Reference: Barren
Easton
For a woman to be barren was accounted a severe punishment among the Jews (Ge 16:2; 30:1-23; 1Sa 1:6,27; Isa 47:9; 49:21; Lu 1:25). Instances of barrenness are noticed (Ge 11:30; 25:21; 29:31; Jg 13:2-3; Lu 1:7,36).
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And Sarai said to Abram, See, the Lord has not let me have children; go in to my servant, for I may get a family through her. And Abram did as Sarai said.
Isaac made prayer to the Lord for his wife because she had no children; and the Lord gave ear to his prayer, and Rebekah became with child.
Now the Lord, seeing that Leah was not loved, gave her a child; while Rachel had no children.
Now Rachel, because she had no children, was full of envy of her sister; and she said to Jacob, If you do not give me children I will not go on living. But Jacob was angry with Rachel, and said, Am I in the place of God, who has kept your body from having fruit? read more. Then she said, Here is my servant Bilhah, go in to her, so that she may have a child on my knees, and I may have a family by her. So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her. And Bilhah became with child, and gave birth to a son. Then Rachel said, God has been my judge, and has given ear to my voice, and has given me a son; so he was named Dan. And again Bilhah, Rachel's servant, was with child, and gave birth to a second son. And Rachel said, I have had a great fight with my sister, and I have overcome her: and she gave the child the name Naphtali. When it was clear to Leah that she would have no more children for a time, she gave Zilpah, her servant, to Jacob as a wife. And Zilpah, Leah's servant, gave birth to a son. And Leah said, It has gone well for me: and she gave him the name Gad. And Zilpah, Leah's servant, gave birth to a second son. And Leah said, Happy am I! and all women will give witness to my joy: and she gave him the name Asher. Now at the time of the grain-cutting, Reuben saw some love-fruits in the field, and took them to his mother Leah. And Rachel said to her, Let me have some of your son's love-fruits. But Leah said to her, Is it a small thing that you have taken my husband from me? and now would you take my son's love-fruits? Then Rachel said, You may have him tonight in exchange for your son's love-fruits. In the evening, when Jacob came in from the field, Leah went out to him and said, Tonight you are to come to me, for I have given my son's love-fruits as a price for you. And he went in to her that night. And God gave ear to her and she became with child, and gave Jacob a fifth son. Then Leah said, God has made payment to me for giving my servant-girl to my husband: so she gave her son the name Issachar. And again Leah became with child, and she gave Jacob a sixth son. And she said, God has given me a good bride-price; now at last will I have my husband living with me, for I have given him six sons: and she gave him the name Zebulun. After that she had a daughter, to whom she gave the name Dinah. Then God gave thought to Rachel, and hearing her prayer he made her fertile. And she was with child, and gave birth to a son: and she said, God has taken away my shame.
Now there was a certain man of Zorah of the family of the Danites, and his name was Manoah; and his wife had never given birth to a child. And the angel of the Lord came to the woman, and said to her, See now! though you have never given birth to children, you will be with child and give birth to a son.
But these two things will come on you suddenly in one day, the loss of children and of husband: in full measure they will come on you, for all your secret arts, and all your wonders.
Then you will say in your heart, Who has given me all these children? when my children had been taken from me, and I was no longer able to have others, who took care of these? when I was by myself, where then were these?
And they were without children, because Elisabeth had never given birth, and they were at that time very old.
The Lord has done this to me, for his eyes were on me, to take away my shame in the eyes of men.
Even now Elisabeth, who is of your family, is to be a mother, though she is old: and this is the sixth month with her who was without children.