H7921a H7921a
To be bereaved of children, to make childless, or to miscarry; covering the devastating spectrum from losing born children to pregnancy loss.
One of the most emotionally charged verbs in the Hebrew Bible, touching on the deepest human grief—the loss of children. Jacob's anguished cry 'you have bereaved me of my children' (Gen 42:36) and his stoic resignation 'if I am bereaved, I am bereaved' (Gen 43:14) frame the Qal experience of suffering such loss. In the Piel, the verb becomes causative and often divine: the sword bereaves from without (Deut 32:25), wild beasts are sent to make a land childless (Lev 26:22; Ezek 14:15). A distinct but related usage applies to miscarriage—'none shall miscarry in your land' (Exod 23:26)—where Spanish 'abortar' and French 'être privé d'enfants' reveal how translators wrestle with whether the focus is the parent's loss or the child's death.
1. bereave, make childless (Piel) — Piel causative: to bereave, deprive of children, make childless through killing, judgment, or destruction. The subject—whether sword (Deut 32:25), wild beast (Lev 26:22), or divine decree (Jer 15:7)—actively inflicts the loss of living children. Samuel's pronouncement that Agag's sword 'has made women childless' (1 Sam 15:33) carries this causative force with particular severity. Spanish 'dejar sin hijos' (to leave without children) precisely renders the result-state of this devastating action. 11×
AR["أَثْكَلَ-","أَثْكَلَتْ","أَثْكَلْتُ","أَثْكَلْتُمْ","أَنْ-تُثْكِلِيهِمْ","فَ-يُثْكِلُكُمْ","فَتُثْكِلُهَا","وَ-تُثْكِلُكِ","وَأُثكِلُهُم","وَمُثْكِلَةُ","يُثْكِلُ"]·ben["আর-তা-নিঃসন্তান-করে","আর-তারা-সন্তানহীন-করবে-তোমাকে","আর-সন্তানহীনকারী","এবং-সন্তানহীন-করব-তাদের","এবং-সন্তানহীন-করবে-তারা","শিশুহীন-করবে-","সন্তানহারা-করলে","সন্তানহীন-করতে।","সন্তানহীন-করলাম","সন্তানহীন-করেছে"]·DE["[ומשכלת]","[ושכלך]","[ושכלתה]","[ושכלתים]","[לשכלם]","[שכלה]","[שכלתי]","bereaved","habt-ihr-beraubt","und-es-wird-bereave","wird-bereave"]·EN["I-bereaved","and-I-will-bereave-them","and-bereaver-of","and-it-bereaves-it","and-it-will-bereave","and-they-shall-bereave-you","bereaved","bereaves","to-bereave-them","will-bereave","you-have-bereaved"]·FR["[שכלה]","[שכלתי]","et-cela-fera-bereave","et-être-privé-d'enfants","fera-bereave","privé","tu-avoir-privé-dx27enfants","être-privé-d'enfants"]·heb["ו-משכלת","ו-שיכלוך","ו-שיכלתה","ו-שיכלתים","ו-שכלה","ל-שכלם","שיכלה","שיכלתי","שכלה","שכלתם","תשכל-"]·HI["और-मारेंगी-तुझे","और-वंचित-करूँगा-उन्हें","और-वंशहीन करेगा","और-वह-निस्संतान-हो-जाए","जाति","निःसन्तान-करती-है-","बेऔलद-किय","वंचित-किया-तुमने","शोक-कराएगी-","संतानहीन-किया-मैंने"]·ID["Aku-membuat-kehilangan-anak","dan-merampas-anak","dan-mereka-akan-merampas-anakmu","dan-mereka-akan-merenggut-anak","dan-mereka-meniadakan-anak,","kamu-kehilangan-anak","maka-Aku-akan-membuat-mereka-kehilangan-anak","membuat-kehilangan-anak","membuat-kehilangan-anak-","merampas-anak","pedangmu-membuat-kehilangan-anak"]·IT["[ומשכלת]","[ושכלך]","[ושכלתה]","[ושכלתים]","[לשכלם]","[שכלה]","[שכלתי]","e-esso-fara-bereave","fara-bereave","privato","tu-avere-bereaved"]·jav["Ingsun-ngkèlangan-anak","lan-Kawula-ndadosaken-piyambakipun-lola","lan-ndadosaken-kelangan-anak","lan-ndadosaken-tanpa-anak","lan-ngentekaken-anak","lan-punika-ngrebut-anak-panjenengan","ndadosaken-kelangan-anak","ngrisakaken","sampun-damel-tanpa-anak","sampun-ndadosaken-kelangan-anak","sampéyan-sami-damel-kula-kelangan-anak"]·KO["그들을-자녀-잃게-하지","그러나-이별하게-하리라-그들을","그리고-그것들이-너를-자식-없게-하리라","그리고-자녀-잃게-하는","그리고-자녀없게-할것이다","그리고-자식-잃게-하면","내가-자녀를-잃게-했다","빼앗으리라-","자녀-없게-했네","자식-잃게-했다","자식없게-했다"]·PT["a-desfilhar-os","desfilhei,","desfilhou","destruirá","e-a-deixar-sem-filhos","e-deixar-te-á-sem-filhos","e-deixarei-os-sem-filhos","e-desfilhadora-de","e-vos-desfilhará","enluta","enlutastes"]·RU["бездетит","будет-губить-","и-лишающая-детей","и-лишит-детей","и-лишу-их","и-обездетит-её","и-осиротят-тебя","лишал-детей","лишать-их-детей","лишили-детей-вы","лишу-детей"]·ES["a-dejarlos-sin-hijos.","dejará-sin-hijos","dejó-sin-hijos","despoja-de-hijos","los-dejé-sin-hijos","me-privasteis-de-hijos","y-dejadora-sin-hijos-de","y-la-dejare-sin-hijos","y-los-despojaré","y-os-dejará-sin-hijos","y-te-despojarán"]·SW["Nimewafanya-kufiwa","amewatwaa","itaangamiza","kusambaza","kuwafifilisha","na-inayofifilisha","na-wakaifanya-isizae","na-watakufiisha","na-watawafanya-kufiwa-na-watoto","nitawanyima","unaua"]·TR["ve-çocuksuz-bırakacak","ve-çocuksuz-bırakacaklar","ve-çocuksuz-bırakacağım-onları","ve-çocuksuz-bırakan","ve-çocuksuz-bırakırsa","yok-edecek-","çocuksuz-bırakmaya-onları","çocuksuz-bıraktı","çocuksuz-bıraktım","çocuksuz-bıraktınız"]·urd["اور-بے-اولاد-کرنے-والی","اور-بے-اولاد-کرے-گی","اور-وہ-اُسے-ویران-کرے","اور-یتیم-کروں-گا-اُن-کو","بچوں-کو-مارتی-ہے","بے-اولاد-کرےگی-","بے-اولاد-کیا","بے-اولاد-کیا-تم-نے","لا-اولاد-کیا-میں-نے","محروم-کرنے-کو-اُنہیں","و-وہ-بے-اولاد-کریں-تجھے"]
Gen 42:36, Lev 26:22, Deut 32:25, 1 Sam 15:33, Jer 15:7, Lam 1:20, Ezek 5:17, Ezek 14:15, Ezek 36:12, Ezek 36:13, Hos 9:12
▼ 3 more senses below
Senses
2. be bereaved of children (Qal) — Qal stative: to be bereaved, to suffer the loss of one's children. The subject experiences rather than causes the loss. Jacob's double use in Gen 43:14 ('if I am bereaved, I am bereaved') expresses grieving resignation, while Rebekah fears being 'bereaved of you both' (Gen 27:45). French 'Je suis privé d'enfants' and German 'beraubt' capture the passive suffering, the deprivation endured rather than inflicted. 4×
AR["أُثكَلُ","تُثْكَلُ","ثَكِلْتُ"]·ben["আমি-হারাব","সন্তানহারা-হয়েছি","সন্তানহীন-হবে"]·DE["bin-ich-beraubt","ich-beraubt-bin","soll-ich-beraubt-werden","wird-sein-bereaved"]·EN["I-am-bereaved","should-I-be-bereaved","will-be-bereaved"]·FR["Je-suis-privé-dx27enfants","fera-être-privé","should-Je-être-privé-dx27enfants"]·heb["אשכל","שכלתי","תשכל"]·HI["बेऔलद-होगि","वंचित-हुआ-मैं","वंचित-होऊँ"]·ID["akan-kehilangan-anak","aku-kehilangan","aku-kehilangan-anak","kehilangan-anak"]·IT["io-am-bereaved","should-io-essere-bereaved","vorrà-essere-privato"]·jav["badhé-tanpa-anak","kelangan-anak","kula-kelangan","kula-kelangan-anak"]·KO["잃으리요","자식-잃었다","자식-잃었다면","자식없게-될것이다"]·PT["fui-enlutado","perderei","será-desfilhada"]·RU["лишился-детей","лишится-детей","лишусь-детей","лишусь-я"]·ES["fui-privado-de-hijos","quedará-sin-hijos","seré-privada"]·SW["atatwaliwa","nimenyimwa","nipoteze"]·TR["kaybedeceğim","çocuksuz-kalacak","çocuksuz-kaldım","çocuksuz-kalırım"]·urd["بے-اولاد-ہوا-میں","بے-اولاد-ہوگی","محروم-ہوں"]
3. miscarry, abort (Piel) — Piel applied to pregnancy: to miscarry, to cast the young, to suffer or cause the loss of unborn offspring. Used of both animals and women—Jacob's ewes 'did not miscarry' (Gen 31:38), the Exodus promise 'none shall miscarry' (Exod 23:26), and Job's observation that the wicked man's cow 'does not miscarry' (Job 21:10). Spanish 'abortar' and the Malachi passage (Mal 3:11) where God rebukes the devourer so the vine 'will not miscarry' extend the term to agricultural fertility as well. 4×
AR["أَسْقَطَتْ","تُسْقِطُ","مُسقِطَةٌ"]·ben["গর্ভপাত-করেছে","গর্ভপাতকারী","নষ্ট-হবে","সে-গর্ভপাত-করে"]·DE["[תשכל]","eins-miscarrying","haben-fehlgeboren"]·EN["miscarried","miscarries","one-miscarrying","will-fail"]·FR["miscarried","un-miscarrying","être-privé-d'enfants","תשכל"]·heb["משכלה","שכלו","תשכל"]·HI["गँवाईं-बच्चे","गर्भपात-करने-वाली","वह-गर्भपात-करती","होगी-बाँझ"]·ID["akan-gagal-berbuah","keguguran","yang keguguran"]·IT["[תשכל]","miscarried","miscarries","uno-miscarrying"]·jav["gagal-woh","kluron","piyambakipun-sami-nglurung","tiyang-ingkang-ngguguraken"]·KO["립하리라","유산하는-자와","유산하지-않는다","유산했다"]·PT["aborta","abortante","abortaram","abortará"]·RU["выкидывает","выкидывали","выкидывающей","выкинет"]·ES["aborta.","abortaron","abortará","la-que-aborta"]·SW["haavyai","inayoharibu-mimba","itaharibika","kuharibika"]·TR["düşük-yapan","düşük-yapar","düşük-yaptılar","düşürecek"]·urd["بانجھ-رہے-گی","بچہ-گرانے-والی","گرائیں","گراتی"]
4. cause miscarriage (Hifil) — Hifil causative: to cause miscarriage, to induce the casting of the womb's fruit. Occurring solely in Hos 9:14, where the prophet invokes a 'miscarrying womb and dry breasts' as divine judgment upon Ephraim. The Hifil intensifies the causative agency beyond the Piel, making the verb's subject the direct instrument of pregnancy failure. German '[משכיל]' and Spanish 'que aborta' reflect the active-causative grammar of this rare stem. 1×
AR["مُسقِطَةً"]·ben["গর্ভপাতকারী"]·DE["[משכיל]"]·EN["miscarrying"]·FR["être-privé-d'enfants"]·heb["משכיל"]·HI["गिरानेवाला"]·ID["yang-keguguran"]·IT["[משכיל]"]·jav["garing"]·KO["유산하는"]·PT["abortador"]·RU["выкидывающую"]·ES["que-aborta"]·SW["linaloharibu-mimba"]·TR["düşüren"]·urd["بانجھ"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [שָׁכֹל, שָׁכַל LagBN 26] vb. be bereaved (= Arabic ثَكِلَ, 𝔗 תְּכוֹל, תְּכֵל; cf. Syriac ܬܟܳܠܴܐ loss of children);— Qal Pf. 1 s. כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁכֹלְתִּי שָׁכָ֑לְתִּי Gn 43:14 (E) if I am bereaved, I am bereaved (of father, expr. resignation; on כָ֑לְ v. Ges§ 29 u); Impf. 1 s. אֶשְׁכַּל 27:45 (E), c. acc. pers. be bereaved of you both (of mother); 3 fs. תִּשְׁכַּל מִנָּשִׁים אִמֶּ֑ךָ 1 S 15:33…