Abarim Publications' online Biblical Hebrew Dictionary
יפע יפה
The two verbs יפע (yapa') and יפה (yapa) may or may not be etymologically related, but their meanings obviously overlap:
יפע
The verb יפע (yapa') means to shine or radiate and appears to be reserved for the radiant element of theophanic displays (Deuteronomy 33:2, Job 10:3, Psalm 50:1).
But curiously, this verb's sole derivative, the feminine noun יפעה (yip'a), meaning brightness or splendor, is applied to the king of Tyre (Ezekiel 28:7 and 28:17 only).
יפה
The verb יפה (yapa) means to be beautiful. It's used eight times in the Bible, mostly to describe the outward beauty of women (Song of Solomon 7:7, Ezekiel 16:3, Jeremiah 4:30).
Our verb comes with the following derivatives:
- The adjective יפה (yapeh), meaning beautiful. This word is applied to women (Genesis 12:14, 2 Samuel 13:1), but also to men (Genesis 39:6, 2 Samuel 14:25; ergo, the ridiculous distinction between pretty for women and handsome for men doesn't exist in Hebrew). Our word is also applied to cities (Psalm 48:2), trees (Jeremiah 11:16, Ezekiel 31:3), and the human singing voice (Ezekiel 33:32).
- The adjective יפה־פיה (yepeh-piya), which is a reduplicative form that results in a diminutive: pretty (Jeremiah 46:20 only).
- The masculine noun יפי (yepi), meaning beauty. This noun is again often applied to women (Isaiah 3:24, Esther 1:11), but also to the king of Judah (Isaiah 33:17), Zion (Psalm 50:2) and trees (Ezekiel 31:8). The prophet Ezekiel applies this noun lavishly to the king of Tyre (Ezekiel 28:7, 28:12, 28:17).
מופת
The important masculine noun מופת (mopet) means wonder or miracle. It's not clear where this word comes from, but many sources (among whom Marcus Jastrow's Dictionary of the Targumim, Talmud Bavli, Talmud Yerushalmi and Midrashic Literature) relate it to our verb יפה (yapa), to be beautiful. Our word may also associate to the verb פתה (pata), to grow bigger, from which comes the name Japheth.
Our noun מופת (mopet) is often accompanied by אות ('ot), sign, appears sometimes in singular (Exodus 7:9, Deuteronomy 13:1-2, 28:46, 1 Kings 13:3-5, 2 Chronicles 32:24-31, Psalm 71:7, Isaiah 20:3, Ezekiel 12:6-11, Ezekiel 24:24-27, Zechariah 3:8), but most often in plural, and is as such all throughout the Bible mostly associated with the miracles which God (and Moses and Aaron) performed in Egypt. Our word in plural is spelled מפתים (mopetim), Exodus 4:21, 11:10, Deuteronomy 6:22, 7:19, 26:8, 29:3, 1 Chronicles 16:12, Nehemiah 9:10, Psalm 105:5, 105:27, 135:9, Jeremiah 32:20, or מופתים (mopetim), Exodus 7:3-9, 11:9, Deuteronomy 4:34, 34:11, Psalm 78:43, Isaiah 8:18, Jeremiah 32:21, Joel 2:30.