The Hebrew adjective yachid means only, only one, unique, or beloved. It occurs 12 times in the Old Testament and describes someone or something that is singular, irreplaceable, and deeply cherished. The word carries intense emotional weight, emphasizing the preciousness of what is unique and without substitute.
Yachid is most famously used in Genesis 22:2 where God tells Abraham to offer his "only son" Isaac — the son of promise, unique and irreplaceable. This usage became a key typological text pointing to God the Father offering His only Son. The word also appears in the Psalms to describe the psalmist's life as precious and solitary before God. Its theological weight lies in expressing the concept of uniqueness that is bound to love — the only one who is therefore the beloved one.