Greek word · G2049

ἐρημόω

erēmoō

to lay waste

To make desolate, lay waste, empty of inhabitants, ruin. Passive: to be devastated or depopulated. It is related to erēmos, 'wilderness, deserted place'.

Appears 5 times in 5 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ἐρημόω, -ῶ

(ἔρημος), [in LXX for חָרַב hi., שָׁמֵם ni., etc. ;]

to desolate, lay waste: Matthew 12:25, Luke 11:17, Revelation 17:16 18:16, 19.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Matthew 12:25

Range of meaning

To make desolate, lay waste, empty of inhabitants, ruin. Passive: to be devastated or depopulated. It is related to erēmos, 'wilderness, deserted place'.

Against the English

KJV/WEB 'is brought to desolation' and BSB/ESV-style 'laid waste' keep the image of devastated land. NIV's 'ruined' is correct but loses the picture of a realm turned into empty wilderness. BSB's future 'will be laid waste' slightly changes the Greek present, which states what always happens.

Used elsewhere in the period

The Septuagint uses it often for the devastation of land and cities under judgment or war (e.g. throughout Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel). In the NT: Rev 17:16 and 18:17, 19 (Babylon 'laid waste in one hour'). Related words in Matthew: 23:38 ('your house is left to you desolate', erēmos) and 24:15 ('the abomination of desolation', erēmōsis).

From the study of Revelation 17:16

Range of meaning

To make into an erēmos, a wilderness or uninhabited waste. To depopulate or lay waste a city or land. In the passive, to be laid waste or abandoned.

Against the English

"Desolate" (KJV, BSB, WEB) is accurate in older English, but today it often means lonely or miserable ("she felt desolate"). The Greek is physical and political: an emptied, ruined city.

How it drifted

In modern English "desolate" is used mostly for feelings. Its older sense, "ruined and uninhabited", has become secondary.

Used elsewhere in the period

This is common LXX language for a city laid waste by judgment (e.g., Isaiah 6:11; Jeremiah 33:10; Ezekiel 26:19 of Tyre). Jesus' saying "your house is left to you desolate" (Matthew 23:38) uses the related adjective. Revelation 18:17, 19 repeats this verb: "in one hour she has been laid waste."

From the study of Luke 11:17

Range of meaning

To make into an erēmos, a wilderness or deserted place: to depopulate, strip bare, lay waste. It is used of cities and lands after war.

Against the English

BSB "will be laid waste", KJV and WEB "is brought to desolation", YLT "is desolated". BSB and NIV turn the Greek present into a future ("will be"). The Greek states a general truth that always holds: such a kingdom is laid waste.

Used elsewhere in the period

Frequent in the Septuagint for the devastation of Israel's land and cities after invasion. In the New Testament it is used of Babylon's sudden ruin (Revelation 17:16; 18:17, 19).

Where it appears

Matthew · 1

  1. Matthew 12:25 ἐρημοῦται, is brought to desolation,

    Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.

    Here: Present passive used for a general truth: such a kingdom 'is turned into a wasteland'. The word comes from erēmos, 'desert', and brings to mind ruined, emptied land.

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 11:17 ἐρημοῦται, is brought to desolation,

    Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste, and a house divided against a house will fall.

    Here: "Is made a wasteland": emptied of people, stripped and ruined. The present tense states a general truth: this is what always happens.

Revelation · 3

  1. Revelation 17:16 ἠρημωμένην desolated

    And the ten horns and the beast that you saw will hate the prostitute. They will leave her desolate and naked, and they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.

    Here: The verb means "turned into a wilderness (erēmos)". The perfect form describes a lasting end-state. The woman John was carried "into the wilderness" to see (17:3) will herself become a wilderness.

  2. Revelation 18:17 ἠρημώθη has been brought to desolation

    For in a single hour such fabulous wealth has been destroyed!” Every shipmaster, passenger, and sailor, and all who make their living from the sea, will stand at a distance

    Here: "Was made a wasteland." The verb comes from erēmos, "desert, wilderness." The wealth was not just lost. It was turned into desert. The past tense describes a future judgment as if it were already done.

  3. Revelation 18:19 ἠρημώθη. she has been desolated.

    Then they will throw dust on their heads as they weep and mourn and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, where all who had ships on the sea were enriched by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been destroyed.”

    Here: A passive past-tense verb: she was made into an erēmos, a wilderness or empty wasteland. The crowded port city is emptied of people.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.