← H7920 H7922 →

שָׁכֹל

𐤔𐤊𐤋

shâkôl

H7921 verb

SILEX Entry

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

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

שכל (shᵉkôwl) — to be bereaved, lose children, suffer loss

Root שכל 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 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H7921-13 תְּשַׁכֶּל teshakel HVpi3fs miscarries she will make childless it will make childless 3
H7921-11 שִׁכְּלָ֤ה shikelah HVpp3fs bereaves she bereaved she bereaved 2
H7921-01 אֶשְׁכַּ֛ל eshekal HVqi1cs should I lose I will be bereaved I should lose 1
H7921-02 לְ/שַׁכְּלָֽ/ם leshakelam HR/Vpc/Sp3mp to bereave them to make them childless to make them childless 1
H7921-03 מַשְׁכִּ֔יל mashekil HVhrmsa miscarrying bereaving one miscarrying one 1
H7921-04 מְשַׁכָּֽלֶת meshakalet HVprfsa miscarries bereaving one causes bereavement 1
H7921-05 מְשַׁכֵּלָ֥ה meshakelah HVprfsa miscarrying child-bereaving one miscarrying one 1
H7921-06 שָׁכָֽלְתִּי shakhaleti HVqp1cs I am bereaved I have been bereaved I have been bereaved 1
H7921-07 שָׁכֹ֖לְתִּי shakholeti HVqp1cs I am bereaved I have been bereaved I have been bereaved 1
H7921-08 שְׁכוּלָ֖ה shekhulah HAafsa bereaved bereaved of offspring bereaved of offspring 1

Occurrences in Scripture

24 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H7921-01 Genesis 27:45 אֶשְׁכַּ֛ל eshekal HVqi1cs should I lose I will be bereaved I should lose
H7921-12 Genesis 31:38 שִׁכֵּ֑לוּ shikelu HVpp3cp miscarried they made childless miscarried
H7921-09 Genesis 42:36 שִׁכַּלְתֶּ֑ם shikaletem HVpp2mp you have bereaved you have made childless you have bereaved
H7921-07 Genesis 43:14 שָׁכֹ֖לְתִּי shakholeti HVqp1cs I am bereaved I have been bereaved I have been bereaved
H7921-06 Genesis 43:14 שָׁכָֽלְתִּי shakhaleti HVqp1cs I am bereaved I have been bereaved I have been bereaved
H7921-05 Exodus 23:26 מְשַׁכֵּלָ֥ה meshakelah HVprfsa miscarrying child-bereaving one miscarrying one
H7921-19 Leviticus 26:22 וְ/שִׁכְּלָ֣ה veshikelah HC/Vpq3fs and bereave and she made childless and she made childless
H7921-13 Deuteronomy 32:25 תְּשַׁכֶּל teshakel HVpi3fs shall bereave she will make childless it will make childless
H7921-11 1 Samuel 15:33 שִׁכְּלָ֤ה shikelah HVpp3fs has made childless she bereaved she bereaved
H7921-15 1 Samuel 15:33 תִּשְׁכַּ֥ל tishekal HVqi3fs shall be childless she will lose offspring she will lose offspring
H7921-04 2 Kings 2:19 מְשַׁכָּֽלֶת meshakalet HVprfsa miscarries bereaving one causes bereavement
H7921-16 2 Kings 2:21 וּ/מְשַׁכָּֽלֶת umeshakalet HC/Vprfsa or miscarriage bereaving or miscarriage
H7921-08 Isaiah 49:21 שְׁכוּלָ֖ה shekhulah HAafsa bereaved bereaved of offspring bereaved of offspring
H7921-10 Jeremiah 15:7 שִׁכַּ֤לְתִּי shikaleti HVpp1cs I bereaved I made childless I made childless
H7921-21 Ezekiel 5:17 וְ/שִׁכְּלֻ֔/ךְ veshikelukhe HC/Vpq3cp/Sp2fs and-they-will-bereave-you they will bereave you and they will bereave you
H7921-20 Ezekiel 14:15 וְ/שִׁכְּלָ֑תָּ/ה veshikelatah HC/Vpq3fs/Sp3fs and bereaves it and she bereaved her and it bereaves it
H7921-02 Ezekiel 36:12 לְ/שַׁכְּלָֽ/ם leshakelam HR/Vpc/Sp3mp to bereave them to make them childless to make them childless
H7921-17 Ezekiel 36:13 וּ/מְשַׁכֶּ֥לֶת umeshakelet HC/Vprfsc and bereaving and child-bereaving and child-bereaving
H7921-14 Ezekiel 36:14 תְשַׁכְּלִי teshakeli HVpi2fs you-shall-miscarry you will bereave you will bereave
H7921-18 Hosea 9:12 וְ/שִׁכַּלְתִּ֖י/ם veshikaletim HC/Vpq1cs/Sp3mp and-I-will-bereave-them and I will bereave them and I will bereave them
H7921-03 Hosea 9:14 מַשְׁכִּ֔יל mashekil HVhrmsa miscarrying bereaving one miscarrying one
H7921-13 Malachi 3:11 תְשַׁכֵּ֨ל teshakel HVpi3fs will miscarry she will make childless it will make childless
H7921-13 Job 21:10 תְשַׁכֵּֽל teshakel HVpi3fs miscarries she will make childless miscarries
H7921-11 Lamentations 1:20 שִׁכְּלָה shikelah HVpp3fs bereaves she bereaved she bereaved
← H7920 Hebrew Lexicon H7922 →