Word Study for H4875 (מְשׁוֹאָה)

mᵉshôwʼâh /meh-o-aw'/ Ask about this word

Rootor מְשֹׁאָה · from the same as שׁוֹא

Meaning(a) ruin, abstractly (the act) or concretely (the wreck)

KJV usagedesolation, waste.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of mᵉshôwʼâh — 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 mᵉshôwʼâh, represented by H4875, denotes desolation, waste, and ruin. Derived from the same root as H7722 shôwʼ (wasteness), this term appears 3 times in 3 unique verses. It is used to describe both the abstract act of ruination and the concrete wreck that results from it.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, H4875 consistently conveys a state of utter devastation. In the prophecy of Zephaniah, it is a defining characteristic of the day of the Lord's wrath, a day described as one of "wasteness H7722 and desolation H4875" Zephaniah 1:15. In the book of Job, the term describes the barren wilderness where people suffering from want and famine flee, a place that is "desolate H7722 and waste H4875" Job 30:3. God later uses the same imagery, asking Job who has the power to satisfy the "desolate and waste ground" to make herbs grow Job 38:27.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words appear alongside H4875 to intensify the picture of devastation:

H7722 shôwʼ (wasteness): As the root word, it appears in every verse where H4875 is found, creating a powerful pairing that emphasizes complete and total ruin. It is defined as a tempest, devastation, or destruction (Zephaniah 1:15, Job 30:3, Job 38:27).
H6869 tsârâh (trouble): This word, meaning tightness or distress, is used in Zephaniah's prophecy to describe the anguish associated with the day of desolation Zephaniah 1:15.
H2822 chôshek (darkness): Also part of the description of the day of the Lord, this term signifies not just a lack of light but also misery, destruction, and sorrow Zephaniah 1:15.
H2639 cheçer (want): This word for poverty and destitution provides the context for the desolate and waste landscape in Job, highlighting a state of absolute lack Job 30:3.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H4875 is tied to concepts of judgment, emptiness, and divine power.

Divine Judgment: The word is a key descriptor for the "day of the LORD," portraying desolation not as a random event but as a direct consequence of God's wrath upon a land Zephaniah 1:15.
Ultimate Barrenness: In Job, H4875 illustrates a state of absolute physical ruin and emptiness, a landscape that is the epitome of want and famine Job 30:3.
God's Creative Power: God's question to Job about satisfying the "waste ground" establishes that even the most desolate and ruined places are subject to His sovereign power to bring forth life and provision Job 38:27.

Summary

In summary, H4875 is a potent and specific term for profound ruin. Though used sparingly, it powerfully illustrates a state of utter desolation, whether as a feature of divine judgment or as the description of a barren and empty landscape. Its consistent pairing with H7722 shôwʼ underscores the totality of the devastation, while its use in Job highlights that even in the most wasted places, God's authority remains absolute.

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 noun across 5 occurrences, inflected in 3 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.

מְשֹׁאָה
מַשּׁוּאוֹת
מַשֻּׁאוֹת

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 3 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Job (2 verses); never once in the other 37.

Job

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.