What does יָתוֹם (yātwōm) mean in the Bible?
יָתוֹם (yātwōm): Orphan denoting child bereft of father; OT's paradigmatic figure of vulnerability requiring covenant protection
Hebrew · H3490
יָתוֹם
A bereaved person
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יָתוֹם H3490
Pronunciation yātwōm
What does יָתוֹם (yātwōm) mean in the Bible?
יָתוֹם (yātwōm): Orphan denoting child bereft of father; OT's paradigmatic figure of vulnerability requiring covenant protection
Full entry for יָתוֹם (H3490) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H3490?
The BSB source-word alignment has 42 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include the fatherless (18), of the fatherless (6), and fatherless (2), or the fatherless (2), orphans (2).
Where does יָתוֹם (yātwōm) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 22:22. Its strongest book concentrations include Deuteronomy (11), Psalms (8), Job (7), Isaiah (4).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It the fatherless 18× Deuteronomy 14:29, Deuteronomy 16:11, Deuteronomy 16:14, Deuteronomy 24:19
of the fatherless 6× Job 22:9, Job 24:3, Psalms 10:14, Psalms 68:5
and fatherless 2× Psalms 82:3, Malachi 3:5
or the fatherless 2× Deuteronomy 24:17, Zechariah 7:10
orphans 2× Isaiah 10:2, Lamentations 5:3
[and] the fatherless 1× Jeremiah 7:6
[will be] fatherless 1× Exodus 22:24
and the fatherless 1× Job 29:12
fatherless 1× Psalms 109:9
for an orphan 1× Job 6:27
for the fatherless 1× Deuteronomy 10:18
his fatherless children 1× Psalms 109:12
on their fatherless 1× Isaiah 9:17
or orphan 1× Exodus 22:22
The fatherless infant 1× Job 24:9
with the fatherless 1× Job 31:17
your orphans 1× Jeremiah 49:11
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 22:22 וְיָת֖וֹם to or orphan Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular Exodus 22:24 יְתֹמִֽים׃פ to [will be] fatherless Noun - masculine plural Deuteronomy 10:18 יָת֖וֹם to for the fatherless Noun - masculine singular Deuteronomy 14:29 וְהַיָּת֤וֹם to the fatherless Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular Deuteronomy 16:11 וְהַיָּת֥וֹם to the fatherless Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular Deuteronomy 16:14 וְהַיָּת֥וֹם to the fatherless Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular Deuteronomy 24:17 יָת֑וֹם to or the fatherless Noun - masculine singular Deuteronomy 24:19 לַיָּת֥וֹם to the fatherless Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular Deuteronomy 24:20 לַיָּת֥וֹם to the fatherless Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular Deuteronomy 24:21 לַיָּת֥וֹם to the fatherless Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Exodus 22:22
Aligned rows 42
Books represented 12
Exodus 2 Deuteronomy 11 Job 7 Psalms 8 Proverbs 1 Isaiah 4 Jeremiah 4 Lamentations 1 Ezekiel 1 Hosea 1 Zechariah 1 Malachi 1
Source forms
יָת֖וֹם 3x yā·ṯō·wm Deuteronomy 10:18, Deuteronomy 27:19, Jeremiah 5:28
יָת֣וֹם 3x yā·ṯō·wm Job 31:17, Job 31:21, Psalms 146:9
לַיָּת֥וֹם 3x lay·yā·ṯō·wm Deuteronomy 24:19, Deuteronomy 24:20, Deuteronomy 24:21
וְהַיָּת֥וֹם 2x wə·hay·yā·ṯō·wm Deuteronomy 16:11, Deuteronomy 16:14
יָת֑וֹם 2x yā·ṯō·wm Deuteronomy 24:17, Job 24:9
יָת֥וֹם 2x yā·ṯō·wm Job 6:27, Ezekiel 22:7
לַיָּת֣וֹם 2x lay·yā·ṯō·wm Deuteronomy 26:12, Deuteronomy 26:13
וְהַיָּת֤וֹם 1x wə·hay·yā·ṯō·wm Deuteronomy 14:29
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular 17x Deuteronomy 10:18, Deuteronomy 24:17, Deuteronomy 27:19, Job 6:27
Noun - masculine plural 8x Exodus 22:24, Job 22:9, Job 24:3, Psalms 68:5
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular 5x Exodus 22:22, Job 29:12, Psalms 82:3, Zechariah 7:10
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular 5x Deuteronomy 24:19, Deuteronomy 24:20, Deuteronomy 24:21, Deuteronomy 26:12
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular 3x Deuteronomy 14:29, Deuteronomy 16:11, Deuteronomy 16:14
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural 1x Psalms 94:6
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular 1x Jeremiah 49:11
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular 1x Isaiah 9:17
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Orphan denoting child bereft of father; OT's paradigmatic figure of vulnerability requiring covenant protection
Source Gloss
a bereaved person
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Orphan denoting child bereft of father; OT's paradigmatic figure of vulnerability requiring covenant protection
a bereaved person BDB: orphan Usage: fatherless (child), orphan.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Vulnerable children left without paternal protection and care after loss
Defenseless orphans requiring legal and divine protection from exploitation
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 42 lexical occurrence verses.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain