H3315 H3315
Japheth (יֶפֶת) — third son of Noah; ancestor of the peoples spread across Asia Minor and the coastlands
Japheth (יֶפֶת) is one of Noah's three sons, consistently listed alongside Shem and Ham. The name may derive from the root פתה ('to be open, spacious'), a connection exploited in Noah's blessing: 'May God enlarge (יַפְתְּ) Japheth' (Gen 9:27). Japheth's fourteen descendants enumerated in the Table of Nations (Gen 10:2-5) include Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras — peoples traditionally associated with Anatolia, the Aegean, the Iranian plateau, and the Black Sea coastlands. Japheth and Shem together covered their father's nakedness (Gen 9:23), earning a contrasting blessing to Ham's curse. The name reappears in the Chronicler's genealogy (1 Chr 1:4-5).
Senses
1. Japheth (proper name) — The third son of Noah and brother of Shem and Ham, ancestor of peoples associated with Asia Minor, the Mediterranean coastlands, and regions to the north. Listed in birth-order contexts (Gen 5:32; 6:10; 7:13; 9:18; 10:1; 1 Chr 1:4) and in the Table of Nations as father of seven sons (Gen 10:2-5; 1 Chr 1:5). Received Noah's blessing of 'enlargement' through a wordplay on his name (Gen 9:27). Spanish 'Jafet' and English 'Japheth' both preserve the Hebrew form. 11×
AR["لِ-يَافِثَ", "وَ-يافِث", "وَ-يَافِثُ", "يافِث", "يَافَثَ", "يَافِثَ"]·ben["আর-যেফত", "এবং-যফথ", "ও-যেফৎ", "যফথ", "যেফতের", "যেফতের-জন্য"]·DE["Japhet", "Japhets", "[ויפת]", "[יפת]", "dem-Japhet", "und-Japhet"]·EN["Japheth", "Yapheth", "Yepheth", "and-Japheth", "and-Yapheth", "for-Japheth"]·FR["Japhet", "Japheth", "et-Japhet", "et-Japheth", "pour-Japhet"]·heb["ו-יפת", "יפת", "ל-יפת"]·HI["और-याफेत", "और-याफेत-ने", "याफेत", "याफेत-का", "याफेत-के", "याफेत-को"]·ID["Yafet", "dan-Yafet"]·IT["Iafet", "Jafet", "Yapheth", "e-Iafet", "e-Jafet", "per-Iafet"]·jav["Yafet", "Yafèt", "lan-Yafet", "lan-Yafèt"]·KO["그-와-야벳", "그리고-야벟", "그리고-야벟-이", "그리고-야벳", "야벟", "야벳", "야벳의", "야뼿", "에-야벟"]·PT["Jafé", "Yefet", "a-Yefet", "e-Jafé", "e-Yafet", "e-Yefet"]·RU["Иафета", "Йефета", "и-Иафет", "и-Йефет"]·ES["Yafet", "Yefet", "a-Yafet", "y-Yafet", "y-Yefet"]·SW["Yafethi", "na-Yafethi"]·TR["Yafet'i", "Yafet'in", "ve-Yafet"]·urd["اور-یافت", "اور-یافث", "اور-یافث-نے", "و-یافت", "یافت", "یافث", "یافث-کو", "یافث-کے"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)H2009 1. presentative particle: behold, look (881×)H0589 1. I (first person singular pronoun) (874×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† יֶ֫פֶת n.pr.m. third son of Noah, Ιαφεθ;—יַפְתְּ א׳ לְיֶפֶת ׃יֶפֶת Gn 9:27 (J), 7:13; 10:2 (P) = 1 Ch 1:4; Gn 9:23; 10:21 (J); יָפֶ֑ת 9:18 (J), 5:32; 6:10; 10:1 (P), 1 Ch 1:5.