Dash

The idea of "to throw violently" or "to strike" with purpose of causing destruction is usually connected with the word "to dash." There is perhaps but one exception to this:

Psalms 91:12 and the quotations of this passage in the New Testament (Matthew 4:6; Luke 4:11, proskopto), have the meaning "to strike against accidentally" and not intentionally. Nahum 2:1, "he that dasheth in pieces" is doubtful. "He that scatters" would be in better harmony with the Hebrew mephits, and the following description of destruction. In all other cases "to dash" is connected with the idea of destruction, especially the infliction of punishment which is usually expressed by raTash, "to dash to the ground" (2 Kings 8:12; Isaiah 13:16, et al., "to dash in pieces," the King James Version simply "to dash"), but also by naphats, "to break to pieces" (Psalms 2:9; 137:9, et al.). See also PUNISHMENTS.

A. L. Breslich