ORPHAN:
or'-fan: This word occurs once only in the Old Testament (Lamentations 5:3, where it stands for yathom, elsewhere rendered "fatherless," and in the Septuagint always orphanos); in the Apocrypha it occurs 3 times (2 Esdras 2:20; Tobit 1:8; 2 Macc 8:28). There is no clear case where it means the loss of both parents. The Scriptures devote considerable attention to the widow and orphan, and the idea is that the child is fatherless. It is not found in the King James Version of the New Testament; but the Greek word orphanos occurs twice, John 14:18 (the King James Version "comfortless," the Revised Version (British and American) "desolate," margin "orphans") and James 1:27 ("fatherless").

See FATHERLESS.

D. Miall Edwards

ORPHANS:
(Lamentations 5:3), i.e., desolate and without protectors. The word occurs only here. In John 14:18 the word there rendered "comfortless" (R.V., "desolate;" marg., "orphans") properly means "orphans." The same Greek word is rendered "fatherless" in James 1:27.

ORPHAN:

-General scriptures concerning
    Exodus 22:22-24; Deuteronomy 10:18; 14:28,29; 16:11,14; 24:17-22; 26:12,13; 27:19; Job 6:27; 22:9; 24:3,9; 29:12,13; 31:16-18,21; Psalms 10:14,17,18; 27:10; 68:5; 82:3; 94:6; 146:9; Proverbs 23:10; Isaiah 1:17,23; 10:1,2; Jeremiah 5:28; 7:6,7; 22:3; 49:11; Hosea 14:3; Malachi 3:5; James 1:27

-See ADOPTION

-See CHILDREN

-See WIDOW

-INSTANCES OF

    Lot
        Genesis 11:27,28

    Daughters of Zelophehad
        Numbers 27:1-5

    Jotham
        Judges 9:16-21

    Mephibosheth
        2Samuel 9:3

    Joash
        2Kings 11:1-12

    Esther
        Esther 2:7

    A figure of Zion in affliction
        Lamentations 5:3