# Biblical word for dead beat dad? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 10, 2024, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biblical-word-for-dead-beat-dad/995904 "2024-01-10T17:24:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biblical-word-for-dead-beat-dad/995904/1 "2024-01-10T17:24:53Z")
Just as the title states, does anyone know if the bible had a word for dead beat dads. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biblical-word-for-dead-beat-dad/995904/2 "2024-01-10T17:30:05Z")
First you’d have to clarify what constitutes a “Dead beat dad” in the biblical era Levant - as I’m fairly certain they didnt have modern definitions of paternity suits and child-support. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biblical-word-for-dead-beat-dad/995904/3 "2024-01-10T17:33:07Z")
From the [King James Bible](https://biblehub.com/kjv/1_timothy/5.htm) _“But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.”_ So that’s pretty damn bad in Bible speak! Basically means that they are unloyal and untrustworthy. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biblical-word-for-dead-beat-dad/995904/4 "2024-01-10T17:52:32Z")
There is a root “עגנ” that occurs in the Bible, but the “deadbeat dad” meaning/context sounds like something that would appear in the Talmud, not the Bible. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biblical-word-for-dead-beat-dad/995904/5 "2024-01-10T18:27:46Z")
You know what happens to a DBD in Springfield? [https://images.app.goo.gl/42dgWzPBiUnyDzeN8](https://images.app.goo.gl/42dgWzPBiUnyDzeN8) ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biblical-word-for-dead-beat-dad/995904/6 "2024-01-10T22:05:01Z")
Isn’t anybody gonna say it??? ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biblical-word-for-dead-beat-dad/995904/7 "2024-01-10T22:09:56Z")
Let’s put it to a vote, Nah way. or Ya way. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biblical-word-for-dead-beat-dad/995904/8 "2024-01-10T22:10:58Z")
a velvel > **[Jewish leader’s son is a ‘deadbeat dad’ who refuses to pay child support](https://nypost.com/2017/04/02/jewish-leaders-son-is-a-deadbeat-dad-who-refuses-to-pay-child-support/)** > > The son of the head of the city’s powerful Chabad Jewish organization is an unemployed deadbeat dad who refuses to give his wife a divorce or pay child support, court papers reveal. Velvel Butman —… ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biblical-word-for-dead-beat-dad/995904/9 "2024-01-10T22:14:03Z")
So why does the article appear to focus on the leader, and not on his son, at least in the headline? ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biblical-word-for-dead-beat-dad/995904/10 "2024-01-10T22:25:03Z")
Grammatically the Jewish leader’s are adjectives describing the son, which is the noun of the sentence…so he is the focus of the headline. ??? Probably because more people have probably heard of the leader as opposed to his deadbeat son.