What does יָפֶה (yāpeh) mean in the Bible?
יָפֶה (yāpeh): Beauty that combines visual appeal with moral and relational goodness, not mere aesthetic form
Hebrew · H3303
יָפֶה
Beautiful (literally or figuratively)
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יָפֶה H3303
Pronunciation yāpeh
What does יָפֶה (yāpeh) mean in the Bible?
יָפֶה (yāpeh): Beauty that combines visual appeal with moral and relational goodness, not mere aesthetic form
Full entry for יָפֶה (H3303) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H3303?
The BSB source-word alignment has 42 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include beautiful (6), a beautiful (2), and beautiful (2), beautiful [you are] (2), my beautiful one (2).
Where does יָפֶה (yāpeh) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 12:11. Its strongest book concentrations include Song Of Solomon (13), Genesis (9), 1 Samuel (3), 2 Samuel (3).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It beautiful 6× Genesis 12:14, Psalms 48:2, Ecclesiastes 3:11, Song Of Solomon 1:15
a beautiful 2× Deuteronomy 21:11, 2 Samuel 14:27
and beautiful 2× Genesis 29:17, 1 Samuel 25:3
beautiful [you are] 2× Song Of Solomon 1:15, Song Of Solomon 4:1
my beautiful one 2× Song Of Solomon 2:10, Song Of Solomon 2:13
O most beautiful 2× Song Of Solomon 5:9, Song Of Solomon 6:1
sleek 2× Genesis 41:2, Genesis 41:4
with beautiful 2× 1 Samuel 16:12, Ezekiel 31:3
[are] a beautiful 1× Genesis 12:11
[is] a beautiful 1× Proverbs 11:22
and fitting 1× Ecclesiastes 5:18
and handsome 1× Genesis 39:6
and sleek 1× Genesis 41:18
are as beautiful 1× Song Of Solomon 6:4
as beautiful 1× Job 42:15
as fair 1× Song Of Solomon 6:10
as handsome 1× 2 Samuel 14:25
for a beautiful 1× 1 Kings 1:3
handsome 1× 1 Samuel 17:42
handsome [you are] 1× Song Of Solomon 1:16
in beauty 1× 1 Kings 1:4
it beautiful 1× Ezekiel 31:9
O fairest 1× Song Of Solomon 1:8
shapely 1× Genesis 29:17
the beautiful 1× 2 Samuel 13:1
the lovely 1× Amos 8:13
very beautiful 1× Song Of Solomon 4:1
was lovely 1× Esther 2:7
well-built 1× Genesis 39:6
with a beautiful 1× Ezekiel 33:32
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 12:11 יְפַת־ to [are] a beautiful Adjective - feminine singular construct Genesis 12:14 יָפָ֥ה to beautiful Adjective - feminine singular Genesis 29:17 יְפַת־ to shapely Adjective - feminine singular construct Genesis 29:17 וִיפַ֥ת to and beautiful Conjunctive waw | Adjective - feminine singular construct Genesis 39:6 יְפֵה־ to well-built Adjective - masculine singular construct Genesis 39:6 וִיפֵ֥ה to and handsome Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular construct Genesis 41:2 יְפ֥וֹת to sleek Adjective - feminine plural construct Genesis 41:4 יְפֹ֥ת to sleek Adjective - feminine plural construct Genesis 41:18 וִיפֹ֣ת to and sleek Conjunctive waw | Adjective - feminine plural construct Deuteronomy 21:11 יְפַת־ to a beautiful Adjective - feminine singular construct
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 12:11
Aligned rows 42
Books represented 14
Genesis 9 Deuteronomy 1 1 Samuel 3 2 Samuel 3 1 Kings 2 Esther 1 Job 1 Psalms 1 Proverbs 1 Ecclesiastes 2 Song Of Solomon 13 Jeremiah 1 Ezekiel 3 Amos 1
Source forms
יְפֵ֥ה 5x yə·p̄êh 1 Samuel 16:12, 1 Samuel 17:42, Psalms 48:2, Ezekiel 31:3
יְפַת־ 4x yə·p̄aṯ- Genesis 12:11, Genesis 29:17, Deuteronomy 21:11, Esther 2:7
הַיָּפָ֖ה 3x hay·yā·p̄āh Song Of Solomon 1:8, Song Of Solomon 5:9, Song Of Solomon 6:1
יָפֶ֣ה 3x yā·p̄eh Ecclesiastes 3:11, Ecclesiastes 5:18, Ezekiel 31:9
יָפָ֖ה 2x yā·p̄āh 2 Samuel 13:1, Song Of Solomon 1:15
יָפָ֔ה 2x yā·p̄āh 1 Kings 1:3, Song Of Solomon 4:1
יָפָ֣ה 2x yā·p̄āh 1 Kings 1:4, Song Of Solomon 6:10
יָפָה֙ 2x yā·p̄āh Song Of Solomon 1:15, Song Of Solomon 4:7
Parsing patterns
Adjective - feminine singular 12x Genesis 12:14, 2 Samuel 13:1, 1 Kings 1:3, 1 Kings 1:4
Adjective - masculine singular construct 7x Genesis 39:6, 1 Samuel 16:12, 1 Samuel 17:42, Psalms 48:2
Adjective - feminine singular construct 5x Genesis 12:11, Genesis 29:17, Deuteronomy 21:11, 2 Samuel 14:27
Adjective - masculine singular 5x 2 Samuel 14:25, Ecclesiastes 3:11, Ecclesiastes 5:18, Song Of Solomon 1:16
Article | Adjective - feminine singular 3x Song Of Solomon 1:8, Song Of Solomon 5:9, Song Of Solomon 6:1
Adjective - feminine plural construct 2x Genesis 41:2, Genesis 41:4
Adjective - feminine singular construct | first person common singular 2x Song Of Solomon 2:10, Song Of Solomon 2:13
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - feminine singular construct 2x Genesis 29:17, 1 Samuel 25:3
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Beauty that combines visual appeal with moral and relational goodness, not mere aesthetic form
Source Gloss
beautiful (literally or figuratively)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Beauty that combines visual appeal with moral and relational goodness, not mere aesthetic form
beautiful (literally or figuratively) BDB: fair Usage: beautiful, beauty, comely, fair(-est, one), goodly, pleasant, well.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 1 Aligned forms 33
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 1×
Perfect Song 7:2 1×
Word Origins
יָפֶה is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain