שַׁכּוּל (shak.kul)
shak.kul
childless
H:AQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 7 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:A
Word Overview
The Hebrew adjective shakul describes a state of being childless, but specifically through the pain of loss rather than mere infertility. It denotes someone who has been bereaved or robbed of their offspring, carrying a heavy emotional weight that goes beyond simple statistics. This word appears in contexts where the absence of children is felt as a profound grief, marking a life marked by sorrow and deprivation.
In Scripture, shakul highlights the deep human ache of losing what was once held dear. It is used in Proverbs to describe the fate of the wicked, suggesting that their legacy ends in emptiness (Proverbs 11:7). Jeremiah employs it to personify Zion as a widow or bereaved mother, emphasizing the collective trauma of Jerusalem’s destruction (Jeremiah 15:8). These usages show how the term captures both personal tragedy and national mourning.
The root concept behind shakul involves being stripped away, leaving one empty. This imagery resonates throughout biblical poetry, where the loss of children symbolizes not just individual suffering but also divine judgment or abandonment. By focusing on this specific kind of childlessness, the text underscores the value placed on family and continuity in ancient Israelite culture.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word shakul describes a specific kind of emptiness: not just never having children, but having them taken away. It captures the sharp grief of loss, like a mother bear robbed of her cubs. This imagery appears in Scripture to show how deep that pain runs. When we face our own losses, this word reminds us that God sees the depth of our sorrow.
In Isaiah 49:21, a bereaved woman asks who brought new children into her life after being left alone. Her question shows the human struggle to find hope when life feels stripped bare. The Bible does not ignore this pain; it names it directly. We are invited to bring our raw grief to God, knowing He understands the weight of what has been taken.
This word teaches us that our value is not tied to our family status or our ability to produce a legacy. Even in the deepest mourning, there is space for divine comfort. The text acknowledges the reality of loss while pointing toward a hope that outlasts our current sorrow. You are seen in your emptiness, and you are not forgotten.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 7 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- robbed of cubs3×
- and/ [is one] deprived of offspring2×
- childless1×
- [was] bereaved1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/שַׁכֻּלָ֖ה2×
- שַׁכֻּלוֹת֙1×
- שַׁכּ֣וּל1×
- שַׁכּ֖וּל1×
- שַׁכּ֔וּל1×
- שְׁכוּלָ֖ה1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 49:21
Then you will say in your heart, ‘Who has conceived these for me, since I have been bereaved of my children and am alone, an exile, and wandering back and forth? Who has brought these up? Behold, I was left alone. Where were these?’”
This verse uses the word to describe a woman's personal feeling of being bereaved and alone, highlighting the emotional depth of loss rather than just a physical state.
-
Hosea 13:8
I will meet them like a bear that is bereaved of her cubs, and will tear the covering of their heart. There I will devour them like a lioness. The wild animal will tear them.
Here the term describes a bear robbed of her cubs, using the image to convey fierce, protective grief that mirrors divine judgment or intense emotional reaction.
-
Proverbs 17:12
Let a bear robbed of her cubs meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.
The word appears in a comparison where meeting a bereaved mother bear is more dangerous than encountering a fool, emphasizing the volatile nature of deep loss.