Bible Lexicons

In P Petr II. 39(e) (Ptol.) we have what appears to be a list of taxes paid by orphans, and beside one of the names the note has been scribbled—(7).13 οὐκ ἔστιν ὀρφανὸς ἀλλὰ υἱὸς Δαιφάντου, ";he is not an orphan, but the son of Daiphantos."; The word (= Lat. orbus) is common in petitions, e.g. P Flor III. 319.7 (A.D. 132–7) τοῦ δὲ [ἀ ]δελφιδοῦ μου ὀρφανοῦ ὄντος, P Tebt II. 326.2 (c. A.D. 266) ὑπὲρ θυγατρὸς ὀρφανῆς καὶ καταδεοῦς τὴν ἡλικίαν, δέσποτα ἡγεμών, ἱκετηρίαν τιθεμένη ἐπὶ τὸ σὸν μέγεθος καταφεύγω, ";on behalf of my orphan daughter who is under age, my lord praefect, I make this supplication and take refuge in your power"; (Edd.), P Thead 19.4 ff. (iv/A.D.) τοὺς ἀδικουμένους ὀρφανο [ύς ], ἡγεμὼν δέσποτα ἐκδικεῖν εἴωθρν τὸ μεγαλεῖον τὸ σόν · ἑαυτὸς το [ί ]νυν ὀρφανὸς καταλελιμμένης (l .–ένος) στερηθεὶς ἑκατέρων τῶν γονέων οὐκ ὀλίγ [ον ] ἀδικοῦμαι κτλ., and P Lips I. 41.2 (end iv/A.D.) ἀμφοῖν τοῖν γονέοιν ὀρφανή. See also P Magd 13.14 (B.C. 217) with the editor’s note, and BGU IV. 1209.14 (B.C. 23) ὡς ἂν λάβῃς τὸ γράμμα ἐμβαλοῦ (sc. εἰς πλοῖον) τόν τε ὀρφανὸν καὶ τὴν τούτου μητέρα. The more general sense of the word may be illustrated from MGr as in the distich, Abbott Songs, p. 226 No. 50, where a lover mourns that his mistress is going away leaving him friendless—καί μ᾽ ἀφίνει ὀρφανό᾽ the same combination as in John 14:18 : see also Epict. iii. 24. 14 ὡς ὀρφανοὺς ἀφιείς, and ib. 15 οὐδείς ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος ὀρφανός, ἀλλὰ πάντων ἀεὶ καὶ διηνεκῶς ὁ πατήρ ἐστιν ὁ κηδόμενος (cited by Bauer HZNT ad John 16:32). For the form ὀρφανικός see P Grenf 1. 17.17 (c. B.C. 147 or 136), P Oxy VI. 888.4 (iii/iv A.D.), and for the subst. ὀρφάνεια cf. P Par 39.11 (B.C. 161) ἐμβλέψαντες. . . εἰς τὴν ἐκείνων ὀρφάνειαν, and P Fay 94.5 (A.D. 222–235) a formal release given by an orphan girl to her late guardian—τῷ γε ]νομένῳ τῆς ὀρφανείας αὐτῆς ἐπιτρόπῳ.