### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **ʻîy**, represented by `{{H5856}}`, denotes a **ruin** or **heap**, as if something has been overturned. It appears **4 times** across **4 unique verses**, consistently illustrating a state of complete desolation.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
Biblically, `{{H5856}}` is used exclusively in the context of divine judgment against major cities. The psalmist laments that enemies have laid **Jerusalem** on **heaps** [[Psalms 79:1]]. This state of ruin is prophesied by both Micah and Jeremiah, who foretell that **Jerusalem** will become **heaps** and Zion will be plowed like a field ([[Micah 3:12]], [[Jeremiah 26:18]]). Similarly, the prophet Micah declares that God will make **Samaria** as an **heap** of the field, pouring its stones into the valley [[Micah 1:6]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several words are used in conjunction with `{{H5856}}` to paint a vivid picture of this destruction:
* `{{H7704}}` **sâdeh** (a field): Cities are prophesied to become a "heap **of the field**" ([[Micah 1:6]], [[Micah 3:12]]), signifying a complete reversal from a built-up area to a desolate, uncultivated space.
* `{{H3389}}` **Yᵉrûwshâlaim** (Jerusalem): This is the city most often described as being reduced to **heaps**. The fate of **Jerusalem** is central to the use of this term, symbolizing the fall of the kingdom's center ([[Psalms 79:1]], [[Micah 3:12]]).
* `{{H2022}}` **har** (a mountain): The "mountain of the house" is prophesied to become like the high places of a forest, linking the destruction of the city to the desolation of its most prominent geographical and religious feature ([[Micah 3:12]], [[Jeremiah 26:18]]).
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H5856}}` is found in its portrayal of judgment and its consequences.
* **Divine Judgment:** The transformation of a city into a **heap** is consistently presented as a direct result of God's judgment against sin and disobedience. The prophecies in Micah link this destruction directly to the actions of the people [[Micah 3:12]].
* **Utter Desolation:** The word signifies not just damage but complete and total ruin. In Micah's prophecy against Samaria, the city's stones are poured down and its very **foundations** are discovered, indicating a deconstruction to the most basic level [[Micah 1:6]].
* **Prophetic Warning:** The image of a city becoming **heaps** serves as a stark warning. The elders in Jeremiah's time recall Micah's prophecy to argue against harming a prophet, showing that the warning carried significant historical and theological weight [[Jeremiah 26:18]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H5856}}` is a potent term for complete ruin. It is not used casually but is reserved for describing the catastrophic fall of major Israelite cities as an act of divine judgment. The imagery of a once-great city being reduced to a **heap** of rubble serves as a powerful biblical symbol of the consequences of turning away from God, illustrating a total reversal from order to desolation.
TRV