Dictionary Article

Condition of being barren or childless. A closed womb was a personal tragedy in OT times. God’s command to people after the Flood was to be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth (Gn 9:1); later, Jeremiah offered the same advice (Jer 29:6). A barren wife in a polygamous marriage was subject to ridicule (Gn 16:4) or extreme jealousy (30:1). The social pressure to bear children for her husband was so great that the barren wife sometimes offered her husband a surrogate mother (16:1-2; 30:3). If a husband died without children, it was the responsibility of his brother to have children by his wife for him (38:8).

Show passage in OET: GEN 9:1

OET-RV GEN 9:1

9 Then God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.

OET-LV GEN 9:1

9 And_ god _he/it _blessed DOM Noaḩ and_DOM sons _of_his and_he/it _said to/for_them be _fruitful and_increase/multiply and_fill DOM the_earth/land.

Show passage in OET: JER 29:6

OET-RV JER 29:6

6 Marry and have children. Find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage so that they also have children. Increase in number there—don’t become fewer.

OET-LV JER 29:6

6 Take wives and_father sons and_daughters and_take for_sons _of_your(pl) wives and_DOM daughters _of_your(pl) give to_husbands so_that _they _may _bear sons and_daughters and_increase/multiply there and_do _not diminish.

Show passage in OET: GEN 16:4

OET-RV GEN 16:4

4 So he slept with Hagar and she got pregnant, but once she realised that she began to despise her mistress.

OET-LV GEN 16:4

4 And_he _went into Hāgār and_she/it _conceived/became _pregnant and_she/it _saw if/because _that she _had _conceived and_ mistress _of_her _she _became _insignificant in_eyes _of_her.

Show passage in OET: GEN 30:1

OET-RV GEN 30:1

30 Now Rahel realised that she wasn’t producing any children for Ya’akov (Jacob), so she envied her sister Le’ah, and she demanded from Ya’akov, “Give me children, and if you don’t, I’ll die!”

OET-LV GEN 30:1

30 And_ Rāḩēl _she/it _saw if/because _that not she _had _borne _children to_Yaˊₐqoⱱ/(Jacob) and_ Rāḩēl _she _was _jealous of_sister _of_her and_she/it _said to Yaˊₐqoⱱ come_NOW to/for_me children and_if not I am_about _to _die.

Show passage in OET: GEN 16:1–2

OET-RV GEN 16:1

16 Now Avram’s wife Saray (Sarai) hadn’t been able to give him any children, but she had an Mitsri (Egyptian) slave named Hagar,

OET-RV GEN 16:2

2 so Saray said to Avram, “Listen, Yahweh has prevented me from having children so please sleep with my slave. Perhaps I can have a family through her.” Avram agreed to what Saray had suggested.

OET-LV GEN 16:1

16 And_Sarai the _wife _of ʼAⱱrām not she _had _borne _children to_him/it and_belonged_to_her a _maidservant from _Miʦrayim/(Miʦrayim) and_name _of_her was_Hāgār.

OET-LV GEN 16:2

2 And_ Sarai _she/it _said to ʼAⱱrām HERE please he_has _restrained _me YHWH from_bearing _children go please into maidservant _of_my perhaps I _will _be _built _up from_her/it and_ ʼAⱱrām _he/it _listened to_sound/voice of _Sarai.

Show passage in OET: GEN 30:3

OET-RV GEN 30:3

3 Rahel answered, “Listen, here’s my slave Bilhah. Sleep with her so that she’ll have children on my behalf and I’ll also be able to have a family through her.”

OET-LV GEN 30:3

3 And_she/it _said HERE maidservant _of_my Bilhāh go to_her/it so_that _she _may _bear _children on knees _of_my and_ also I _so _that _I _may _be _built _up from_her.

Show passage in OET: GEN 38:8

OET-RV GEN 38:8

8 Then Yehudah said to Onan, “Go to your brother’s wife and perform your brotherly duty to her to produce children for your brother.”

OET-LV GEN 38:8

8 And_ Yəhūdāh _he/it _said to_ʼŌnān go into the _wife _of your(ms)_brother/kindred and_act _as _a _husband’s _brother _for DOM_her/it and_raise _up offspring for_brother _of_your.

Jump to OET GEN 9:1 section.

Jump to OET JER 29:6 section.

Jump to OET GEN 16:4 section.

Jump to OET GEN 30:1 section.

Jump to OET GEN 16:1–2 section.

Jump to OET GEN 30:3 section.

Jump to OET GEN 38:8 section.

Barrenness could be a curse (Hos 9:11, 14 OET HOS 9:11 · OET HOS 9:14) or a divine punishment (Gn 20:17-18). It could be removed after earnest prayers (Gn 25:21; 1 Sm 1:16, 20 OET SA1 1:16 · OET SA1 1:20) or by God’s prophet (2 Kgs 4:16) or messenger (Gn 18:14). On one occasion, a wife who had stopped having children was able to trade some mandrakes in exchange for sleeping privileges with her husband and had three more children (Gn 30:14-21). God promised Israel no infertility if they obeyed his laws (Dt 7:14). Unique among ancient writings is the concept here that barrenness could be a result of male infertility. Finally, as bad as barrenness was, Jesus told the women of Jerusalem that barrenness and dry breasts would be better than what they were going to go through (Lk 23:29). He was teaching that physical problems are never ultimate; spiritual ones are.

Show passage in OET: HOS 9:11; HOS 9:14

OET-RV HOS 9:11

11 As for Efrayim (Ephraim)/Yisrael, their splendour will fly away like a bird—
⇔ no birth, no pregnancy, and no conception.

OET-RV HOS 9:14

14 Give them something, Yahweh—what will you give?
⇔ Give them a womb that miscarries, and breasts with no milk.

OET-LV HOS 9:11

11 ʼEfrayim like_bird glory _of_their it _will _fly _away from_giving _birth and_from_womb and_from_conception.

OET-LV HOS 9:14

14 Give to/for_them Oh_YHWH what will _you _give give to/for_them a _womb which_miscarries and_breasts which_dry _up.

Show passage in OET: GEN 20:17–18

OET-RV GEN 20:17

17 Then Avraham prayed to God, and God healed Avimelek and his wife and his slave women so that they could have children,

OET-RV GEN 20:18

18 because Yahweh had made every woman in Avimelek’s household barren because of what had been happening to Avraham’s wife, Sarah.

OET-LV GEN 20:17

17 And_ ʼAⱱrāhām _he _prayed to the_ʼElohīm and_ god _he _healed DOM ʼAⱱīmelek and_DOM his/its_wife/woman and_his _female _of_slaves and_they _bore _children.

OET-LV GEN 20:18

18 If/because completely _(shut _up) YHWH he _had _shut _up behind every _of womb of_the _household _of of _ʼAⱱīmelek on the _matter _of Sārāh the _wife _of ʼAⱱrāhām.

Show passage in OET: GEN 25:21

OET-RV GEN 25:21

21 In due course, Yitshak prayed to Yahweh on his wife’s behalf because she was barren. Yahweh answered his prayer and his wife Rivkah got pregnant,

OET-LV GEN 25:21

21 And_ Yiʦḩāq _he _prayed to/for_YHWH to_the _front _of his/its_wife/woman if/because was_barren she and_he _was _entreated to_him/it YHWH and_ Riⱱqāh his/its_wife/woman _she/it _conceived/became _pregnant.

Show passage in OET: SA1 1:16; SA1 1:20

OET-RV SA1 1:16

16 Don’t think that your female servant is just a worthless woman, because just now I was praying as a result of my terrible anguish and frustration.”

OET-RV SA1 1:20

20 Hannah got pregnant, and in due course, she gave birth to a son. She named him ‘Shmuel’ (Samuel) (meaning ‘heard by God’, usually changed to ‘Shmuel’ in English) because she had requested him from Yahweh.

OET-LV SA1 1:16

16 Do _not give DOM maidservant _of_your to_(the)_face _of/in _front _of/before a _daughter _of worthlessness if/because from_the _greatness _of my _complaint _of_my and_provocation _of_my I _have _spoken until now.

OET-LV SA1 1:20

20 And_he/it _was to_the _circuit(s)_of the_days and_ Ḩannāh _she/it _conceived/became _pregnant and_she/it _gave _birth a _son and_she/it _called/named DOM his/its_name Shəmū^ʼēl/(Samuel) if/because from_YHWH I_asked _for _him.

Show passage in OET: KI2 4:16

OET-RV KI2 4:16

16 and Elisha told her, “In due course after the normal months, you’ll have a son to hold.”
¶ “No, my master, man of God,” she stammered. “Don’t lie to your female servant.”

OET-LV KI2 4:16

16 And_he/it _said to_time the_this about_time living you will _be_embracing a _son and_she/it _said no my_master Oh _man _of the_ʼElohīm do _not tell _a _lie to_maidservant _of_your.

Show passage in OET: GEN 18:14

OET-RV GEN 18:14

14 Is anything too hard for Yahweh? I’ll return here to you next year in the spring and Sarah will have a son.”

OET-LV GEN 18:14

14 Is_it_too_difficult for_YHWH anything to_time I _will _return to_you about_time living and_will_belong_to _Sārāh a _son.

Show passage in OET: GEN 30:14–21

OET-RV GEN 30:14

14 One day during the wheat harvest, Re’uven went out and found some mandrake plants in the countryside and brought them home to Le’ah his mother. Then Rahel asked Le’ah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

OET-RV GEN 30:15

15 “Is it a small matter you have taken my husband?” Le’ah snapped back. “And would you also take my son’s mandrakes?”
¶ “Well, he can sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.” Rahel answered.

OET-RV GEN 30:16