sha.ah describes crashing devastation of cities and the crashing surge of peoples likened to mighty waters.

The verb most often occurs in scenes where cities are brought into ruin or left desolate; it also describes peoples crashing like the roar of many waters.

1. Bring cities to ruin · dominant

   In 2 Kings 19:25 and Isaiah 37:26, Hiphil infinitive constructs occur in the clause about fortified cities becoming or being turned into “crashing heaps of ruins.” In Isaiah 6:11, the supplied Qal perfect plural forms stand in the answer that cities and houses are left without inhabitants and the land desolate.

   2 Kings 19:25Isaiah 37:26Isaiah 6:11
2. Crash like surging waters · common

   In Isaiah 17:12 and Isaiah 17:13, Niphal imperfect masculine plural forms describe peoples in a comparison with the roar of seas and many waters. The APB renders the repeated clause with “they crash,” before the peoples are rebuked and flee.

   Isaiah 17:12Isaiah 17:13

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB presents the city contexts as “crashing heaps of ruins” or cities that “lie in ruins,” while it renders the water-like peoples as “they crash.” These renderings confirm the verse contexts rather than isolate a fixed English equivalent.