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יִפְתָּח

𐤉𐤐𐤕𐤇

Yifetach

H3316 noun

SILEX Entry

Root פתח to open, to allow passage

Definition

A personal and geographical proper name, meaning 'He (God) opens' or 'He will open.' In personal use, commonly the name of an Israelite judge (Jephthah), signifying a person of that name. As a place name, referring to a locality within territorial listings of the Hebrew Bible. The primary lexical nuance is that of opening, being permitted, or access, reflective of the root sense.

Semantic Range

personal name (Yiphtach/Jephthah), place name (Yiphtach), he will open, God will open; connotations of enabling, granting access, making possible

Root / Etymology

Derived from the verb פָּתַח (patach), meaning 'to open.' The form יִפְתָּח (Yiphtâch) is a qal imperfect (third masculine singular), literally 'he will open.' As a proper name, the verb form functions nominally, typical of theophoric or hope-expressing names in Hebrew culture.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, יִפְתָּח (Yiphtâch) is best known as the judge (Judges 11–12), a Gileadite from east of the Jordan who delivered Israelites from Ammonite oppression. The personal name likely signifies hope or prayer for opening (deliverance, favor, or birth), common in Israelite onomastics. The place name denotes a territorial boundary (Joshua 15:43; 19:14), though its precise location is uncertain. The English translation 'Jephthah' (by way of Greek Ιεφθαε and Latin Jephtha) is well established but does not convey the Hebrew sense of 'opening.' In the biblical context, the name Yiphtach carries connotations of divine or providential action, but theological interpretation should not be assumed as the given meaning. Later tradition associates the word with deliverance, but the lexical sense remains 'he opens.'

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from פָּתַח; he will open; Jiphtach, an Israelite; also a place in Palestine; Jephthah, Jiphtah.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

פתח (p-t-ḥ) — to open, to allow passage, to grant access

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3315 יֶפֶת to Yepheth
H4668 מַפְתֵּחַ the opener
H4669 מִפְתָּח the opening
H5318 נֶפְתּוֹחַ Opening-Spring
H6596 פֹּת their intimate opening

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3316-03 יִפְתָּֽח yifetach HNp Jephthah he will open 26
H3316-02 וְ/יִפְתָּ֥ח veyifetach HC/Np and Jiphtah And He-will-open 2
H3316-01 לְ/יִפְתָּ֔ח leyifetach HR/Np to Jephthah to He-Will-Open 2

Occurrences in Scripture

30 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3316-02 Joshua 15:43 וְ/יִפְתָּ֥ח veyifetach HC/Np and Jiphtah And He-will-open
H3316-02 Judges 11:1 וְ/יִפְתָּ֣ח veyifetach HC/Np Now Jephthah And He-will-open
H3316-03 Judges 11:1 יִפְתָּֽח yifetach HNp Jephthah he will open
H3316-03 Judges 11:2 יִפְתָּ֗ח yifetach HNp Jephthah he will open
H3316-03 Judges 11:3 יִפְתָּח֙ yifetach HNp Jephthah he will open
H3316-03 Judges 11:3 יִפְתָּח֙ yifetach-2 HNp Jephthah he will open
H3316-03 Judges 11:5 יִפְתָּ֖ח yifetach HNp Jephthah he will open
H3316-01 Judges 11:6 לְ/יִפְתָּ֔ח leyifetach HR/Np to Jephthah to He-Will-Open
H3316-03 Judges 11:7 יִפְתָּח֙ yifetach HNp Jephthah he will open
H3316-03 Judges 11:8 יִפְתָּ֗ח yifetach HNp Jephthah he will open
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