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שָׁכֹל

𐤔𐤊𐤋

shâkôl

H7921 verb

SILEX Entry

Root שכל to lose, to be deprived, to be bereaved (especially of children)

Definition

To suffer loss or deprivation of offspring, typically through death or miscarriage; by extension, to be bereaved or made childless. In both literal and figurative contexts, the term can refer to animals (miscarrying or casting young) as well as humans (being bereaved of children or rendered childless). Occasionally used more broadly to denote being deprived of cherished persons or things.

Semantic Range

to suffer miscarriage, to bereave or be bereaved, to be or become childless, to be deprived of children, to experience the loss of offspring (human or animal), to destroy or rob of descendants, to lose something cherished (figurative)

Root / Etymology

From the root שׁ־כ־ל (שָׁכַל), which carries the core meaning of 'to lose, be deprived, to be bereaved.' The verb form שָׁכֹל develops from this root and specifically refers to loss in the context of offspring or progeny.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, שָׁכֹל is most often used in contexts relating to women or animals that have lost their young, whether through natural causes (miscarriage or stillbirth), violence, or divine judgment. In legal and poetic contexts, it is also used figuratively to describe profound loss or deprivation, not limited to biological offspring (e.g., loss of a community, land, or other loved ones). The core sense involves a rupture in lineage or expected succession. The term is sometimes used in the context of curses or lamentations, underscoring the devastation associated with childlessness in ancient Israelite society. While English translations sometimes use "barren" or "childless," the Hebrew carries nuances related specifically to bereavement due to loss rather than mere inability to bear children. Distinct from עקר (ʿaqar, "barren"), which means sterile and is unrelated to loss through death; שָׁכֹל emphasizes the pain of losing offspring, not simply the absence of them. In later periods, especially poetic or prophetic literature, the term may be employed as a metaphor for the loss of a people, city, or hope.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; properly, to miscarry, i.e. suffer abortion; by analogy, to bereave (literally or figuratively); bereave (of children), barren, cast calf (fruit, young), be (make) childless, deprive, destroy, [idiom] expect, lose children, miscarry, rob of children, spoil.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שכל (sh-k-l) — to lose, to be deprived, to be bereaved (especially of children)

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7908 שְׁכוֹל child-loss bereavement
H7909 שַׁכּוּל bereaved of children
H7923 שִׁכֻּלִים your child-bereavements

Word Forms

21 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7921-13 תְּשַׁכֶּל teshakel HVpi3fs miscarries she will make childless 3
H7921-11 שִׁכְּלָ֤ה shikelah HVpp3fs bereaves she bereaved 2
H7921-16 וּ/מְשַׁכָּֽלֶת umeshakalet HC/Vprfsa or miscarriage bereaving 1
H7921-03 מַשְׁכִּ֔יל mashekil HVhrmsa miscarrying bereaving one 1
H7921-14 תְשַׁכְּלִי teshakeli HVpi2fs you-shall-miscarry you will bereave 1
H7921-01 אֶשְׁכַּ֛ל eshekal HVqi1cs should I lose I will be bereaved 1
H7921-07 שָׁכֹ֖לְתִּי shakholeti HVqp1cs I am bereaved I have been bereaved 1
H7921-09 שִׁכַּלְתֶּ֑ם shikaletem HVpp2mp you have bereaved you have made childless 1
H7921-12 שִׁכֵּ֑לוּ shikelu HVpp3cp miscarried they made childless 1
H7921-10 שִׁכַּ֤לְתִּי shikaleti HVpp1cs I bereaved I made childless 1

Occurrences in Scripture

24 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7921-01 Genesis 27:45 אֶשְׁכַּ֛ל eshekal HVqi1cs should I lose I will be bereaved
H7921-12 Genesis 31:38 שִׁכֵּ֑לוּ shikelu HVpp3cp miscarried they made childless
H7921-09 Genesis 42:36 שִׁכַּלְתֶּ֑ם shikaletem HVpp2mp you have bereaved you have made childless
H7921-07 Genesis 43:14 שָׁכֹ֖לְתִּי shakholeti HVqp1cs I am bereaved I have been bereaved
H7921-06 Genesis 43:14 שָׁכָֽלְתִּי shakhaleti HVqp1cs I am bereaved I have been bereaved
H7921-05 Exodus 23:26 מְשַׁכֵּלָ֥ה meshakelah HVprfsa miscarrying child-bereaving one
H7921-19 Leviticus 26:22 וְ/שִׁכְּלָ֣ה veshikelah HC/Vpq3fs and bereave and she made childless
H7921-13 Deuteronomy 32:25 תְּשַׁכֶּל teshakel HVpi3fs shall bereave she will make childless
H7921-11 1 Samuel 15:33 שִׁכְּלָ֤ה shikelah HVpp3fs has made childless she bereaved
H7921-15 1 Samuel 15:33 תִּשְׁכַּ֥ל tishekal HVqi3fs shall be childless she will lose offspring
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