 17:16.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the context and consequences of being made desolate:

G1266 diamerízō (to partition thoroughly): This word describes the internal division that leads to desolation. It is used to state that every kingdom G932 divided against itself is brought to desolation Luke 11:17.
G1131 gymnós (naked): Paired directly with desolation, this term signifies total shame, vulnerability, and loss. In Revelation, the whore is made both desolate and naked Revelation 17:16.
G3996 penthéō (to grieve): This is the emotional response to the ruin of desolation. The act of wailing G3996 is directly mentioned in the verse describing how the great city G4172 is made desolate Revelation 18:19.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G2049 is significant, highlighting principles of spiritual cause and effect.

The Consequence of Division: Jesus establishes that internal division is a direct path to being brought to desolation Matthew 12:25. This serves as a universal warning for any spiritual body, from a family to a kingdom G932, that disunity leads to collapse.
Sudden and Total Judgment: In Revelation, desolation is a key component of God's final judgment. The great city's wealth and power come to nought Revelation 18:17 and she is made desolate with shocking speed, "in one hour" Revelation 18:19, illustrating the swiftness and completeness of divine retribution.
Instrument of Judgment: The desolation of the whore is executed by the very powers that once aligned with her. They "shall hate G3404 the whore, and shall make her desolate G2049 and naked G1131" Revelation 17:16. This demonstrates that God can use the sinful actions of nations to fulfill His righteous purposes.

Summary

In summary, G2049 is a powerful term that conveys more than simple destruction. It illustrates a fundamental spiritual law where division inevitably leads to being brought to desolation. Furthermore, it serves as a vivid descriptor of God's final, decisive judgment against organized rebellion, transforming immense wealth and power into a state of utter ruin and nothingness in an instant.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 5 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Aorist Passive Indicative 3rd Singular 2×
Present Passive Indicative 3rd Singular 2×
Perfect Passive Participle Accusative Singular Feminine 1×

Accusative: The direct object of the verb.
Singular: One.
Feminine: Feminine grammatical gender.
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Perfect: A completed act whose results continue.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Related Words

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 5 verses across 3 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Revelation (3 verses); never once in the other 24.

Matthew

Luke

Revelation

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.