Lexical Summary
yether: Remnant, remainder, excess, advantage, cord
Original Word:יֶתֶר
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:yether
Pronunciation:YEH-ter
Phonetic Spelling:(yeh'-ther)
KJV: + abundant, cord, exceeding, excellancy(-ent), what they leave, that hath left, plentifully, remnant, residue, rest, string, with
Word Origin:[fromH3498 (יָתַר - left)]
1. (properly) an overhanging
2. (by implication) an excess, superiority, remainder
3. also a small rope (as hanging free)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
abundant, cord, exceeding, excellent, plentifully, remnant, residue
Fromyathar; properly, an overhanging, i.e. (by implication) an excess, superiority, remainder; also a small rope (as hanging free) -- + abundant, cord, exceeding, excellancy(-ent), what they leave, that hath left, plentifully, remnant, residue, rest, string, with.
see HEBREWyathar
Brown-Driver-Briggs
I.
94Nehemiah 2:16 ; — absolute
Nehemiah 2:16 2t.;
Proverbs 17:7; construct
Genesis 49:3 84t.;
Isaiah 56:12 (see Baer's note); suffix
Isaiah 44:19;
Exodus 23:11 2t. (not
Job 4:21, q. v. below II.); —
remainder, remnant (with implied inferiority in number or quality), of crops, etc.Exodus 23:11 (JE),their remnant, i.e. what they (the enemy) leave, soJoel 1:4;Joel 1:4;Joel 1:4;Exodus 10:5 (J); of vessels,Jeremiah 27:19; of a treeIsaiah 44:19 (=Isaiah 44:17); elsewhere of personDeuteronomy 3:11 =Joshua 12:4;Joshua 3:12 (both D),Deuteronomy 28:54;Joshua 23:12 (D),2 Samuel 21:2;2 Kings 25:11 =Jeremiah 52:15;Ezekiel 34:18; of a rescued remnant of Israel (Judah)Micah 5:2;Zephaniah 2:9 ("" ),Zechariah 14:2;1 Kings 22:47;Jeremiah 36:9 (twice in verse);2 Kings 25:11 =Jeremiah 52:15 .
remainder, rest, other part of people, elders, etc.,2 Samuel 10:10 =1 Chronicles 19:11;2 Samuel 12:28;1 Kings 12:23;Jeremiah 29:1;Habakkuk 2:8;Ezekiel 48:23; sometimes including a majorityJudges 7:6;1 Samuel 13:2; of common people (opposed to rulers)Nehemiah 2:16;Nehemiah 4:8;Nehemiah 4:13; compareNehemiah 6:1; of landDeuteronomy 3:13;Joshua 13:27 (P); of other inanimate thingsLeviticus 14:17 (P),Numbers 31:32 (id.), of yearsIsaiah 38:10; elsewhere in phrasethe rest of the affairs of, in summaries of reigns of kings of Israel and Judah1 Kings 11:41 41t. Kings Chronicles;1 Kings 15:23; 2Chronicles 28:26.
excess,Proverbs 17:7a lip of excess = arrogant speech (see VB).
in adverb phrases,Psalm 31:24on the basis of abundance = abundantly, as adverb accusativeIsaiah 56:12 great,in abundance, exceedingly,Daniel 8:9 and grew greatin excess, exceedingly (compare
much,
more than).
specificallywhat is over and above immediate necessities,abundance, affluenceJob 22:20;Psalm 17:14.
superiority, excellencyGenesis 49:3. — OnJob 4:1 see II. .
II.Judges 16:7 (properly ashanging over ordown; Aramaic part of the intestines,ropes,
cord, rope, chord of arc; Arabic
bow-string, lute-string; Ethiopic
sinew, cord;
stretch bowstring, strain (eyes),be intent, eager, etc.) —Psalm 11:2 3t.; suffix KtJob 30:11 ( Qr);Job 4:21; —cord, for binding a manJudges 16:7,8,9;bowstringPsalm 11:2;Job 30:11 (according to Qr, opposed toJob 29:20 b; Kt =his cord, with which he reins in my assailants; compare Di Da).Job 4:21tent-cord Ew De Di RV; yet read perhapstheir tent-peg, so Ol Hi Sgfr ( > AVtheir excellency, from I. ).
Topical Lexicon
Root idea and range of meaningיֶתֶר (yether) describes that which is left over or hangs over—whether surplus resources, the remnant of a people, the edge of a garment, or the cord that dangles from a bow. From this basic picture of “that which remains,” Scripture employs the word in four principal ways:
1. Material remainder (food, spoil, land, oil, money).
2. Sociological remainder (the “rest” of a population).
3. Physical cord or bow-string (instrument of war or fastening).
4. Personal name borne by at least ten individuals.
Distribution of occurrences
Approximately 101 appearances span every major section of the Old Testament:
• Torah – forty-four times (notablyExodus 26;Leviticus 14;Numbers 31;Deuteronomy 3, 28).
• Historical books – twenty-six times (Joshua through Esther).
• Wisdom literature – six times (Job 39:13;Psalm 76:10;Proverbs 5:14, 29:3;Ecclesiastes 2:13; 4:6).
• Major prophets – seventeen times (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel).
• Minor prophets – eight times (Joel, Amos, Micah, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah).
The word’s breadth of placement underscores a thematic thread that binds narrative, poetry, and prophecy: God’s sovereign preservation of a remainder for His purposes.
Material remainder: stewardship and sufficiency
When yether speaks of unused resources, it testifies to Yahweh’s provision and Israel’s responsibility. InLeviticus 14:18 “the rest of the oil” is placed on the head of the cleansed leper, symbolizing consecration after atonement.Numbers 31:32 records “the rest of the plunder” captured from Midian, which is then tithed and distributed according to divine instruction, modeling thankful stewardship. Such texts invite believers to view excess not as autonomous property but as entrusted surplus intended for worship and service (compare2 Corinthians 9:8–11).
Sociological remainder: the doctrine of the remnant
Deuteronomy 3:1–3 introduces the first canonical instance where yether identifies “the rest of Bashan,” land left unconquered until the LORD intervenes. Prophets later apply the term to Israel herself:
•Isaiah 10:19 – “The rest of the trees of his forest will be so few that a child could write them down.”
•Jeremiah 39:9 – “Nebuzaradan… carried into exile the rest of the people who were left in the city.”
•Zephaniah 2:7 – “The remnant of the house of Judah will feed there.”
These passages collectively advance the biblical theology of a faithful remnant—smaller in number yet central in redemptive history, preserved to carry covenant promises forward (Romans 11:5).
Cord and bow-string: warfare, dependence, and redemption
Five texts translate yether as “bow-string” or “cord,” each time highlighting the futility of human strength apart from God:
•Job 30:11 – “Because He has loosened and unstrung my bow-string.”
•Psalm 11:2 (in parallel with קֶשֶׁת) – “For behold, the wicked bend the bow; they set their arrow on the string.”
The severed cord symbolizes broken martial power, foreshadowing the ultimate disarmament of evil through the cross, where “having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them” (Colossians 2:15).
Personal name Yether/Jether: individual snapshots of grace
1. Jether, Gideon’s firstborn (Judges 8:20) – too timid to execute the fleeing Midianite kings, illustrating costly hesitation in spiritual warfare.
2. Jether (Ithra), father of Amasa (2 Samuel 17:25;1 Kings 2:5) – an Ishmaelite who married into Jesse’s line, reminding readers of the Gentile inclusion anticipated in the Abrahamic blessing.
3. Several Levitical descendants in1 Chronicles 2, 4, and 7 – their genealogical placement affirms that those seemingly on the “margin” are recorded and valued by God.
Excellence and overflow: yether in wisdom writings
Ecclesiastes 2:13 contrasts wisdom and folly: “I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, as light exceeds darkness.” The noun “exceeds” (yether) frames wisdom as surplus light—more than enough guidance for life under the sun. Likewise,Psalm 76:10 celebrates God’s mastery over human rebellion: “Surely the wrath of man shall praise You; with the remainder of wrath You will gird Yourself.” Even hostile excess is harnessed for divine glory.
Ministry implications
• Pastoral care. Yether encourages the church to cherish individuals who feel “left over.” God often chooses the overlooked remainder through whom to display His power (1 Corinthians 1:26–29).
• Financial ethics. Surplus resources are providential means for generosity. Ministries imitate the priest’s use of “the rest of the oil” when they dedicate excess to compassionate outreach.
• Spiritual formation. Recognizing that God preserves a remnant fosters perseverance amid cultural decline. Believers are exhorted to be faithful, not merely successful.
Christological trajectory
The Servant-King emerges from what appears to be a negligible remainder: “He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground” (Isaiah 53:2). The incarnation embodies the yether motif—small, marginalized, yet ultimately victorious. By His resurrection, Jesus becomes “the firstfruits” guaranteeing that no portion of God’s people will be lost (John 6:39).
Summary
Yether weaves together the tangible and the theological: material surplus, societal remnant, and strengthened cords all converge in a portrait of a God who preserves, provides, and prevails. Every “remainder” in Scripture signals that nothing escapes His redemptive design; every dangling cord reminds the faithful that security rests not in human sinew but in His unbreakable promise.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּיֶ֙תֶר֙ ביתר הַיְתָרִ֔ים היתרים וְ֝יִתְרָ֗ם וְיִתְרָ֕ם וְיִתְרוֹ֙ וְיֶ֖תֶר וְיֶ֙תֶר֙ וְיֶ֛תֶר וְיֶ֣תֶר וְיֶ֤תֶר וְיֶ֥תֶר וְיֶ֨תֶר וְיֶתֶר֙ וְיֶתֶר֩ וּבְיֶ֥תֶר וּלְיֶ֙תֶר֙ וּלְיֶ֣תֶר וּמִיֶּ֨תֶר וביתר ויתר ויתרו ויתרם וליתר ומיתר יְתָרִ֥ים יִ֝תְרָ֗ם יִתְרִ֣י יִתְרָ֣ם יֶ֑תֶר יֶ֚תֶר יֶ֛תֶר יֶ֜תֶר יֶ֝֗תֶר יֶ֣תֶר יֶ֤תֶר יֶ֥תֶר יֶ֨תֶר יתר יתרי יתרים יתרם מִיֶּ֖תֶר מִיֶּ֣תֶר מיתר bə·ye·ṯer beYeter bəyeṯer hay·ṯā·rîm haytaRim hayṯārîm mî·ye·ṯer miYeter mîyeṯer ū·ḇə·ye·ṯer ū·lə·ye·ṯer ū·mî·ye·ṯer ūḇəyeṯer uleYeter ūləyeṯer umiYeter ūmîyeṯer uveYeter veYeter veyitRam veyitRo wə·ye·ṯer wə·yiṯ·rām wə·yiṯ·rōw wəyeṯer wəyiṯrām wəyiṯrōw yə·ṯā·rîm ye·ṯer yetaRim yəṯārîm Yeter yeṯer yiṯ·rām yiṯ·rî yitRam yiṯrām yitRi yiṯrî
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