שְׁכוֹל
bereavement
Definition
The Hebrew noun שְׁכוֹל refers to the state of bereavement, specifically the loss of children. It denotes the profound grief and devastation experienced by a parent who has outlived their offspring. In Isaiah 47:8-9, the word is used in a prophetic warning to Babylon, describing the sudden and complete nature of this loss ('loss of children, and widowhood'). In Psalm 35:12, it describes the malicious intent of David's enemies who repay his goodness with evil, wishing such a devastating bereavement upon him.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively three times in poetic and prophetic contexts. It appears in a lament (Psalm 35:12) and in prophetic oracles of judgment against Babylon (Isaiah 47:8, 9). The usage consistently conveys a sense of utter, catastrophic loss, presented either as a malicious curse from enemies or as a direct divine judgment for arrogance and security in one's own power, as seen in Isaiah's taunt against the queen of Babylon.
Etymology
Derived from the root שָׁכֹל (shākōl, H7921), a verb meaning 'to be bereaved,' 'to lose children,' or 'to make childless.' The noun שְׁכוֹל is the infinitive construct form of this verb, functioning as a verbal noun that encapsulates the action or state of bereavement. Cognates exist in other Semitic languages, like Akkadian, with similar meanings related to loss and deprivation.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it portrays one of the most severe forms of suffering and divine judgment in the biblical worldview. The loss of children represents the cutting off of a family line and future hope. In Isaiah 47, it is a central component of God's judgment against a proud and oppressive empire (Babylon), showing that human power and security are fleeting. Understanding this term deepens the emotional weight of the curses in the Psalms and the severity of prophetic warnings, highlighting that societal and personal sin can have devastating, generational consequences.
In ancient Israelite culture, children were not only a source of joy but also economic security and the means of continuing the family name and covenant lineage. Bereavement of children was therefore considered a supreme tragedy and a sign of divine disfavor or curse (Deuteronomy 28:18, 41). It left one vulnerable and without legacy. This cultural understanding makes the threat in Isaiah 47:9—'loss of children and widowhood in one moment'—a depiction of total and instantaneous societal collapse.
אֵבֶל (ʼēḇel, H60) — a more general term for mourning or lamentation, often for the dead. יָתוֹם (yāṯôm, H3490) — refers specifically to an orphan, the child who has experienced loss, rather than the parent's state of bereavement.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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