English · KJV
H1820

דָּמָה

dâmâh /daw-mam'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto be dumb or silent; hence, to fail or perish; trans. to destroy
KJV usagecease, be cut down (off), destroy, be brought to silence, be undone
Idioms & phrasesidiom utterly.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of dâmâh — 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 Hebrew word dâmâh, represented by H1820, is a primitive root signifying destruction, silence, or cessation. It appears 16 times across 14 unique verses in the Bible. Its meaning ranges from being silent or dumb to failing, perishing, or being utterly destroyed.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H1820 is frequently used in prophecies of divine judgment. The word describes the fate of cities like Ar and Kir of Moab, which are "brought to silence" Isaiah 15:1, and Ashkelon, which is "cut off" Jeremiah 47:5. It is also used to express personal anguish and conviction, as when Isaiah, in the presence of God, cries out, "I am undone" Isaiah 6:5. The prophet Hosea links this destruction directly to Israel's disobedience, stating, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" Hosea 4:6. The word can also simply mean to cease, as when Jeremiah's eyes are not to "cease" from weeping Jeremiah 14:17.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the context of destruction and silence associated with H1820:

  • H7703 shâdad (to ravage... destroy(-er), spoil(-er),... waste): This term for violent destruction or spoiling often appears alongside H1820. For example, it is used to describe Tyre as being "laid waste" Isaiah 23:1.
  • H3988 mâʼaç (to spurn... despise, refuse, reject): This word highlights the reason for the destruction. In Hosea, the people are destroyed because they have "rejected" knowledge Hosea 4:6. This same term is used when Saul is told he was "rejected" from being king because he "rejected" God's word 1 Samuel 15:23.
  • H7911 shâkach (to mislay... to be oblivious of... forget): Often, the silence or destruction of H1820 is a consequence of forgetting God. The same verse in Hosea that speaks of destruction notes that the people have "forgotten the law of thy God" Hosea 4:6. Scripture repeatedly warns against this, as in Deuteronomy 4:9, "lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen."

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H1820 is significant, primarily in its portrayal of consequences and finality.

  • Divine Judgment: The word is frequently a term of final judgment pronounced by the prophets. It describes the complete end of nations, cities, and kings who oppose God or lead his people astray. For example, the king of Israel is to be "utterly be cut off" Hosea 10:15.
  • The Consequence of Forgetting God: H1820 is not arbitrary destruction. It is presented as the direct result of Israel's actions, specifically rejecting divine knowledge and forgetting God's law, as stated plainly in Hosea 4:6.
  • The Brevity of Life: The psalmist uses H1820 to underscore the transient nature of human existence, noting that a person in honor who lacks understanding is like the beasts that "perish" Psalms 49:20.

Summary

In summary, H1820 is a powerful and solemn word in the Hebrew Bible. It moves beyond a simple definition of silence to encompass the ultimate consequences of sin and disobedience, including complete destruction and being "cut off". From the national judgments pronounced upon Moab and Samaria to the personal mortality of humankind, dâmâh serves as a stark reminder of finality and the result of rejecting divine knowledge.

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 Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 16 occurrences, inflected in 11 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • נִדְמָה
  • נִדְמוּ
  • נִדְמֹה
  • נִדְמֶה
  • נִדְמֵיתִי
  • נִדְמֵיתָה
  • נִדְמְתָה
  • דָמִיתִי
  • תִּדְמֶינָה
  • תִדְמֶה
  • דָּמִיתִי

Related Words

Related

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.

H7703 שָׁדַד a primitive root; properly, to be burly, i.e. (figuratively) powerful (passively, impregnable); by implication, to ravag H3988 מָאַס a primitive root; to spurn; also (intransitively) to disappear; abhor, cast away (off), contemn, despise, disdain, (beco H7911 שָׁכַח or שָׁכֵחַ; a primitive root; to mislay, i.e. to be oblivious of, from want of memory or attention; [idiom] at all, (cau

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 14 verses across 7 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Hosea (4 verses); never once in the other 32.

2
Psalms
2
Isaiah
3
Jeremiah
1
Lamentations
4
Hosea
1
Obadiah
1
Zephaniah

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, by grammatical form, 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.