Bible Word Study
יִתְמָה
Yithmâh · Jithmah, an Israelite
יִתְמָה
Jithmah, an Israelite
Definition
Yithmah (Jithmah) is a proper noun referring to an individual named Jithmah, who is listed among the mighty warriors of King David in 1 Chronicles 11:46. As a personal name, it carries the meaning of 'orphanage' or 'bereavement,' derived from the Hebrew root for 'orphan.' This single biblical occurrence identifies him as a Moabite, one of David's elite fighters, highlighting the diverse backgrounds of those loyal to the king. The name itself is not used with multiple senses in Scripture; it functions solely as an identifier for this specific person.
Biblical Usage
The word is used only once in the Old Testament, in 1 Chronicles 11:46, within a list of David's mighty men. It appears in a historical, genealogical context, specifically naming Jithmah the Moabite. There are no patterns of usage across different books or literary forms, as it is a unique personal name recorded in this single chronicle.
Etymology
Yithmah (יִתְמָה) is derived from the same root as the Hebrew word yathom (יָתוֹם, H3490), meaning 'orphan.' The name is a nominal form, essentially meaning 'orphanhood' or 'state of being an orphan.' It likely functioned as a personal name describing circumstance or character, a common practice in Hebrew onomastics.
Semantic Range
While the name itself is not theologically loaded, its inclusion is significant. Jithmah is identified as a Moabite (1 Chronicles 11:46), a people often at odds with Israel. His presence among David's mighty men illustrates God's grace in drawing individuals from nations outside the covenant into the service of Israel's king, prefiguring the inclusion of the Gentiles. Understanding the name's meaning ('orphan') may also subtly reflect the theme of God as a father to the fatherless (Psalm 68:5). In ancient Israelite culture, names often conveyed meaning about a person's character, circumstance, or a parent's hopes. A name meaning 'orphanhood' may have indicated the circumstances of birth or served as a reminder of dependence on God. Furthermore, Jithmah's Moabite origin and his status as one of David's warriors reflect the political and military realities of the time, where skilled fighters from surrounding nations could attain high rank in a royal guard. yathom (yâthôm, H3490) — The root word meaning 'orphan,' from which the proper name Yithmah is derived.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]