יָפִיעַ
𐤉𐤐𐤉𐤏
Yafia
H3309 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper noun; personal or place name, meaning 'he shines forth' or 'illustrious.' Refers to (1) a Canaanite king of Lachish, (2) a descendant in the tribe of Asher, and (3) a locality on the border of Zebulun.
Semantic Range
he shines forth, illustrious, bright (as a quality or descriptor); proper noun—name of a person (Canaanite or Israelite) or a place
Root / Etymology
From the root יפע (y-p-‘), meaning 'to shine, to be bright, to be splendid.' יָפִיעַ (Yâphîya‘) is a Qal imperfect (jussive or indicative sense) or adjectival form: 'he shines forth' or 'brilliant.' Functions primarily as a proper name.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Used as the name of a Canaanite king (Josh 10:3), an individual from the tribe of Asher (1 Chr 7:33), and a town on Zebulun's border (Josh 19:12). The town is identified with classical Japhia (modern Yafa near Nazareth), and the personal names reflect a meaning of 'shining one' or 'illustrious.' In English Bibles, 'Japhia' is employed in all cases, which neither communicates the semantic nuance nor the possible meaning for ancient audiences. The root יפע is rare in Biblical Hebrew and occurs almost exclusively in poetic or proper name contexts. There is no connection with religious roles or later Judean/Jewish identity; all occurrences are within narrative or genealogical settings prior to the Persian period. Japhia as a geographic name is likely tied to a meaning of 'elevation' or prominence—possibly a topographic description related to 'shining' or 'standing out.' Later Jewish literature and translations retain the form 'Japhia' with minimal semantic explanation.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from יָפַע; bright; Japhia, the name of a Canaanite, an Israelite, and a place in Palestine; Japhia.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
יפע (y-p-ʿ) — to shine, to be bright, to be splendid
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3313 | יָפַע | you caused to shine |
| H3314 | יִפְעָה | your radiance |
| H4158 | מוֹפַעַת | Shining Place |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3309-01 |
וְ/יָפִֽיעַ | veyafia | HC/Np |
and Japhia | and He-Shines-Forth | 3 |
H3309-02 |
יָפִ֧יעַ | yafia | HNp |
Japhia | He Shines Forth | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3309-02 |
Joshua 10:3 | יָפִ֧יעַ | yafia | HNp |
Japhia | He Shines Forth |
H3309-02 |
Joshua 19:12 | יָפִֽיעַ | yafia | HNp |
to Japhia | He Shines Forth |
H3309-01 |
2 Samuel 5:15 | וְ/יָפִֽיעַ | veyafia | HC/Np |
and Japhia | and He-Shines-Forth |
H3309-01 |
1 Chronicles 3:7 | וְ/יָפִֽיעַ | veyafia | HC/Np |
and Japhia | and He-Shines-Forth |
H3309-01 |
1 Chronicles 14:6 | וְ/יָפִֽיעַ | veyafia | HC/Np |
and Japhia | and He-Shines-Forth |