Word Study for H3173 (יָחִיד)

yâchîyd /yaw-kheed'/ Ask about this word

Meaningproperly, united, i.e. sole; by implication, beloved; also lonely; (feminine) the life (as not to be replaced)

KJV usagedarling, desolate, only (child, son), solitary.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of yâchîyd — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word yâchîyd, represented by H3173, conveys a profound sense of uniqueness and preciousness. Its base definition includes concepts like being united or sole, and by implication, beloved. It appears 12 times in 12 unique verses, where it is translated as "only" (in the context of a child or son), "darling," "desolate," and "solitary," highlighting its focus on that which is singular and irreplaceable.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H3173 is most famously used to describe Isaac as Abraham's only son, emphasizing the immense weight of the command to sacrifice him (Genesis 22:2, Genesis 22:12, Genesis 22:16). The word also captures the deep sorrow of loss, as seen in the story of Jephthah's daughter, his only child Judges 11:34. Prophets use the grief over an only son as the ultimate metaphor for national mourning and judgment (Jeremiah 6:26, Amos 8:10). In the Psalms, the word is used to express feelings of being desolate and afflicted Psalms 25:16 or to refer to one's own soul as a precious "darling" in need of rescue (Psalms 22:20, Psalms 35:17).

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words provide a richer understanding of the contexts in which yâchîyd appears:

H1121 bên (a son): This word is foundational to the most common use of yâchîyd. The combination "only son" specifies a unique and beloved male heir, as seen in the command to Abraham to take his son, his only son Isaac Genesis 22:2.
H1060 bᵉkôwr (firstborn): This term appears in parallel with yâchîyd to describe the depth of mourning. The grief for the pierced one in Zechariah is compared both to mourning for an only son and bitterness for a firstborn Zechariah 12:10, linking uniqueness with primogeniture.
H1323 bath (a daughter): This term shows that the preciousness of an only child is not limited to sons. Jephthah's daughter was his only child, and he had neither son nor daughter besides her Judges 11:34.
H60 ʼêbel (mourning): The concept of yâchîyd is frequently tied to the most intense form of grief. Prophets command the people to make mourning, as for an only son, to illustrate the severity of coming judgment (Jeremiah 6:26, Amos 8:10).

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H3173 is significant, highlighting themes of sacrifice, sorrow, and unique value.

Ultimate Sacrifice and Faith: The description of Isaac as Abraham's only son frames the account in Genesis 22 as the ultimate test of faith. The word underscores that God asked for the most precious and irreplaceable person in Abraham's life Genesis 22:12.
The Depth of Prophetic Lament: The prophets' use of "mourning for an only son" establishes a benchmark for the most profound sorrow imaginable. It is used to convey the intensity of the grief that will accompany God's judgment upon His people Amos 8:10.
Messianic Significance: In Zechariah, the mourning for the one "whom they have pierced" is compared to the mourning for an only son Zechariah 12:10. This powerfully connects the concept of a unique, beloved son to a pierced, messianic figure who is the subject of intense national repentance.
The Preciousness of the Soul: David's prayer to rescue his "darling" (yâchîyd) from the lions H3715 and the dog H3611 portrays the human soul H5315 as a unique, beloved, and irreplaceable life that is utterly dependent on God for deliverance (Psalms 35:17, Psalms 22:20).

Summary

In summary, H3173 yâchîyd is a word layered with deep emotional and theological meaning. It moves beyond the simple idea of being "one" to encompass the value of what is unique, beloved, and irreplaceable. Whether describing a cherished child like Isaac, a state of utter desolation, or the soul's plea for rescue, yâchîyd consistently points to a singular object of profound importance, making it a powerful term in the contexts of faith, judgment, and redemption.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as an adjective across 12 occurrences, inflected in 5 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

יָחִיד
יְחִידְ
יְחִידָתִ
יְחִידִים
יְחִידָה

Related Words

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 12 verses across 7 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms (4 verses); never once in the other 32.

Genesis

Judges

Psalms

Proverbs

Jeremiah

Amos

Zechariah

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.