ἄτεκνος (ateknos)
ateknos
childless
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The Greek adjective ateknos describes a state of being without children or offspring. Formed from a negative prefix and the word for "child," it literally translates to "childless." In the New Testament, this term appears only three times, all within the Gospel of Luke.
Its most notable usage occurs in Luke 20:28-29, where a Sadducee presents a hypothetical scenario about a woman who had seven husbands. The text notes that she died childless (ateknos), highlighting her lack of descendants to continue her lineage. This specific context underscores the cultural and legal significance of having offspring in ancient Jewish society.
The word carries theological weight by contrasting with God’s promise to Abraham, who was promised descendants despite his old age. While ateknos describes a human condition of barrenness or lack of heirs, it serves as a backdrop for biblical narratives where God intervenes to break this cycle, turning childlessness into a story of divine provision and legacy.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word ateknos describes the deep ache of being without children or offspring. In ancient Jewish culture, having descendants was not just a personal desire but a vital part of one’s legacy and identity. To be childless often meant facing social vulnerability and the fear that one’s name would vanish from history. This reality makes the stories in Scripture all the more poignant, as they show individuals carrying this heavy burden.
Yet, the biblical narrative consistently demonstrates that God sees those who feel left out of the future. The Sadducees in Luke 20 used a tragic case of childlessness to try and trap Jesus, but He responded by pointing to a life beyond death where such earthly losses are made new. For anyone feeling barren or overlooked today, this word reminds us that our worth is not defined by our family tree, but by our standing before God.
Even when human plans for legacy seem broken, divine provision remains available. The Bible records many who were once childless becoming mothers and fathers of nations through God’s intervention. This offers hope that no situation is too final for the Creator, who values every person regardless of their biological status.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- childless2×
- childless,1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἄτεκνος2×
- ἄτεκνος,1×
Key Verses
-
Luke 20:28
They asked him, “Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man’s brother dies having a wife, and he is childless, his brother should take the wife and raise up children for his brother.
This verse introduces the legal and social weight of the word, showing how childlessness created a complex family obligation under Mosaic law.
-
Luke 20:29
There were therefore seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died childless.
Here the term highlights the tragic futility felt by the first brother, emphasizing the cultural despair associated with dying without an heir.
-
Luke 20:30
The second took her as wife, and he died childless.
The repetition of the word in this verse underscores the escalating hopelessness of the scenario presented to Jesus.