The Hebrew word almanah describes a widow — a woman left without a husband by death. Appearing approximately 55 times in the Old Testament, it carries profound theological weight because widows in ancient Israel faced extreme social and economic vulnerability. Without a husband, a woman had no legal protector, no income, and no social standing.
The almanah is one of the three most vulnerable groups in Old Testament society — alongside the orphan (yatom) and the stranger (ger). God repeatedly identifies Himself as their defender: "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling" (Psalm 68:5). The Mosaic law provided specific protections: leaving gleanings in the field (Deuteronomy 24:19), the levirate marriage institution, and capital punishment for those who defraud widows. The prophets used Israel's treatment of widows as a litmus test of faithfulness — neglecting them was a sign of apostasy (Isaiah 1:17; Zechariah 7:10). In the New Testament, James declares that pure religion is caring for orphans and widows (James 1:27). God's special concern for the almanah reveals His heart: power must protect the powerless.