### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **dummâh**, represented by `{{H1822}}`, means **desolation** or, more concretely, **desolate** or **destroy**. It is an exceedingly rare term, appearing only **1 time** in **1 unique verse** within the biblical text, making its single usage highly significant.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The sole appearance of `{{H1822}}` is in [[Ezekiel 27:32]], within a prophetic lamentation over the great city of Tyre. In a moment of wailing, the mourners ask a rhetorical question to emphasize the city's complete ruin: "What city is like Tyrus, like the **destroyed** in the midst of the sea?" The word powerfully captures the city's final state—not merely defeated, but utterly silenced and made desolate, a ruin situated in the very sea that was the source of its power.
### Related Words & Concepts
The context of `{{H1822}}` is framed by several words related to mourning and the subject of the lament:
* `{{H5204}}` **nîy** (wailing): This word for **lamentation** establishes the sorrowful tone of the passage where the destruction of Tyre is mourned [[Ezekiel 27:32]].
* `{{H7015}}` **qîynâh** (lamentation): Defined as a **dirge**, this term is used multiple times for the oracle against Tyre, indicating a formal, poetic expression of grief over its fall ([[Ezekiel 27:32]], [[Ezekiel 28:12]]).
* `{{H6865}}` **Tsôr** (Tyre, Tyrus): This is the subject of the judgment. The city of **Tyrus** was a powerful maritime nation whose pride and eventual desolation are a central theme in prophecy [[Ezekiel 27:32]].
* `{{H3220}}` **yâm** (sea): The destruction of Tyre is explicitly located in the **sea**, symbolizing the fall of a great naval and commercial power in the very heart of its domain [[Ezekiel 27:32]].
### Theological Significance
Theologically, the use of `{{H1822}}` serves as a potent illustration of divine judgment.
* **Judgment on Pride:** The desolation of Tyre is a direct response to its leader's arrogance. The prince of Tyrus claimed divinity, saying, "I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas" [[Ezekiel 28:2]]. The state of being "destroyed" `{{H1822}}` is the divine answer to this hubris.
* **Consequence of Betrayal:** Prophecies connect Tyre's downfall to specific sins, including breaking the "brotherly covenant" by delivering captives to Edom [[Amos 1:9]]. Its desolation is portrayed as a just outcome for its actions.
* **A Symbol of Finality:** In its only biblical use, `{{H1822}}` emphasizes an irreversible and complete ruin. The lamentation highlights that a city once thought to be without equal is now the ultimate example of desolation, serving as a warning to other nations.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H1822}}` **dummâh**, while appearing only once, delivers a powerful message. It is used exclusively to describe the absolute **desolation** of Tyrus as depicted in Ezekiel's lament. The word is not just about destruction but about a state of silent, permanent ruin that stands as a stark biblical testament to the consequences of pride and the execution of divine judgment.
TRV