H7909 H7909
Bereaved, robbed of offspring; describing a mother — animal or human — deprived of her young, fierce in grief.
An adjective describing one robbed of offspring, carrying powerful emotional force. Its most memorable usage is the simile of the bereaved bear — a mother bear stripped of her cubs becomes ferociously dangerous (2 Sam 17:8; Hos 13:8; Prov 17:12). Hushai warns Absalom that David's men are 'as fierce as a bear robbed of her cubs,' and Proverbs declares it better to meet such a bear than a fool in his folly. In Song of Solomon 4:2 and 6:6, the image softens strikingly: ewes from the washing, 'none bereaved' — every ewe paired with twin lambs, a picture of perfect fertility and completeness.
Senses
1. bereaved (deprived of offspring) — Bereaved or deprived of offspring, describing both animals and humans who have lost their young. The Spanish 'privada de crías' (deprived of offspring) captures the sense precisely. Three occurrences form the iconic simile of the bereaved bear, ferocious in maternal grief (2 Sam 17:8; Prov 17:12; Hos 13:8). Song of Solomon uses the negation — 'none bereaved among them' — to paint a picture of complete fruitfulness among the flock (Song 4:2; 6:6). Jeremiah 18:21 applies it to human mothers in a devastating imprecation. 6×
AR["ثاكِلٌ", "مَحْرُومَاتٍ", "مَسْلوبَةِ-الْأَوْلادِ", "مُثكَلٍ", "وِ-شَكُلَّه"]·ben["এবং-বন্ধ্যা", "শাবক-হারা", "শাবক-হারানো", "শিশুহারা", "সন্তানহারা"]·DE["[שכלות]", "bereaved", "kinderlos", "und-kinderlos"]·EN["and-bereaved", "bereaved"]·FR["[שכלות]", "et-privée-de-petit", "privé", "privé-d'enfants", "privé-de-petit"]·heb["ו-שכולה", "שכול", "שכולות"]·HI["और-बाँझ", "जिसके-बच्चे-छीने-गए", "बच्चा-खोयी", "बच्चे-छीनी-हुई", "शोकित"]·ID["dan-yang-kehilangan-anak", "kehilangan-anak", "yang-kehilangan-anak"]·IT["[שכול]", "[שכלות]", "bereaved", "e-e-bereaved", "privato"]·jav["ingkang-kecalan-anak", "kang-kelangan-anak", "kélangan-anak", "lan-kang-kelangan-anak", "lan-randha,"]·KO["그리고-잃은-자", "새끼-빼앗긴", "새끼-잃은", "새끼를-잃은", "자녀-잃은"]·PT["desfilhadas", "e-estéril", "privado-de-filhos", "roubada-de-filhotes"]·RU["бездетными", "и-бездетная", "и-бездетной", "лишённая-детёнышей", "осиротевшей", "осиротевший"]·ES["privada-de-crías", "privada-de-sus-crías", "robada-de-crías", "sin-hijos", "y-ninguna-de-ellas", "y-privada-de-cría"]·SW["aliyenyanganywa-watoto", "aliyenyimwa-watoto", "aliyeporwa-watoto", "na-aliyeharibika", "waliofiwa-na-watoto"]·TR["evlatsız", "ve-kisir", "yavruları-alınmış", "yavrusunu-kaybetmiş", "yavrusuz-kalmış"]·urd["اور-بی-اولاد", "بچوں-سے-محروم", "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
† שַׁכּוּל adj. bereaved, robbed of offspring (Ba § 37 c);—especially דֹּב שׁ׳ 2 S 17:8; Ho 13:8; Pr 17:12 (sim. of fierceness); נְשֵׁיהֶם שַׁכֻּלוֹת Je 18:21; שַׁבֻּלָה אֵין בָּהֶם Ct 4:2 (of flock, in sim.) = 6:6.