H3303 H3303
Beautiful, handsome, fair (of persons, animals, objects); occasionally 'fitting' or 'appropriate' in wisdom contexts.
One of the primary Hebrew words for physical beauty, applied to both men and women throughout the Old Testament. Sarah is 'beautiful of appearance' (Gen 12:11), Rachel is 'beautiful of form and beautiful of appearance' (Gen 29:17), Joseph is 'handsome of form' (Gen 39:6), and even Pharaoh's cows are 'beautiful of appearance' (Gen 41:2). Spanish 'hermosa/hermoso,' French 'beau/belle,' and German 'schon' all converge on aesthetic attractiveness. In Song of Songs, it becomes a term of endearment -- 'my beautiful one' (Song 1:8; 2:10, 13). Qoheleth extends the word beyond physical appearance: God has made everything 'fitting' in its time (Eccl 3:11), where beauty shades into appropriateness and proper order.
Senses
1. beautiful, handsome, fair — Physical beauty or handsomeness of persons, animals, or objects. Used of women (Gen 12:11, 14; 1 Sam 25:3; Esth 2:7), men (2 Sam 14:25; 1 Kgs 1:6), cows (Gen 41:2, 4), and trees (Jer 11:16). The construct phrase 'beautiful of form/appearance' (yephat-toar, yephat-mareh) is formulaic. Spanish 'hermosa,' French 'belle/beau,' and German 'schon' all consistently render aesthetic attractiveness. 41×
AR["جَميلَةٌ","جَميلَةَ-","جَمِيلَةً","جَمِيلَةٌ","جَمِيلَةَ","جَمِيلَةُ","جَمِيلِ","حَسَنَاتُ","حَسَنَاتِ","وَجَمِيلَةَ","يَفَه"]·ben["আর-সুন্দর-চেহারার","সুন্দর","সুন্দর-আকৃতির","সুন্দরী","সুন্দরী-"]·DE["schoen","schoen-von","schön","schön-","schön-von","und-schön"]·EN["and-beautiful-of","beautiful","beautiful-of"]·FR["Belle","beau","beau-de","belle","belle!","belle,","belle-de","et-belle-de"]·heb["ו-יפה","יפה","יפת"]·HI["और-सुंदर","सुंदर","सुंदर-","सुंदर-थी","सुन्दर","सुन्दर-"]·ID["Cantik","cantik","cantik-","dan-cantik","elok","tampan"]·IT["bella","bello","bello-di","e-bello-di"]·jav["Ayu","ayu","kang-ayu","lan-ayu","éndah","éndah-"]·KO["그리고-아름다운","아름다운","아름다운-","아름다웠다","아름답다"]·PT["Bela","bela","bela-de","bela-de-","belas-de","belos","e-bela-de","formosa"]·RU["Прекрасна","и-красива","красива","красивая","красивая-","красивой","красивую","красивым","красивыми","красивых","прекрасна","прекрасная"]·ES["Hermosa","hermosa","hermosa-de","hermosas-de","hermoso","hermoso-de","hermosos","y-hermosa-de"]·SW["alikuwa-mzuri","mzuri","mzuri-wa","na-mzuri-wa","nzuri"]·TR["guzel","güzel","güzel-","ve-güzel"]·urd["اور-خوبصورت","تُو-خوبصورت-ہے","خوبصورت"]
Gen 12:11, Gen 12:14, Gen 29:17, Gen 29:17, Gen 39:6, Gen 39:6, Gen 41:2, Gen 41:4, Gen 41:18, Deut 21:11, 1 Sam 16:12, 1 Sam 17:42 (+29 more)
2. fitting, appropriate — Fitting, appropriate, or suitable for its context. Found in Ecclesiastes where Qoheleth declares God has made everything 'beautiful/fitting' in its time (Eccl 3:11) and observes what is 'good and fitting' for a person (Eccl 5:18). The semantic shift from visual beauty to propriety is subtle -- Spanish still uses 'hermoso,' but the contextual force is closer to 'apt' or 'right.' This wisdom usage anticipates the Greek kalos. 2×
AR["غِنًى","فِي-"]·ben["সুন্দর"]·DE["schoen"]·EN["beautiful","fitting"]·FR["beau"]·heb["יפה"]·HI["उचित-है","सुंदर"]·ID["indah"]·IT["bella"]·jav["pantes","èndi"]·KO["아름답게","아름답다"]·PT["formoso","é-formoso"]·RU["прекрасным","хорошо -"]·ES["es-hermoso","hermoso"]·SW["kizuri","ni-zuri"]·TR["guzel"]·urd["خوبصورت"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† יָפֶה adj. fair, beautiful;—m. abs. יָפֶה 2 S 14:25 + 4 times; cstr. יְפֵה Gn 39:6(×2) + 6 times; f. יָפָה 12:14 + 14 times; cstr. יְפַת 2:11 + 6 times; sf. יָפָתִי Ct 2:10, 13; pl. יָפוֹת Jb 42:15 Am 8:13; cstr. יְפוֹת Gn 41:2; יְפֹת v 4, 18;—fair, beautiful, as attribute of woman 2 S 13:1 1 K 1:3 Am 8:13 Pr 11:22; cf. Jb 42:15 Ct 6:10 (י׳ כלבנה); pred. Gn 12:14 1 K 1:4 Ct 1:15(×2); 4:1(×2),…