Lexical Summary
aqar: barren, barren one, barren woman
Original Word:עָקָר
Part of Speech:Adjective
Transliteration:`aqar
Pronunciation:ah-KAHR
Phonetic Spelling:(aw-kawr')
KJV: (X male or female) barren (woman)
NASB:barren, barren one, barren woman
Word Origin:[fromH6131 (עָקַר - uproot)]
1. sterile (as if extirpated in the generative organs)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
sterile male or barren woman
Fromaqar; sterile (as if extirpated in the generative organs) -- (X male or female) barren (woman).
see HEBREWaqar
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom the same as
eqerDefinitionbarren
NASB Translationbarren (8), barren one (1), barren woman (1), barren woman (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
; — of male
Deuteronomy 7:14, of female
Deuteronomy 7:14 (mankind and beasts),
Exodus 23:26 (E; female); elsewhere of women
Genesis 11:30;
Genesis 25:21;
Genesis 29:31 (all J),
Judges 13:2,3;
1 Samuel 2:5;
Job 24:21;
Psalm 113:9 ( construct); of personified Zion
Isaiah 54:1.
Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Scopeעָקָר (aqar) designates the condition of being barren, normally applied to a woman unable to bear children, but in two passages (Exodus 23:26;Deuteronomy 7:14) extended to men and even livestock. With twelve occurrences, the word is concentrated in narratives of the patriarchs, covenant legislation, poetic praise, and prophetic consolation.
Occurrences and Narrative Setting
1.Genesis 11:30 introduces Sarai’s barrenness, a dramatic tension driving the Abrahamic story.
2.Genesis 25:21 records Rebekah’s sterility overcome through Isaac’s intercession.
3.Genesis 29:31 contrasts Rachel’s barrenness with Leah’s fertility, highlighting divine prerogative.
4.Judges 13:2-3 presents Samson’s mother as barren before the angelic promise of a deliverer.
5.1 Samuel 2:5 celebrates the reversal of Hannah’s plight: “Even the barren woman gives birth to seven”.
6.Job 24:21 andPsalm 113:9 set the term in antithetical parallels—oppression of the helpless versus the LORD’s gracious elevation.
7.Isaiah 54:1 uses the barren woman as a metaphor for Zion’s future fruitfulness.
8.Exodus 23:26 andDeuteronomy 7:14 embed the word in covenant blessings guaranteeing national fruitfulness if Israel remains faithful.
Cultural and Historical Background
In the Ancient Near East, children secured inheritance, labor, and social standing. Barrenness carried economic loss and social stigma, often interpreted as divine displeasure. Thus עָקָר marks not only physical inability but also shame and vulnerability, making the subsequent divine interventions all the more striking.
Barrenness and the Promise Line
Genesis repeatedly pairs barrenness with divine promise. Sarai, Rebekah, and Rachel each embody human impossibility countered by the Creator’s power, underscoring that the covenant seed is never a product of mere nature but of grace. These accounts teach that God’s redemptive plan advances through weakness so that His glory becomes unmistakable.
Divine Sovereignty Over the Womb
“Then the LORD remembered Rachel, and He listened to her and opened her womb” (Genesis 30:22, cf.Genesis 29:31). Scripture consistently assigns fertility or its absence to the LORD’s deliberate action. Prayer (Genesis 25:21), obedience (Exodus 23:26), and prophetic promise (Judges 13:3) all assume that only God can transform עָקָר into motherhood.
Barrenness within Covenant Blessing and Curse
Exodus 23:26 andDeuteronomy 7:14 tie national barrenness to covenant disobedience, while fertility signifies divine favor. Conversely, prophetic warnings threaten barrenness as judgment (Leviticus 26:22 uses a different term but the same concept). Thus עָקָר functions as a barometer of Israel’s spiritual health.
Poetic and Wisdom Usage
Psalm 113:9 exalts God’s compassion: “He settles the barren woman in her home as a joyful mother of children.” Hannah’s song (1 Samuel 2:5) frames personal reversal as a template for divine governance—He humbles the proud and lifts the lowly.Job 24:21 portrays the wicked exploiting the defenseless “barren woman,” accentuating the moral outrage of such cruelty.
Prophetic and Typological Significance
Isaiah 54:1 calls the barren Zion to rejoice in anticipation of unprecedented offspring. The Apostle Paul cites this verse inGalatians 4:27 to illustrate the super-abundant fruitfulness of the new covenant. The עָקָר motif thereby foreshadows the inclusion of the nations and the birth of spiritual children through the gospel.
Pastoral and Ministry Applications
• Encouragement in delayed hopes: the barren patriarchal wives invite believers to persistent prayer grounded in God’s faithfulness.
• Assurance of God’s regard for the marginalized:Psalm 113:9 models worship that recognizes His care for those society overlooks.
• A call to spiritual fruitfulness: even when physical circumstances remain unchanged,Isaiah 54 urges expansive faith in God’s redemptive purposes.
• Ethical responsibility:Job 24:21 warns against exploiting or despising the vulnerable, including the childless.
Key Themes for Teaching and Preaching
1. God’s power is perfected in human inability.
2. Fertility is ultimately a gift, not an entitlement.
3. Covenant obedience affects every dimension of life, including the womb.
4. Physical barrenness points beyond itself to spiritual realities—both judgment and hope.
5. Redemption history moves from individual barren women to a once-desolate Zion bursting with children, culminating in the global family formed in Christ.
Through the recurring appearance of עָקָר, Scripture testifies that the God who once opened Sarah’s womb still brings life where none is possible, transforming shame into songs of praise.
Forms and Transliterations
וַֽעֲקָרָ֖ה וַעֲקָרָ֖ה ועקרה עֲ֭קָרָה עֲקֶ֬רֶת עֲקָרָ֑ה עֲקָרָ֖ה עֲקָרָֽה׃ עֲקָרָה֙ עָקָ֥ר עקר עקרה עקרה׃ עקרת ‘ă·qā·rāh ‘ā·qār ‘ă·qe·reṯ ‘āqār ‘ăqārāh ‘ăqereṯ aKar akaRah aKeret vaakaRah wa‘ăqārāh wa·‘ă·qā·rāh
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