יָפוֹ (ya.pho)
ya.pho
Joppa
N:N--LQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--L
Word Overview
Yapho, known in Greek as Joppa, is a proper noun referring to a significant seaport on the southwestern coast of Palestine. The name itself means "beautiful," a fitting description for a town that served as Jerusalem’s primary harbor during the reign of Solomon. It sits within the territory assigned to the tribe of Dan and appears in biblical narratives involving both prophets and post-exilic builders.
This location carries heavy narrative weight, appearing in three key contexts. In Jonah 1:3, it is the port from which the prophet attempts to flee from God’s presence by boarding a ship bound for Tarshish. Later, in Ezra 3:7, the same town facilitates the return of exiles, as its people provide cedar logs from Lebanon to help rebuild the temple. Its role shifts from a place of escape to one of restoration.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
Joppa, whose name means "beautiful," stands as a quiet witness to how God meets us in the ordinary places of our lives. It was not a holy mountain or a grand temple, but a busy port city on the coast. Yet it is here that Jonah tried to run away from his calling, and here that returning exiles found the resources to rebuild what had been lost. The location itself does not change; only our hearts do.
This word reminds us that God’s presence is not limited to sacred spaces. He was with Jonah on the ship leaving Joppa, just as He was with the builders bringing cedar logs into it. Your daily routines and local communities can be places where divine purpose unfolds, even when you feel far from home or uncertain about the path ahead.
Whether you are starting something new or returning to an old faith, remember that beauty often hides in plain sight. God uses ordinary ports and simple materials to build His plans. You are never too far from a place where restoration begins.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Joppa3×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- יָפֽוֹ\׃1×
- יָפ֜וֹ1×
- יָפ֔וֹא1×
Key Verses
-
Jonah 1:3
But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid its fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh.
This verse highlights Joppa as the specific point of departure for Jonah’s attempt to escape God’s command, showing how ordinary locations become stages for spiritual decisions.
-
Ezra 3:7
They also gave money to the masons and to the carpenters. They also gave food, drink, and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea, to Joppa, according to the grant that they had from Cyrus King of Persia.
Here Joppa serves as the receiving harbor for materials needed to rebuild the temple, shifting its role from a place of flight to one of communal restoration.
-
Joshua 19:46
Me Jarkon, and Rakkon, with the border opposite Joppa.
This reference establishes Joppa’s territorial boundary within the tribe of Dan, grounding the city in the physical inheritance promised to Israel.