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יָפָה

𐤉𐤐𐤄

yâphâh

H3302 verb

SILEX Entry

Root יפה to be beautiful, attractive, pleasant

Definition

To be beautiful, fair, or attractive in appearance (whether of people, objects, or qualities); to possess pleasing aesthetic qualities. In some contexts, it conveys the sense of being pleasant or desirable more broadly, and can be extended metaphorically to describe speech or actions that are considered appealing or fitting.

Semantic Range

to be beautiful, to be fair, to be attractive, to be pleasant, to possess pleasing qualities, to act in a pleasing or fitting manner (metaphorically)

Root / Etymology

From the root יפה (y-p-h), which primarily conveys the idea of beauty, attractiveness, or pleasantness. The verb form יָפָה is derived directly from this triliteral root. The root itself focuses on visual or perceptible beauty, but its derivatives can refer to other types of pleasantness and desirability.

Historical & Contextual Notes

יָפָה appears primarily in poetic and descriptive contexts to indicate physical beauty, often applied to people (such as Sarah or Joseph) but also to describe land (Ezek 16:13, 15), cities, or even righteousness (Psalm 45:3), suggesting ideal qualities beyond mere appearance. In earlier texts, it is typically literal—describing physical appearance—but in later or poetic usage, it can have more metaphorical or abstract applications. The Hebrew concept of beauty does not necessarily carry the sexualized connotations present in later Western contexts and is often presented alongside terms like טוֹב ('good') or נָאֶה ('comely'). Modern translations sometimes render it as 'beautiful', 'fair', or 'lovely', but these vary based upon context. Over time, derivatives (e.g., יָפֶה) expanded to denote moral or qualitative excellence as well. In Rabbinic and modern Hebrew, the semantic range further broadened to include 'appropriate' or 'good' in non-visual senses. The English translation 'deck' or 'make fair' (from the KJV) reflects older usage but often misses the core sense of inherent beauty rather than the result of decoration or improvement.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; properly, to be bright, i.e. (by implication) beautiful; be beautiful, be (make self) fair(-r), deck.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

יפה (y-p-h) — beauty, attractiveness, pleasantness

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3303 יָפֶה the beautiful one
H3304 יְפֵה־פִיָּה strikingly beautiful
H3305 יָפוֹ Yapho
H3308 יֳפִי in your beauty

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3302-07 יְיַפֵּ֑/הוּ yeyapehu HVpi3ms/Sp3ms they decorate it he makes him beautiful 1
H3302-05 יָּפִית֙ yafit HVqp2fs beautiful you were beautiful 1
H3302-04 יָפְיָפִ֡יתָ yafeyafita HVjp2ms You are fairer you were exceedingly beautiful 1
H3302-06 יָּפ֥וּ yafu HVqp3cp beautiful they were beautiful 1
H3302-02 וַ/תִּ֨יפִי֙ vatifi HC/Vqw2fs and you became and you became beautiful 1
H3302-03 וַ/יְּיִ֣ף vayeyif HC/Vqw3ms Thus it was beautiful and he was beautiful 1
H3302-01 תִּתְיַפִּ֑י titeyapi HVti2fs you-beautify-yourself you beautify yourself 1

Occurrences in Scripture

7 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3302-01 Jeremiah 4:30 תִּתְיַפִּ֑י titeyapi HVti2fs you-beautify-yourself you beautify yourself
H3302-07 Jeremiah 10:4 יְיַפֵּ֑/הוּ yeyapehu HVpi3ms/Sp3ms they decorate it he makes him beautiful
H3302-02 Ezekiel 16:13 וַ/תִּ֨יפִי֙ vatifi HC/Vqw2fs and you became and you became beautiful
H3302-03 Ezekiel 31:7 וַ/יְּיִ֣ף vayeyif HC/Vqw3ms Thus it was beautiful and he was beautiful
H3302-04 Psalms 45:3 יָפְיָפִ֡יתָ yafeyafita HVjp2ms You are fairer you were exceedingly beautiful
H3302-06 Song of Songs 4:10 יָּפ֥וּ yafu HVqp3cp beautiful they were beautiful
H3302-05 Song of Songs 7:7 יָּפִית֙ yafit HVqp2fs beautiful you were beautiful
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