שְׁכוֹל (she.khol)
she.khol
bereavement
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun shekhol describes the profound state of bereavement, specifically referring to the loss of children. It captures more than just grief; it signifies the social and personal void left by the absence of offspring, a central concern in ancient Near Eastern culture where lineage ensured identity and security.
This term appears sparingly in Scripture, occurring in only three verses, primarily within the poetic books of Psalms and Isaiah. Its limited usage underscores its weight as a specific descriptor for childlessness or the death of one’s progeny, rather than general mourning. In these contexts, it often highlights the depth of human suffering or the vulnerability of those who have lost their future generations.
Translators typically render shekhol as "bereavement" or "loss of children," preserving the specific nature of the tragedy. The word serves as a stark reminder of the emotional and cultural stakes surrounding family in biblical times, where having children was seen as a blessing and childlessness, or the loss thereof, as a significant calamity.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word shekhol points to a very specific kind of pain: the loss of children or the deep ache of childlessness. In ancient times, family lines were everything for identity and security. Losing that future felt like a social void as well as a personal tragedy. It is a heavy term, used sparingly in Scripture to describe one of life's most devastating losses.
When you read about this in Psalms or Isaiah, it reminds us that God sees the depth of human suffering. He does not dismiss the pain of losing a child or the fear of never having one. These verses show that such grief is real and valid, and it is brought before God who cares deeply about our families and our futures.
Even in passages like Isaiah 47, where this word warns of coming judgment, it highlights how precious children are. The loss is described as sudden and complete. For those who have experienced this, the Bible offers a space to bring that heavy heart to God, knowing He understands the weight of such bereavement.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- childlessness2×
- bereavement1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- שְׁכ֣וֹל2×
- שְׁכֽוֹל\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Psalms 35:12
They reward me evil for good, to the bereaving of my soul.
David uses this word to describe how enemies' cruelty caused him deep sorrow, linking their actions directly to the 'bereaving' of his soul.
-
Isaiah 47:8
“Now therefore hear this, you who are given to pleasures, who sit securely, who say in your heart, ‘I am, and there is no one else besides me. I won’t sit as a widow, neither will I know the loss of children.’
Babylon boasts she will never know this loss, showing how central children were to her sense of security and eternal legacy.
-
Isaiah 47:9
But these two things will come to you in a moment in one day: the loss of children and widowhood. They will come on you in their full measure, in the multitude of your sorceries, and the great abundance of your enchantments.
This verse predicts that the very thing Babylon feared—losing her children—will strike suddenly and completely as judgment for her pride.