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: [from H3498 (יָתַר - left)]

1. (properly) an overhanging
2. (by implication) an excess, superiority, remainder
3. also a small rope (as hanging free)

abundant, cord, exceeding, excellent, plentifully, remnant, residue

From yathar; 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 HEBREW yathar

I. יֶ֫תֶר₉₄ noun masculine^{Nehemiah 2:16} remainder, excellence, excess; — absolute יֶ֫תֶר Nehemiah 2:16 2t.; יָ֑תֶר Proverbs 17:7; construct יֶ֫תֶר Genesis 49:3 84t.; יֶ֫תֶר Isaiah 56:12 (see Baer's note); suffix יִתְרוֺ Isaiah 44:19; יִתְרָם Exodus 23:11 2t. (not Job 4:21, q. v. below II.יֶתֶר); — 1

a. remainder, remnant (with implied inferiority in number or quality), of crops, etc. יִתְרָם Exodus 23:11 (JE), their remnant, i.e. what they (the enemy) leave, so יֶתֶר הַגָּזָם Joel 1:4; יֶתֶר הָאַרְבֶּה Joel 1:4; יֶתֶר הַיֶּלֶק Joel 1:4; יֶתֶר הַמְּלֵטָה הַנִּשְׁאֶרֶת Exodus 10:5 (J); of vessels, יֶתֶר הַכֵּלִים הַנּוֺתָרִים Jeremiah 27:19; of a tree Isaiah 44:19 (= שְׁאֵרִית Isaiah 44:17); elsewhere of person Deuteronomy 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 ("" שְׁאֵרִית), Zechariah 14:2; יֶתֶר הַקָּדֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁאַר 1 Kings 22:47; יֶתֶר הָעָם הַנִּשְׁאָרִים Jeremiah 36:9 (twice in verse); 2 Kings 25:11 = Jeremiah 52:15 .

b. 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 majority Judges 7:6; 1 Samuel 13:2; of common people (opposed to rulers) Nehemiah 2:16; Nehemiah 4:8; Nehemiah 4:13; compare Nehemiah 6:1; of land Deuteronomy 3:13; Joshua 13:27 (P); of other inanimate things Leviticus 14:17 (P), Numbers 31:32 (id.), of years Isaiah 38:10; elsewhere in phrase יֶחֶר דִּבְרֵי the rest of the affairs of, in summaries of reigns of kings of Israel and Judah 1 Kings 11:41 41t. Kings Chronicles; יֶתֶר כָּלדִּֿבְרֵי 1 Kings 15:23; יֶתֶר דְּבָרָיו2Chronicles 28:26.

2. a. excess, שְׂפַת יָ֑תֶר Proverbs 17:7 a lip of excess = arrogant speech (see VB).

b. in adverb phrases, עַל יֶתֶר Psalm 31:24 on the basis of abundance = abundantly, as adverb accusative גָּדוֺל יֶתֶר מְאֹד Isaiah 56:12 great, in abundance, exceedingly, Daniel 8:9 וַתִּגְדַּליֶֿתֶר and grew great in excess, exceedingly (compare much, more than).

c. specifically what is over and above immediate necessities, abundance, affluence Job 22:20; Psalm 17:14.

3 superiority, excellency יֶתֶר שְׂאֵת וְיֶתֶר עָ֫ז Genesis 49:3. — On Job 4:1 see II. יֶתֶר.

II. יֶ֫תֶר noun masculine^{Judges 16:7} cord (properly as hanging over or down; Aramaic יַתְרָא part of the intestines, ᵑ7 יְתָרַיָּא ropes, cord, rope, chord of arc; Arabic bow-string, lute-string; Ethiopic sinew, cord; stretch bowstring, strain (eyes), be intent, eager, etc.) — יֶתֶ֑ר Psalm 11:2 3t.; suffix יִתְרוֺ Kt Job 30:11 (יִתְרִי Qr); יִתְרָם Job 4:21; — cord, for binding a man Judges 16:7,8,9; bowstring Psalm 11:2; Job 30:11 (according to Qr, opposed to Job 29:20 b; Kt = his cord, with which he reins in my assailants; compare Di Da). Job 4:21 tent-cord Ew De Di RV; yet read perhaps יְתֵדָם their tent-peg, so Ol Hi Sgfr ( > AV their excellency, from I. יֶתֶר).

Root idea and range of meaning

יֶתֶר (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 (notably Exodus 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. In Leviticus 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 (compare 2 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 in 1 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.

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 yiṯrîInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts