ya.chid marks an only child, and in a few contexts a solitary or uniquely precious person.

The predominant use marks a son, daughter, or child as the sole child in a family and heightens the grief associated with such a child. Other occurrences apply the adjective to a solitary condition or to a personal referent whose unique value is emphasized in a plea for rescue.

1. A family's sole child · dominant

   The masculine singular construct forms in Genesis 22:2, Genesis 22:12, and Genesis 22:16 occur in the repeated clause concerning a son whom Abraham did not withhold. The feminine singular absolute in Judges 11:34 describes Jephthah's daughter, while Amos 8:10, Jeremiah 6:26, and Zechariah 12:10 compare intense mourning to mourning for such a child; in Amos 8:10 the APB renders the comparison "the mourning for an only child."

   Genesis 22:2Genesis 22:12Genesis 22:16Judges 11:34Amos 8:10Zechariah 12:10
2. Solitary condition or persons · occasional

   In Psalm 25:16, the masculine singular absolute stands in the speaker's plea for favor amid affliction; the APB renders the clause "for I am lonely and afflicted." Psalm 68:7 has a masculine plural absolute in a verse about God going before his people, but the APB does not isolate the term's contribution there.

   Psalm 25:16Psalm 68:7
3. A uniquely valued personal referent · occasional

   Psalm 35:17 uses a feminine singular construct in a plea that the speaker's soul be brought back from ravagers; the APB renders the object as "my only one from the lions." Psalm 22:21 likewise has a feminine singular construct in a rescue plea, though the APB rendering does not make the term's specific contribution clear.

   Psalm 35:17Psalm 22:21

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB commonly presents the family use as "only son," "only child," or "an only child," and Psalm 25:16 as "lonely." In Psalm 35:17 it has "my only one," while Psalm 22:21 and Psalm 68:7 do not clearly isolate the term in the translation.