🔼The name Japhia: Summary
- Meaning
- Illustrious, May He Cause To Shine Forth
- Etymology
- From the verb יפע (yapa'), to radiate.
🔼The name Japhia in the Bible
The name Japhia is assigned to two men and one town in the Bible. The town named Japhia is mentioned in Joshua 19:12 as boundary marker for the territory of Zebulun. Scholars assume that Japhia is the modern city of Yafa, near Nazareth.
The men named Japhia are:
- A king of Lachish, who joins Adoni-zedek and three more kings in a campaign against Joshua (Joshua 10:3).
- A son of David who was born to him in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5:15).
🔼Etymology of the name Japhia
The name Japhia comes from the verb יפע (yapa'), meaning to radiate divinely:
יפע יפה
The verb יפע (yapa') means to shine or radiate (specifically of theophanies). Noun יפעה (yip'a) means brightness or splendor.
The verb יפה (yapa) means to be beautiful. The adjective יפה (yapeh) means beautiful and the diminutive adjective יפה־פיה (yepeh-piya) means pretty. Noun יפי (yepi) means beauty.
🔼Japhia meaning
For a meaning of the name Japhia, NOBSE Study Bible Name List proposes May He (God) Cause To Shine Forth. Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names simply reads Illustrious.