Havoc

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

1: Πορθέω (Strong'S #4199 — Verb — portheo — por-theh'-o )

"to destroy, ravage, lay waste," is used of the persecution inflicted by Saul of Tarsus on the church in Jerusalem,  Acts 9:21 , and  Galatians 1:23 , RV, "made havoc," for AV, "destroyed;"  Galatians 1:13 , ditto, for AV, "wasted." See Destroy , Note.

2: Λυμαίνω (Strong'S #3075 — Verb — lumainomai — loo-mah'ee-nom-ahee )

"to maltreat, outrage" (lume, "an outrage"), is translated "made havock" in  Acts 8:3 , AV (RV, "laid waste.")

Webster's Dictionary

(1): ( n.) Wide and general destruction; devastation; waste.

(2): ( v. t.) To devastate; to destroy; to lay waste.

(3): ( n.) A cry in war as the signal for indiscriminate slaughter.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hav´ok  : "Devastation," "to make havoc of" is the translation of λυμαίνομαι , lumaı́nomai , "to stain," "to disgrace"; in the New Testament "to injure," "destroy" (  Acts 8:3 , "As for Saul he made havoc of the church," the Revised Version (British and American) "laid waste"; 1 Macc 7:7, "what havoc," the Revised Version (British and American) "all the havock," exolóthreusis , "utter destruction").

The Revised Version has "made havoc of" ( porthéō ) for "destroyed" (  Acts 9:21;  Galatians 1:23 ), for "wasted" ( Galatians 1:13 ).