יָפוֹ
𐤉𐤐𐤅
Yafo
H3305 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper noun referring to the ancient port city of Yâphô (Joppa), located on the Mediterranean coast. The name is possibly derived from a root meaning 'beautiful,' suggesting a place noted for its pleasant appearance or location. Yâphô/Joppa functions within the Hebrew Bible as a key coastal site associated with shipping, trade, and significant narrative events.
Semantic Range
the port city Yâphô/Joppa (proper noun); by extension, sometimes interpreted as 'beautiful' or 'pleasant' in reference to location, but not used adjectivally in this context
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew root יפה (y-p-h), meaning 'to be beautiful.' The form יָפוֹ is a feminine proper noun likely reflecting an ancient toponym, with a possible alternative spelling יָפוֹא (Ezra 3:7). Etymology links the city name to the idea of 'beauty' or 'pleasantness,' but direct connection to the root meaning is secondary to its established status as a place name.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Yâphô is known in later periods as Joppa (Greek Ἰόππη), situated on the central Mediterranean coast, now within modern Tel Aviv-Jaffa. In the Hebrew Bible, it appears in narratives such as the reception point for cedar wood shipments (2 Chronicles 2:16) and as Jonah's embarkation port (Jonah 1:3). The site's name may have originally described its appealing coastal geography but became fossilized as a proper noun. The spelling 'Joppa' became standard in later Greek and English tradition, but neither 'Joppa' nor 'Japho' fully convey the original Hebrew designation. In the post-biblical period, the site remained significant, being referenced in Second Temple, Hellenistic, and Roman sources. The English term 'Jew' should not be used to refer to geographical or ethnic designations in these texts. Variations in spelling (יָפוֹ, יָפוֹא) reflect orthographic differences; both refer to the same locale. The meaning 'beautiful' is not applied to persons or objects in this form but is specific to the place name. Standard translations generally render it 'Joppa,' potentially obscuring its place-based etymology.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
xlit Yâphô corrected to Yâphôw; or יָפוֹא; (Ezra 3:7), from יָפָה; beautiful; Japho, a place in Palestine; Japha, Joppa.
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, attractive, pleasant
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3302 | יָפָה | you beautify yourself |
| H3303 | יָפֶה | the beautiful one |
| H3304 | יְפֵה־פִיָּה | strikingly beautiful |
| H3308 | יֳפִי | in your beauty |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3305-01 |
יָפֽוֹ | yafo | HNp |
Joppa | Yapho | 4 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3305-01 |
Joshua 19:46 | יָפֽוֹ | yafo | HNp |
Joppa | Yapho |
H3305-01 |
Jonah 1:3 | יָפ֜וֹ | yafo | HNp |
to Joppa | Yapho |
H3305-01 |
Ezra 3:7 | יָפ֔וֹא | yafo | HNp |
Joppa | Yapho |
H3305-01 |
2 Chronicles 2:15 | יָפ֑וֹ | yafo | HNp |
Joppa | Yapho |