English · KJV
H3302

יָפָה

yâphâh /yaw-faw'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningproperly, to be bright, i.e. (by implication) beautiful
KJV usagebe beautiful, be (make self) fair(-r), deck.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of yâphâh — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word yâphâh, represented by H3302, is a primitive root that properly means to be bright. By implication, it conveys the idea of being beautiful or fair, and can also mean to deck or make oneself fair. It appears 8 times in 8 unique verses in the Bible, often to describe physical, natural, or relational beauty.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical usage, H3302 describes various forms of beauty. It is used to praise a person as "fairer than the children of men," linking beauty with the gift of grace Psalms 45:2. In the Song of Solomon, it expresses deep affection, as in "How fair is thy love" Song of Solomon 4:10 and "How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love" Song of Solomon 7:6. However, the term can also carry a negative connotation. In Jeremiah, it describes the vain attempt to "make thyself fair" through external adornment while being spiritually desolate Jeremiah 4:30, and also refers to the futile "decking" of idols with silver and gold Jeremiah 10:4. In Ezekiel, it describes both the God-given splendor of Jerusalem, which became "exceeding beautiful" Ezekiel 16:13, and the natural majesty of a great tree that "was fair in his greatness" Ezekiel 31:7.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words provide deeper context to the concept of beauty and adornment:

  • H5710 ʻâdâh (adorn, deck): This root verb means to bedeck or bring an ornament upon something. It is used alongside H3302 to describe adorning oneself with ornaments of gold Jeremiah 4:30 and is also used of a bride who "adorneth herself with her jewels" Isaiah 61:10.
  • H2580 chên (graciousness, favor, beauty): This word refers to favor or grace and is explicitly linked with fairness in Psalms 45:2. It is also noted that "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain" Proverbs 31:30, distinguishing objective beauty from subjective favor.
  • H5276 nâʻêm (to be agreeable, pleasant): This root is used in direct parallel with H3302 to emphasize the delightful nature of beauty, as seen in the declaration, "How fair and how pleasant art thou" Song of Solomon 7:6.
  • H2091 zâhâb (gold): As a shimmering, precious metal, gold is frequently mentioned in the context of decking and making fair. It is used for ornaments Jeremiah 4:30 and idols Jeremiah 10:4, but also represents something refined and valuable, as one who is tried comes forth "as gold" Job 23:10.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H3302 lies in its ability to distinguish between divinely given splendor and superficial vanity.

  • Divinely Bestowed Beauty: True beauty is presented as a gift from God. Jerusalem's status as "exceeding beautiful" is a direct result of being decked by God with gold, silver, silk, and fine linen, which led to her prosperity Ezekiel 16:13.
  • The Deception of Vain Adornment: The word serves as a caution against beauty without substance. When Jerusalem is spoiled, her effort to "make thyself fair" is declared "in vain" Jeremiah 4:30. The same action of "decking" is applied to lifeless idols, highlighting the emptiness of external ornamentation without an righteous source Jeremiah 10:4.
  • An Outward Sign of Inner Grace: H3302 connects external fairness with internal virtue. The king who is "fairer than the children of men" is also one to whom "grace is poured into thy lips" and who is blessed by God Psalms 45:2.

Summary

In summary, H3302 yâphâh is a dynamic term for beauty that extends beyond mere appearance. It can signify the profound attractiveness of love, the majesty of creation, and the splendor given by God. However, it also serves as a powerful illustration of the biblical contrast between the true, God-given beauty that reflects inner grace and blessing, and the futile, man-made fairness used to mask spiritual emptiness.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 8 occurrences, inflected in 7 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • יָּפוּ
  • תִּתְיַפִּי
  • יְיַפֵּ
  • יָפְיָפִיתָ
  • תִּיפִי
  • יְּיִף
  • יָּפִית

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H5710 עָדָה a primitive root; to advance, i.e. pass on or continue; causatively, to remove; specifically, to bedeck (i.e. bring an o H2580 חֵן from חָנַן; graciousness, i.e. subjective (kindness, favor) or objective (beauty); favour, grace(-ious), pleasant, preci H5276 נָעֵם a primitive root; to be agreeable (literally or figuratively); pass in beauty, be delight, be pleasant, be sweet. H2091 זָהָב from an unused root meaning to shimmer; gold, figuratively, something gold-colored (i.e. yellow), as oil, a clear sky; g

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 8 verses across 4 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Song of Solomon (3 verses); never once in the other 35.

1
Psalms
3
Song of Solomon
2
Jeremiah
2
Ezekiel

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.