יְפֵה־פִיָּה
𐤉𐤐𐤄־𐤐𐤉𐤄
yᵉphêh-phîyâh
H3304 adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
An adjective describing a woman of striking or exceptional beauty, particularly in visage or appearance. Used to denote conspicuous physical attractiveness, especially facial beauty.
Semantic Range
exceptionally beautiful (especially of women); of striking visage; having a conspicuously attractive appearance; very fair; beautiful of face; of remarkable loveliness
Root / Etymology
Formed by compound or reduplication from the adjective יָפֶה (yāphê, 'beautiful') and פֶּה (peh, 'mouth') with an intensive nuance; literally 'beautiful of mouth/face,' indicating remarkable loveliness or attractiveness; the form functions as an intensifier of the base adjective.
Historical & Contextual Notes
יְפֵה־פִיָּה occurs only in poetic or elevated narrative contexts (notably, Song of Songs 6:4). The expression intensifies the root sense of beauty, focusing on pronounced physical or facial beauty, especially as attributed to women in biblical poetry. While English translations often render it as 'very beautiful' or 'most fair,' the Hebrew construction emphasizes visible or outward charm, often with specific reference to the face or countenance as a focal point of attractiveness. It differs from simple יָפֶה ('beautiful') by its heightened, poetic form. Comparable expressions occur in similar Hebrew constructs doubling the base with a body part to intensify; see also יפת־תואר (yefat-to’ar, 'beautiful of form'). Since the phrase is rare and primarily poetic, later interpretive tradition sometimes assigns broad or idealistic connotations, but its basic sense remains concentrated on manifest beauty, as recognized in elite or idealized contexts. The term is not associated with later synagogue or Judean identity markers—its context is pre-exilic and poetic.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from יָפָה by reduplication; very beautiful; very fair.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
יפה (y-p-h) — to be beautiful, to be pleasant to look at
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3302 | יָפָה | you beautify yourself |
| H3303 | יָפֶה | the beautiful one |
| H3305 | יָפוֹ | Yapho |
| H3308 | יֳפִי | in your beauty |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3304-02 |
יְפֵֽה | yefeh | HAafsa |
beautiful | strikingly handsome of face | 1 |
H3304-01 |
פִיָּ֖ה | fiyah | HAafsa |
of appearance | strikingly beautiful | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3304-02 |
Jeremiah 46:20 | יְפֵֽה | yefeh | HAafsa |
beautiful | strikingly handsome of face |
H3304-01 |
Jeremiah 46:20 | פִיָּ֖ה | fiyah | HAafsa |
of appearance | strikingly beautiful |