עֲקָרָ֖ה

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 עֲקָרָ֖ה

   a-ka-RA

   was barren
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וְאִשְׁתּ֥וֹ עֲקָרָ֖ה

   ve-ish-TO a-ka-RA

   and his wife was barren
3. clause🔊 וְאִשְׁתּ֥וֹ עֲקָרָ֖ה וְלֹ֥א יָלָֽדָה׃

   ve-ish-TO a-ka-RA ve-LO ya-la-DA

   and his wife was barren and not had borne
4. sentence🔊 וַיְהִי֩ אִ֨ישׁ אֶחָ֧ד מִצָּרְעָ֛ה מִמִּשְׁפַּ֥חַת הַדָּנִ֖י וּשְׁמ֣וֹ מָנ֑וֹחַ וְאִשְׁתּ֥וֹ עֲקָרָ֖ה וְלֹ֥א יָלָֽדָה׃

   va-ye-HI ISH e-KHAD mits-tsa-re-A mim-mish-pa-KHAT ha-da-NI u-she-MO ma-NO-akh ve-ish-TO a-ka-RA ve-LO ya-la-DA

   and there was a man one from Zorah from the clan of the Danite and his name was Manoah and his wife was barren and not had borne

Exegesis

The sequence veishto akarah velo yaladah {וְאִשְׁתּ֥וֹ עֲקָרָ֖ה וְלֹ֥א יָלָֽדָה | wə-’ištô ‘ăqārāh wə-lō yālāḏāh} combines an adjective of barrenness with negation to emphasize the ongoing state and lack of offspring. English rendering maintains this description by pairing “sterile” or “childless” with the negated perfect tense “had not borne” or “had never given birth.”

Root and etymology

Root🔊 ע־ק־רayin–qoph–resh

“uprooted; barren”

• 🔊 עִקָּר‘iqqārmain; rootJob 31:12