Lexical Definition

‎אַל תַּשְׁחֵת‎ ʼAl tashchêth (al tash-kayth') Do Not Destroy ^H:N-M
from ‎אַל‎ and ‎שָׁחַת‎

Al-taschith.

• § Al-taschith = "do not destroy"
• 'Thou must not destroy'
• probably the opening words to a popular song

1) (Hiphil) a command to the chief musician, or perhaps the title of a melody used for several Psalms

Brown-Driver-Briggs

Also see: עָמֹק | שׁוּחַ | שַׁחַת | דֶּרֶךְ

[‎שָׁחַת‎]₁₅₁ verb go to ruin (?), only derived species (Late Hebrew Hiph`il = Biblical Hebrew, Ecclus. ‎שחיתה‎ Eccl 30:11 corrupt act; Arabic extirpate; Ethiopic injure, violate; Tel Amarna ša—âtu is fall (especially of city), be prostrate (? of land), perhaps Canaanism (see Wkl^{TelAm. Vocab}.), Assyrian possibly šêtu, flee, escape (compare ‎אבד‎); Old Aramaic (Zinjirli) ‎שחת‎ destroy Lzb³⁷⁴, Aramaic ‎שְׁחַת‎, (assimilation of ), multilate; — very improbable Gerber^{179 denominative} from ‎שַׁחַת‎); —

Niph`al be marred, spoiled, Perfect 3 masculine singular ‎נִשְׁחַת‎, of waistcloth Jer 13:7, vessel Jer 18:4 be injured, or even (hyperb.) ruined, Imperfect 3 feminine singular ‎תִּשָּׁחֵת‎ Exod 8:20* (J) of land (‎מִפְנֵי הֶעָרֹב‎); be corrupted, corrupt, in mnorals and rel., of earth, Perfect 3 feminine singular ‎נִשְׁחָ֑תָה‎ Gen 6:12 (P), Imperfect 3 feminine singular ‎׳‎‎לִפְנֵי הָא‎ ‎׳‎‎וַתִּשּׁ‎ vGen 6:11 (P); so Participle feminine plural as adjective ‎נִשְׁחָתוֺת‎ Ezek 20:44. Pi`el Perfect 3 masculine singular ‎שִׁחֵת‎ Exod 32:7 +, suffix ‎שִׁחֶתְךָ‎ Hos 13:9 2 masculine singular ‎שִׁחַתָּ‎ Isa 14:20 +, etc.; Imperative masculine plural ‎שַׁחֵ֑תוּ‎ Jer 5:10 Infinitive construct ‎שַׁחֵת‎ Gen 13:10 +, etc.; —

1. spoil, ruin, accusative of eye Exod 21:26 (E), vineyard Jer 12:10 (figurative), branches Nah 2:3* (figurative), also = destroy, accusative of person 2Sam 1:14; 2Sam 14:11 (accusative omitted), Ezek 5:16; Ezek 20:17, ‎כָּלבָֿשָׂר‎ Gen 6:17; Gen 9:15 (P), city, fortress, etc., Gen 13:10; Gen 19:13; Gen 19:29 (all J), 2Sam 24:16; Jer 5:10 (accusative omitted), Jer 48:18; Ezek 26:4; Ezek 43:3; Lam 2:5, ruin temple vLam 2:6, nation Hos 11:9; Hos 13:9 (read perhaps ‎שִׁחַתִּךָ‎ Oort Now), land 2Kgs 19:12 (Hiph`il in || Isa 37:12), Judg 6:5; Josh 22:33 (P), Ezek 22:30; Ezek 30:11, earth Gen 9:11 (P); with ‎ל‎ object (‎ל‎ 3b), city 1Sam 23:10, person Num 32:15 (P); with accusative ‎רַחֲמָיו‎ Amos 1:11, destroyed (stifled) his compassion (or, RS^{K 28} and others, the bonds of kinship, see ‎רַחֲמִים‎), ‎בְּרִית‎ Mal 2:8, i.e. violate it, see especially ‎אַרְצָה‎ ‎׳‎‎וְשׁ‎ (that is, semen) Gen 38:9 (J) he spoiled (it) upon the ground, made it ineffective, = waste words Prov 23:8.

2. pervert, corrupt, accusative wisdom Ezek 28:17, absolute = deal corruptly, ‎הֶעֱמִיקוּ שִׁחֵתוּ‎ Hos 9:9 (compare [‎עָמֹק‎], p.770:b; but We Now read ‎שַׁחְתּוֺ‎, √ ‎שׁוח‎), Exod 32:7 (JE), Deut 9:12, so ‎לוֺ‎ ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ Deut 32:5. Hiph`il₁₀₃ Perfect 3 masculine singular ‎הִשְׁחִית‎ Gen 6:12 +; 1 singular ‎וְהִשְׁחַתִּ֫י‎ Jer 51:20, etc.; Imperfect 3 masculine singular ‎יַשְׁחִית‎ Dan 8:24 +, ‎יַשְׁחִת‎ Mal 3:11 +, ‎וַיַּשְׁחֵת‎ 1Chr 20:1 2 feminine singular ‎וַתַּשְׁחִתִי‎ Ezek 16:47, 2 masculine plural ‎תַּשְׁחִתוּן‎ Deut 4:16; Deut 31:29 Imperative masculine singular suffix ‎הַשְׁחִיתָהּ‎ 2Kgs 18:25 = Isa 36:10 Infinitive absolute ‎הַשְׁחֵת‎ Deut 31:29 construct ‎הַשְׁחִית‎ 1Sam 26:15 +, etc.; Participle ‎מַשְׁחִית‎ Gen 19:14 +, etc.; —

1. spoil, ruin, accusative crop Judg 6:4; Mal 3:11, trees Deut 20:19; Deut 20:20; Jer 11:19 (figurative), vessels 2Chr 36:19, houses 2Chr 34:11, palaces Jer 6:5 compare Isa 65:8; Lev 19:27 (H), Ruth 4:6 ‎דַּיָּם‎ ‎׳‎‎הִשׁ‎ Jer 49:9 thieves damage as much as they want; accusative of person = ruin, destroy, 1Sam 26:9; 1Sam 26:15; Judg 20:21; Judg 20:25 (+ ‎אַ֫רְצָה‎), vJudg 20:35 vJudg 20:42; 2Kgs 13:23; 2Chr 24:23 (+ ‎מִן‎ separ.), + 12 t., + (accusative of person omitted) Isa 51:13 + 4 t., accusative ‎בֵּית דָּוִד‎ 2Chr 21:7, absolute Isa 11:9 = Isa 65:25 also ruin one (by words) Prov 11:9 accusative ‎עַם‎ 2Sam 24:16; Deut 9:26 land 1Sam 6:5; Jer 36:29; Dan 11:17 (see Dr); city wall 2Sam 20:15 (Ew Th here denominative from ‎שַׁחַת‎ they were making a pit; < ᵐ5 We (?) Klo Dr Bu HPS Now ‎מְחַשְּׁבִים‎ were devising), Lam 2:8, cities and nations Gen 18:28 (twice in verse) (J, accusative omitted), Gen 19:13; Gen 19:14 (J), Isa 37:12 (Pi`el in || 2Kgs 19:12), 2Kgs 36:10 (twice in verse) = 2Kgs 18:25 (twice in verse) + 11 t. + (Israel personified) Deut 4:31; Deut 10:10; 2Kgs 8:19, pride of Judah Jer 13:9, earth Jer 51:1 absolute with adverb accusative Dan 8:24 (see Dr; Bev conjecture ‎יְשׂחֵחַ‎ or ‎יָשִׂיחַ‎ utter monstrous things), compare 1Chr 21:12 Participle as adjective, of lion Jer 2:30, angel 1Chr 21:15 = destroyer Exod 12:23 (J), Jer 22:7; Isa 54:16, ‎גּוֺיִם‎ ‎׳‎‎מ‎ Jer 4:7, ‎׳‎‎רוּחַ מ‎ Jer 51:1 singular collective (‎׳‎‎הַמּ‎ Ges^{«GKC:126l»§ 126l}; the destroying band, compare Dr Bu Now) 1Sam 13:17; 1Sam 14:15 (spoilers, ravagers); figurative for snare, trap, Jer 5:26.

2. pervert, corrupt, morally, accusative ‎דֶּרֶךְ‎ Gen 6:12 (P; see ‎דֶּרֶךְ‎ 6), ‎נַפְשׁוֺ‎ Prov 6:32, compare Zeph 3:7; Ezek 23:11 (‎מִן‎ compare); ‎׳‎‎הִשׁ‎ ‎הִתְעִיבוּ עֲלִילָה‎ Ps 14:1 = Ps 53:2* ‎׳‎‎הַשְׁחֵת תַּשְׁח‎ (+ verb of particular act) Deut 4:16; Deut 31:29 declar. = act corruptly, Isa 1:4; Deut 4:28 (+ verb of act), 2Chr 27:2, + ‎מִן‎ compare Judg 2:19; Ezek 16:47 Participle as substantive Jer 6:28, ‎׳‎‎אִישׁ מַשׁ‎ Prov 28:24 (Prov 18:9 see infra). — ‎אַלתַּֿשְׁחֵת‎ destroy not (catchword of old song or melody ?) in Psalm-titles: Prov 57:1; Prov 58:1; Prov 59:1; Prov 75:1. Hoph`al Participle ‎מָשְׁחָת‎ spoiled, ruined, of a spring, ‎מָקוֺר‎ Prov 25:26 (|| ‎מַעְיָן נִרְפָּשׂ‎); as substantive Mal 1:14 sacrificing a spoiled thing.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References