אַשְׁמָן
a fat-field
Definition
The Hebrew noun אַשְׁמָן (ʼashmân) refers to a 'fat-field' or a fertile, well-watered piece of land. Its single biblical occurrence in Isaiah 59:10 uses it in a context of desolation, where such once-productive places have become like the dead. The word thus carries a sense of lost prosperity and fertility, contrasting a former state of abundance with a present condition of barrenness. The KJV's translation as 'desolate place' captures this ironic reversal.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Isaiah 59:10. It appears in a prophetic lament describing the spiritual and social consequences of sin, where people 'grope for the wall like the blind... we are in desolate places as dead men.' Here, 'desolate places' translates אַשְׁמָן, emphasizing a stark contrast between expected fertility and experienced desolation. Its usage is poetic and metaphorical, highlighting a state of judgment and loss.
Etymology
אַשְׁמָן is likely derived from the root שֶׁמֶן (shemen, H8081), meaning 'fat, oil, richness.' This connection suggests an original meaning related to fertile, oily, or rich soil. The development of meaning to include 'desolate place' in its sole biblical use is likely an ironic reversal—a fertile place that has become barren—which fits the prophetic context of Isaiah 59.
Semantic Range
Though used only once, this word is theologically significant in its context. In Isaiah 59, it illustrates the profound consequences of Israel's covenant unfaithfulness: the blessing of fertile land (a key covenant promise) is reversed into desolation. It enriches the reading by highlighting the prophetic theme that sin turns God's intended abundance into spiritual and physical barrenness, pointing to the need for redemption (Isaiah 59:20).
In ancient Israelite culture, a 'fat-field' represented security, blessing, and divine favor, as agriculture was central to life and covenant promises (e.g., Deuteronomy 8:7-10). Isaiah's use of this term to describe desolation would have been a powerful, shocking image to his audience, underscoring the severity of their condition under God's judgment.
שָׂדֶה (śāḏeh, H7704) — a general term for 'field' or 'countryside'. אַשְׁמָן specifies a particularly fertile field. שָׁמֵן (shāmēn, H8080) — an adjective meaning 'fat' or 'rich'; shares the root concept of richness.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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