יָת֣וֹם
𐤉𐤕𐤅𐤌
yatom
the orphan
from an unused root meaning to be lonely; a bereaved person; fatherless (child), orphan.
Job 31:21 · Word #4
Lexicon H3490
| Lemma | יָתוֹם |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤉𐤕𐤅𐤌 |
| Transliteration | yâthôwm |
| Strong's | H3490 |
| In-context | the orphan |
Morphology HNcmsa
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | N — Noun — A person, place, thing, or idea |
| Subtype | c — Common — Common noun |
| Gender | m — Masculine — Masculine |
| Number | s — Singular — Singular |
| State | a — Absolute — The noun stands independently |
SIBI-P1 H3490-06
fatherless one
| Root | יתם (y-t-m) |
| Core Meanings | loneliness, bereavement, deprivation, loss of a father, social vulnerability |
| Semantic Range | orphan; fatherless child; one deprived of paternal protection; by extension, a socially vulnerable or defenseless person |
| Conceptual Significance | In the Hebrew Bible, the יָתוֹם represents a primary symbol of social vulnerability. Alongside the widow and the sojourner, the fatherless one stands under YHWH’s special concern and protection, embodying the covenantal demand for justice, compassion, and communal responsibility. |
| Morphological Notes | Common masculine singular noun in the absolute state (HNcmsa). The term functions substantivally to denote a person characterized by the condition of father-loss. |
| Rendering Rationale | "Fatherless one" preserves the core idea of deprivation and bereavement embedded in the root יתמ, emphasizing the loss that defines the person’s status. The form is masculine singular absolute (HNcmsa), which in Hebrew commonly serves as a generic singular; the English singular "one" reflects this grammatical number while maintaining the personal force of the noun. |
AI-generated (openai/gpt-5.2-chat-latest)
Words from Root יתם (loneliness, bereavement, deprivation, loss of a father, social vulnerability)
| SILEX Code | Transliteration | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
H3490-01 |
layatom | for the fatherless one |
H3490-02 |
litomayv | to his fatherless ones |
H3490-03 |
vehayatom | and the father-bereft one |
Word Usage (42 occurrences of H3490)
| Location | Form | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exodus 22:21 | וְ/יָת֖וֹם | veyatom | or orphan |
| Exodus 22:23 | יְתֹמִֽים | yetomim | orphans |
| Deuteronomy 10:18 | יָת֖וֹם | yatom | for the orphan |