Destruction, loss, perdition, or ruin?
The word usually translated as destruction or perdition in other Bibles, we choose to frequently translate as ‘ruin.’ Why?
Strong’s says this about the word used in the Greek sources, that the word:
‘…does not imply ‘extinction’ (annihilation). Rather it emphasizes the consequent loss that goes with the complete ‘undoing.’’
If indeed this should be understood to mean a complete loss or a complete undoing, then the Aramaic sources might agree. The Aramaic word can mean ‘loss, perdition, waste’, although it could mean ‘ruin’ and ‘destruction’ too.
So, we’ve translated the word as ‘ruin’ to agree with both the Greek and Aramaic, and to leave it up to the reader (and the context) to decide whether it means a spiritual ruin or a physical one, or if this ruin implies a physical destruction (wether temporary or permanent).