Lexical Summary ateknos: Childless, without children Original Word: ἄτεκνος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance childless, without children. From a (as a negative particle) and teknon; childless -- childless, without children. see GREEK a see GREEK teknon NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom alpha (as a neg. prefix) and teknon Definition childless NASB Translation childless (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 815: ἄτεκνοςἄτεκνος, ἄτεκνον (τέκνον), without offspring, childless: Luke 20:28-30. (Genesis 15:2; Sir. 16:8. In Greek writings from Hesiod, Works, 600 down.) Topical Lexicon Definition and Core ConceptἌτεκνος designates the condition of being without children. In a society that viewed progeny as a sign of divine favor, covenant continuity, and economic security, the word conveys both social vulnerability and the sense of an unfulfilled legacy. Occurrences in Scripture Luke records the only three New Testament instances, all within the Sadducees’ question on the resurrection (Luke 20:28-30). They cite Moses’ levirate statute and repeatedly use ἄτεκνος to describe each of the first six brothers who die “leav[ing] a wife but no children” (Luke 20:28). Luke’s triple repetition underscores the key dilemma: a line extinguished unless another acts. Old Testament Background The Sadducees appeal to Deuteronomy 25:5-6, where the brother of a deceased, childless man is to “raise up offspring for his brother” so that “his name will not be blotted out from Israel.” Childlessness threatened inheritance (Numbers 27:3-11) and covenant promise (Genesis 15:2-5). From Sarah to Hannah to Elizabeth, Scripture highlights the pain of barrenness and God’s power to open the womb (Genesis 21:1-2; 1 Samuel 1:19-20; Luke 1:13-14). Theological Significance in Luke 20 1. Proof of Resurrection. The Sadducees attempt to reduce the resurrection to an absurdity: “In the resurrection, whose wife will she be?” (Luke 20:33). Jesus answers that those deemed “worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead… can no longer die, for they are like the angels” (Luke 20:35-36). Thus the temporal problem posed by ἄτεκνος is absorbed into the eternal life where marriage and lineage are no longer necessary for one’s name to continue. 2. Preservation of Name versus Eternal Identity. Levirate marriage guarded a dead man’s earthly name; resurrection secures believers’ identity eternally. Jesus moves the discussion from genealogy to eschatology. Cultural and Social Context To be childless in first-century Judea often meant: • Economic insecurity—no heirs to care for aging parents. Levirate marriage functioned as a social safety net. Luke’s account presumes the audience’s awareness of these stakes, making the Sadducees’ scenario plausible and weighty. Christological Reflection Jesus, the promised “Seed” (Galatians 3:16), fulfills what childless couples longed for: the continuation and redemption of God’s covenant line. By conquering death He guarantees a family “from every nation and tribe and people and tongue” (Revelation 7:9), rendering the fear bound up in ἄτεκνος obsolete for those in Him. Pastoral and Ministry Applications 1. Compassion for the Childless. Believers are called to “weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). Churches can provide community, prayer, and practical support to couples longing for children. 2. Upholding Spiritual Parenthood. Paul addresses the Corinthians “as my beloved children” (1 Corinthians 4:14), illustrating that spiritual mentorship creates enduring lineage, even for those physically ἄτεκνος. 3. Adoption and Foster Care. Reflecting God’s adoption of believers (Ephesians 1:5), congregations may encourage and assist families who open their homes to orphans, turning the absence implied by ἄτεκνος into a context for gospel demonstration. 4. Hope of Resurrection. The ultimate answer to the sorrow of childlessness is the resurrection life where God Himself “will wipe away every tear” (Revelation 21:4). Teaching this hope anchors present grief in future glory. Eschatological Perspective In the age to come, lineage will no longer be measured by biological succession but by participation in the family of God. The word ἄτεκνος, poignant in its immediate setting, points beyond itself to a destiny where every believer bears the everlasting name that can never be cut off (Isaiah 56:5). Forms and Transliterations αποτεκνωθώ άτεκνοι ατεκνος άτεκνος ἄτεκνος ατεκνουμένη ατεκνούσα ατεκνούσαν ατεκνωθήναι ατεκνωθήσεται ατεκνωθήσονται ατεκνώσει ητεκνώθησαν ητέκνωμαι ητεκνωμένη ητέκνωσε ητέκνωσέ ateknos áteknosLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Luke 20:28 Adj-NMSGRK: καὶ οὗτος ἄτεκνος ᾖ ἵνα NAS: a wife, AND HE IS CHILDLESS, HIS BROTHER KJV: he die without children, that his INT: and he childless is that Luke 20:29 Adj-NMS Luke 20:30 Adj-NMS |
    |