### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **ʻărîyrîy**, represented by `{{H6185}}`, means to be **childless**. Derived from a root meaning "bare" or "destitute," it appears **4 times** across **4 unique verses** in the Bible. The term carries significant weight, describing not just the absence of children but a state of being cut off from posterity and future legacy.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In scripture, `{{H6185}}` is used in contexts of profound personal distress and severe judgment. Abram expresses his deep sorrow to God, stating, "I go **childless**" [[Genesis 15:2]], which precedes God's covenant promise. In a legal context, it is the prescribed consequence for specific acts of incest; those who commit them "shall die **childless**" [[Leviticus 20:20]] or "shall be **childless**" [[Leviticus 20:21]]. It is also used as a divine curse, as the LORD commands concerning a king, "Write ye this man **childless**," signifying that his lineage will not continue on the throne [[Jeremiah 22:30]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words highlight the consequences and context of being childless:
* `{{H2233}}` **zeraʻ** (seed; posterity): This word is closely tied to the concept of lineage. Being childless means having no **seed** to carry on one's legacy, a fate pronounced in judgment upon the man who would have no descendant prosper on the throne [[Jeremiah 22:30]].
* `{{H2399}}` **chêṭᵉʼ** (a crime or its penalty; sin): In Leviticus, being childless is the direct penalty for certain transgressions. The law states that those who commit particular sexual sins "shall bear their **sin**," a consequence that manifests as dying without children [[Leviticus 20:20]].
* `{{H4191}}` **mûwth** (to die): This word is explicitly linked to being childless in Leviticus, where the punishment for a specific sin is that "they shall **die** childless" [[Leviticus 20:20]], indicating a final and irreversible end to their lineage.
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H6185}}` is significant, often tied to themes of judgment and covenant.
* **Punishment for Sin:** Being childless is presented as a severe legal and divine consequence for sin. The law in Leviticus establishes this as the penalty for specific illicit unions, where offenders "shall bear their sin" and ultimately "die **childless**" [[Leviticus 20:20]].
* **A Divine Curse:** Beyond a legal penalty, being made childless is a form of divine curse that ends a family line. This is most powerfully seen when the LORD decrees, "Write ye this man **childless**," ensuring his posterity would not prosper or rule [[Jeremiah 22:30]].
* **Human Anguish and Covenant Hope:** The state of being childless represents deep personal anguish and the apparent end of hope. Abram's lament, "I go **childless**" [[Genesis 15:2]], is the backdrop against which God establishes His covenant, promising him descendants and turning a state of destitution into the foundation of a nation.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H6185}}` signifies more than the simple inability to have children. It is a powerful biblical concept representing judgment, the termination of a lineage, and profound human sorrow. The word illustrates the gravity of sin through its use as a divine curse and legal punishment ([[Leviticus 20:20]], [[Jeremiah 22:30]]), while also setting the stage for God's covenant faithfulness in the face of human hopelessness [[Genesis 15:2]].
TRV