Word Study for H8054 (שַׁמּוֹת)

Shammôwth /sham-moth'/ Ask about this word

Meaningruins; Shammoth, an Israelite

KJV usageShamoth.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of Shammôwth — 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 Shammôwth, represented by H8054, is defined as "ruins" and is used as the name of an Israelite. It is a rare term, appearing only 1 times in 1 unique verses in the entire biblical text, marking it as a highly specific personal identifier.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its single biblical appearance, H8054 is used to name an individual, Shammoth. This occurs within a list of notable figures in the book of Chronicles. The text states, "Shammoth the Harorite" 1 Chronicles 11:27, connecting this person to a specific group or location known as Haror.

Related Words & Concepts

Several other words appear in the immediate context of Shammoth, helping to place him within a specific group of people:

H2033 Hărôwrîy: This descriptive term, meaning "a Harorite or mountaineer," is directly applied to Shammoth to specify his origin or affiliation 1 Chronicles 11:27.
H2503 Chelets: The name of another Israelite, Helez, listed immediately after Shammoth. The name's meaning is perhaps "strength" 1 Chronicles 11:27.
H6397 Pᵉlôwnîy: This is a title meaning "a Pelonite," used to identify Helez in the same verse 1 Chronicles 11:27.

Theological Significance

The significance of H8054 is rooted in its role as a historical marker rather than in deep theological meaning.

Individual Identity: The primary function of Shammoth is to preserve the name of a specific Israelite within a historical record.
Associative Context: Shammoth is listed alongside other individuals like Helez H2503, a figure who is identified elsewhere as a captain over a division of twenty-four thousand men 1 Chronicles 27:10. This places Shammoth in the company of significant men.
Etymology: The name itself means "ruins." While the text does not elaborate on why an individual would carry this name, its definition stands in contrast to the context of being listed among notable figures.

Summary

In summary, H8054 is a proper name, Shammoth, appearing once in scripture. Its importance comes from its function in identifying an Israelite known as "the Harorite" within a list of other notable men. While the name's meaning is "ruins," its use in the Bible is strictly to record a person's identity.

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 1 occurrence, inflected in 1 grammatical form — 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.

שַׁמּוֹת

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

1 verse, all in 1 Chronicles — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

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.