### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **shayith**, represented by `{{H7898}}`, refers to wild growth such as weeds or briers. Its base definition describes scrub or trash, as if put upon a field. This word appears **7 times** across **7 unique verses** in the Bible, exclusively within the book of Isaiah, where it consistently denotes desolation and worthlessness.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical narrative, `{{H7898}}` is used to illustrate the consequences of judgment and neglect. A once-fruitful vineyard, when laid waste by God, is prophesied to be overgrown with briers and **thorns** [[Isaiah 5:6]]. Similarly, a prosperous land with a thousand vines is reduced to a place of briers and **thorns**, fit only for hunting with arrows and bows [[Isaiah 7:23-24]]. The word also symbolizes that which is fit for destruction; wickedness is described as a fire that devours briers and **thorns** [[Isaiah 9:18]], and the light of Israel is depicted as a flame that will burn and devour them in a single day [[Isaiah 10:17]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words provide a fuller context for the judgment associated with `{{H7898}}`:
* `{{H8068}}` **shâmîyr** (brier): This word appears alongside **shayith** in every one of its occurrences, forming a fixed pair to describe a desolate landscape. In [[Isaiah 5:6]], they are what "come up" when a vineyard is abandoned.
* `{{H1197}}` **bâʻar** (to kindle, i.e. consume): This verb describes the action taken against the thorns. God's presence as a fire will **burn** the thorns and briers [[Isaiah 10:17]], and wickedness itself **burneth** as a fire consuming them [[Isaiah 9:18]].
* `{{H398}}` **ʼâkal** (to eat... consume, devour): This word is used in parallel with burning to signify complete destruction. The fire of God's judgment will not only burn but also **devour** his thorns and briers [[Isaiah 10:17]].
* `{{H784}}` **ʼêsh** (fire): This is the agent of judgment. The light of Israel becomes a **fire** for the express purpose of destroying the thorns [[Isaiah 10:17]], directly linking the worthless growth to its purification by **fire**.
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H7898}}` is centered on its symbolism of divine judgment and its results.
* **Symbol of a Cursed Land:** The presence of **thorns** signifies a land under a curse, removed from a state of blessing and productivity. It is what grows when God removes His favor and protection [[Isaiah 5:6]].
* **Representation of Worthlessness:** Fields that were once valuable become defined by the growth of **thorns**, indicating a complete loss of their former purpose and worth [[Isaiah 7:23]].
* **Objects of Divine Purification:** Thorns are consistently portrayed as fuel for a purifying fire. God rhetorically asks who would set thorns against Him in battle, stating He would **burn** them together [[Isaiah 27:4]], positioning them as that which is hostile to God and destined for destruction.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H7898}}` is a potent and specific symbol within the prophecies of Isaiah. More than just a word for weeds, **shayith** represents the visible outcome of divine judgment: a land rendered desolate, unproductive, and worthless. It serves as a stark metaphor for that which stands in opposition to God's blessing and is therefore marked for destruction by a holy and purifying fire.
TRV