H6185 H6185
childless, stripped; bereft of offspring, without heir or descendants
An adjective meaning childless or stripped, specifically denoting one without descendants. Genesis 15:2 captures Abraham's anguish: 'I continue childless,' fearing he will die without an heir. Jeremiah pronounces judgment on Jeconiah: 'Write this man down as childless' (22:30)—not literally without children, but dynastically, as none would succeed him on David's throne. Leviticus 20:20-21 declares that certain forbidden unions will result in being 'childless'—dying without offspring as divine punishment. The term expresses the devastating ancient Near Eastern condition of having no descendants to carry on one's name and inheritance.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Childless, without descendants or heir. Genesis 15:2 voices Abraham's fear of dying childless without inheritance. Leviticus 20:20-21 prescribes childlessness as punishment for illicit unions. Jeremiah 22:30 pronounces Jeconiah 'childless' in the dynastic sense—no descendant would reign. All four contexts emphasize the tragedy or judgment of lacking offspring, cutting off one's line and legacy. 4×
AR["عَقِيمًا", "عَقِيمَيْنِ"]·ben["নিঃসন্তান"]·DE["[ערירי]", "childless", "kinderlos"]·EN["childless"]·FR["[ערירי]", "childless", "sans-enfant"]·heb["ערירי", "ערירים"]·HI["निःसन्तान", "निहसन्तन", "सन्तानहीन"]·ID["tanpa-anak"]·IT["[ערירי]", "childless"]·jav["tanpa-anak", "tanpa-putra", "tanpa-turun"]·KO["자녀-없이", "자식-없이", "자식이-없는-자로"]·PT["estéreis", "sem-filhos"]·RU["бездетный", "бездетным", "бездетными"]·ES["sin-hijos"]·SW["asiye-na-mtoto", "bila-mtoto", "bila-watoto"]·TR["çocuksuz"]·urd["بے-اولاد"]
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)H2416e 1. life, lifespan, lifetime (145×)G2198 1. be alive, have life (133×)H8193 1. lip, lips (body part) (123×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† עֲרִירִי adj. stripped, specif. childless;—ע׳ Gn 15:2 (JE), Je 22:30; pl. עֲרִירִים Lv 20:20, 21 (H).