SPOILER

spoil'-er (ha-shodhedh, "the spoiler"): A favorite expression of the prophet Jeremiah by which he describes generally the enemies that invade and devastate a country--with special reference to enemies that invade Judah (Jeremiah 12:12; 15:8); to enemies who devastate Moab (Jeremiah 48:8,18); to enemies from the North who are to assail Babylon (Jeremiah 51:48), and in one case (Jeremiah 6:26) to Nebuchadrezzar making an irresistible advance upon Jerusalem. the American Standard Revised Version uniformly renders "destroyer."

From the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Edited by James Orr, published in 1939 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.