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Barren; Barrenness

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Nave Topical Bible
• Barrenness
Thompson Chain Reference
• Barrenness
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American Tract Society
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Easton's Bible Dictionary
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Holman Bible Dictionary
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Hastings' BibleDictionary
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King James Dictionary
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• Barren
Vines' Expository Dictionary
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Wilson's Bible Types
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Webster Dictionary
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• Barren
Watson's Theological Dictionary
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1911 Encyclopedia Britannica
• Barren Island
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
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Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia
• Barrenness
McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia
• Barren
The Jewish Encyclopedia
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Lexicons
• ܥܶܩܳܪܳܐ
• ܨܰܕ݂ܝܳܐ
• ἀργός
• στεῖρα
• גַּלְמודּ
• מְלֵחָה
• עֹצֶר
•   (only first 3 shown)

bar´en , bar´en -nes ציּה , cı̄yāh ; מלהה , melēhāh ; שׁכל , shākhōl ; עקר , 'āḳār ; στεῖρος , steı́ros ; ἀργός , argos ):

(1) Of land that bears no crop, either (a) because it is naturally poor and sterile: cı̄yāh "dry" (Joel 2:20 ), melēḥāh , "salt" (Job 39:6 the King James Version), shākhōl , "miscarrying" (2 Kings 2:19 , 2 Kings 2:21 ), or (b ) because it is, under God's curse, turned into a melēḥāh or salt desert, for the wickedness of the people that dwell therein (Psalm 107:34 the King James Version; compare Genesis 3:17 , Genesis 3:18 ).

(2) Of females that bear no issue: ‛āḳār ̌ : Sarah (Genesis 11:30 ); Rebekah (Genesis 25:21 ); Rachel (Genesis 29:31 ); Manoah's wife (Judges 13:2 , Judges 13:3 ); Hannah (1 Samuel 2:5 ); steiros ̌ : Elisabeth (Luke 1:7 , Luke 1:36 ).

In Israel and among oriental peoples generally barrenness was a woman's and a family's greatest misfortune. The highest sanctions of religion and patriotism blessed the fruitful woman, because children were necessary for the perpetuation of the tribe and its religion. It is significant that the mothers of the Hebrew race, Sarah, Rebekah and Rachel, were by nature sterile, and therefore God's special intervention shows His particular favor to Israel. Fruitfulness was God's special blessing to His people (Exodus 23:26; Deuteronomy 7:14; Psalm 113:9 ). A complete family is an emblem of beauty (Song of Solomon 4:2; Song of Solomon 6:6 ). Metaphorically, Israel, in her days of adversity, when her children were exiled, was barren, but in her restoration she shall rejoice in many children (Isaiah 54:1; Galatians 4:27 ). The utter despair and terror of the destruction of Jerusalem could go no farther than that the barren should be called blessed (Luke 23:29 ).

(3) Argós is translated in the King James Version "barren," but in the Revised Version (British and American) more accurately "idle" (2 Peter 1:8 ).