יָתוֹם (ya.tom)
ya.tom
orphan
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 36 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun yatom refers to a child who has lost their father, leaving them without the social and economic protection that male guardianship provided in the ancient world. The underlying root conveys a sense of being lonely or bereaved, highlighting the vulnerability of those without family support. In Scripture, this term appears frequently in legal and wisdom literature, such as Deuteronomy and Job, where it serves as a standard example of the most defenseless members of society.
God’s law repeatedly commands special care for yatom, linking their protection directly to divine justice. For instance, Deuteronomy 10:18 describes God as one who "executes justice for the fatherless," while Psalm 68:5 celebrates Him as a "father to the fatherless." The prophets reinforce this obligation, with Jeremiah 22:3 warning leaders not to oppress them, and Isaiah 1:17 urging the people to defend their rights. This consistent emphasis underscores that caring for the orphan was a primary measure of communal righteousness.
Translators typically render yatom as "orphan" or "fatherless," capturing the specific loss of paternal authority rather than general poverty. The word appears in contexts ranging from legal statutes prohibiting exploitation (Deuteronomy 24:17) to poetic images of God’s personal care (Psalm 10:14). By repeatedly pairing yatom with the widow and the stranger, the biblical text establishes a clear moral priority: society is judged by how it treats those who cannot advocate for themselves.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word yatom points to a child who has lost their father, leaving them without the social and economic protection that male guardianship provided in the ancient world. This term highlights the vulnerability of those without family support, serving as a standard example of the most defenseless members of society in legal and wisdom literature.
God’s law repeatedly commands special care for yatom, linking their protection directly to divine justice. Deuteronomy 10:18 describes God as one who executes justice for the fatherless, while Psalm 68:5 celebrates Him as a father to the fatherless. This consistent emphasis underscores that caring for the orphan was a primary measure of communal righteousness.
By repeatedly pairing yatom with the widow and the stranger, the biblical text establishes a clear moral priority: society is judged by how it treats those who cannot advocate for themselves. This perspective invites us to consider our own responsibilities toward the vulnerable, reflecting God’s heart for justice and care in our daily lives.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 36 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- a fatherless one7×
- [the] fatherless7×
- fatherless ones6×
- to the/ fatherless one5×
- and/ the/ fatherless one3×
- and/ [the] fatherless3×
- to/ fatherless children/ his1×
- fatherless/ your1×
- fatherless1×
- and/ fatherless ones1×
- and/ a fatherless one1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לַ/יָּת֥וֹם3×
- יָת֣וֹם3×
- יָת֖וֹם3×
- לַ/יָּת֣וֹם2×
- יָת֑וֹם2×
- וְ/הַ/יָּת֥וֹם2×
- לִ/יתוֹמָֽי/ו\׃1×
- יָתוֹם֙1×
- יָת֨וֹם1×
- יָת֥וֹם1×
- יָת֤וֹם1×
- יָת֗וֹם1×
Key Verses
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Deuteronomy 10:18
He executes justice for the fatherless and widow and loves the foreigner in giving him food and clothing.
This verse establishes God's character as one who actively executes justice for the fatherless, setting the standard for human conduct.
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Deuteronomy 24:17
You shall not deprive the foreigner or the fatherless of justice, nor take a widow’s clothing in pledge;
Here the law explicitly forbids depriving the fatherless of justice, highlighting their legal vulnerability in ancient society.
-
Job 29:12
because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had no one to help him,
Job describes his past actions as delivering the fatherless who had no one to help him, showing how this word was used in personal ethics.
-
Psalms 10:14
But you do see trouble and grief. You consider it to take it into your hand. You help the victim and the fatherless.
This psalm portrays God as seeing trouble and taking it into His hand to help the victim and the fatherless, emphasizing divine care.
-
Psalms 82:3
“Defend the weak, the poor, and the fatherless. Maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.
God commands leaders to defend the weak, poor, and fatherless, linking social justice directly to divine authority.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Hebrew word yatom mean?
How is yatom different from general poverty?
Where does this word appear most frequently?
Every Occurrence (36 verses across 9 books)
Deuteronomy 11 verses
He executes justice for the fatherless and widow and loves the foreigner in giving him food and clothing.
Deuteronomy 14:29The Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, as well as the foreigner living among you, the…
Deuteronomy 16:11You shall rejoice before Yahweh your God: you, your son, your daughter, your male servant, your female servant, the…
Deuteronomy 16:14You shall rejoice in your feast, you, your son, your daughter, your male servant, your female servant, the Levite, the…
Deuteronomy 24:17You shall not deprive the foreigner or the fatherless of justice, nor take a widow’s clothing in pledge;
Deuteronomy 24:19When you reap your harvest in your field, and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go again to get it. It…
Deuteronomy 24:20When you beat your olive tree, you shall not go over the boughs again. It shall be for the foreigner, for the…
Deuteronomy 24:21When you harvest your vineyard, you shall not glean it after yourselves. It shall be for the foreigner, for the…
Deuteronomy 26:12When you have finished tithing all the tithe of your increase in the third year, which is the year of tithing, then you…
Deuteronomy 26:13You shall say before Yahweh your God, “I have put away the holy things out of my house, and also have given them to the…
Deuteronomy 27:19‘Cursed is he who withholds justice from the foreigner, fatherless, and widow.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’