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Full list of people, based on pshat who lost a child in תנ"ך?

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  • 1
    Mesushelach and maybe others in that geneology
    – Heshy
    Mar 24, 2019 at 21:49
  • 2
    I take it you’re not counting Yaakov, who thought he lost a child?
    – DonielF
    Mar 25, 2019 at 0:15
  • @DonielF he definitely did lose a child. No one could find Yosef for decades!
    – Double AA
    Mar 22, 2021 at 22:35

1 Answer 1

9
  • Adam and Eve (Genesis 4:25):* their son Cain killed their other son Abel
  • Terah (Genesis 11:28): his son Haran died in his lifetime
  • Judah (Genesis 38:7,10):* his sons Er and Onan died after marrying Tamar
  • Pharaoh and all the Egyptians (Exodus 12:30):1 lost their firstborn in the tenth plague
  • Aaron (Leviticus 10:2):* his sons Nadab and Abihu died when bringing a fire offering
  • Zur (Numbers 25:15):3 his daughter Cozbi was killed while he was killed at a later time (31:8)
  • Mother of Sisera (Judges 5:28): described as being alive after Sisera died
  • Jephthah (Judges 11:39):1 he fulfilled his vow to sacrifice his daughter, apparently killing her
  • Eli (1 Samuel 4:11):* his sons Hofni and Phinehas died in battle with Philistines
  • Mother of Agag (1 Samuel 15:33): described as being bereaved when Agag died
  • Saul (1 Samuel 31:2): his sons died shortly before him in the war against the Philistines
  • David (2 Samuel 12:18, 13:32, 18:15):* he lost an unnamed child, Amnon, and Absalom
  • A prostitute (1 Kings 3:19): two prostitutes had two sons, and one of them died
  • Jeroboam (1 Kings 14:17):2 his son Abijah died of a sickness
  • Hiel of Bethel (1 Kings 16:34):1 lost his sons by building Jericho
  • Mesha (2 Kings 3:27): sacrificed his son
  • An unnamed woman (2 Kings 6:28): ate her son and wanted to eat her neighbor's son
  • Athaliah (2 Kings 11:1): her son was killed in battle
  • Ahaz (2 Kings 16:3): put his sons through fire (assuming this means he killed them)
  • Manasseh (2 Kings 21:6): also put his sons through fire (same caveat)
  • Zedekiah (2 Kings 25:7):1 his sons were slaughtered before his eyes
  • Job (Job 1:19):* all of his sons and daughters died
  • Naomi (Ruth 1:5): her two sons died in Moab
  • Ephraim (1 Chronicles 7:22): mourned over his children

* mentioned by the OP Josh Silverblatt

1 noted by Double AA

2 noted by Gary

3 noted by DonielF

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  • I'm revoking ownership. Add whatever you want @Yez DonielF
    – b a
    Mar 28, 2019 at 17:18
  • Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat. Mar 29, 2019 at 0:58

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