### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **ʼalmânûwth**, represented by `{{H491}}`, is a term for **widowhood**. It appears **4 times** across **4 unique verses** in the Bible. The word can refer concretely to a **widow** or abstractly to the state of **widowhood** itself.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical narrative, `{{H491}}` is used in several contexts. It can describe the external garments that signify a woman's status, as when Tamar puts off her **widow's** garments and later puts them back on ([[Genesis 38:14]], [[Genesis 38:19]]). The term is also used to describe a state of enforced seclusion, as when David's ten **concubines** were shut up and lived "in **widowhood**" until the day of their death [[2 Samuel 20:3]]. Figuratively, it can represent a state of shame and reproach that God promises to remove from his people, telling them they will not remember the reproach of their **widowhood** any more [[Isaiah 54:4]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words expand upon the circumstances and state of **widowhood**:
* `{{H4191}}` **mûwth** (to die): The state of widowhood is a direct result of death. In the case of David's concubines, they lived in this state until the day of their **death** [[2 Samuel 20:3]].
* `{{H4931}}` **mishmereth** (charge, keep, or to be kept, office, ordinace, safeguard, ward, watch): This term is used to describe the "ward" where David's concubines were placed, linking their state of widowhood to a life of custody and being kept [[2 Samuel 20:3]].
* `{{H6370}}` **pîylegesh** (a concubine): The ten women forced to live in widowhood by King David were his **concubines** [[2 Samuel 20:3]].
* `{{H802}}` **ʼishshâh** (a woman; wife): This word provides context for widowhood. In Genesis, Tamar's situation arises because she was not given as a **wife** [[Genesis 38:14]], and in 2 Samuel, the concubines are first identified as **women** [[2 Samuel 20:3]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H491}}` is seen in its depiction of a state of vulnerability and social standing.
* **A Symbol of Reproach:** Widowhood is presented as a condition associated with reproach and shame, which God himself promises to remove and cause to be forgotten [[Isaiah 54:4]].
* **A State of Living Death:** The term can describe a life of complete isolation. David's concubines were "shut up unto the day of their death, living in **widowhood**," indicating a condition of social death long before physical death [[2 Samuel 20:3]].
* **An External Status:** The "garments of her **widowhood**" mentioned in the story of Tamar demonstrate that this was a recognized and visible social status, not merely a personal circumstance [[Genesis 38:19]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H491}}` defines more than the absence of a husband; it signifies a distinct and often difficult social condition. It encompasses the tangible "garments" of a **widow** [[Genesis 38:14]], the profound isolation of being "shut up" [[2 Samuel 20:3]], and the figurative "reproach" that can be divinely erased [[Isaiah 54:4]]. The word illustrates a state of vulnerability and social standing that carries significant weight within the biblical narrative.
TRV