יָפַע (ya.pah)
ya.pah
to shine
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 7 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb yapha means to shine or emit light. It appears in seven verses across the Old Testament, with notable occurrences in Job, Psalms, and Deuteronomy. The word describes a bright, radiant appearance, often used for physical light sources like the sun or stars.
In its Hiphil stem, it can mean to cause to shine or send out beams. This active form emphasizes the source of the light rather than just the phenomenon itself. For example, in Job 38:35, God asks if one can send out lightnings, using this verb to describe divine power over natural phenomena.
The word carries a sense of sudden, visible brilliance. Unlike words for gentle glows, yapha suggests intense illumination that demands attention. This matches its use in passages describing God's majesty or celestial bodies at their brightest.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we encounter the Hebrew word for shining, we are reminded of light that breaks through darkness with undeniable clarity. In Job 37:15, God asks if we understand how He causes lightning to shine from His clouds. This is not a faint glow but an intense display of power and presence. It shows that divine illumination often comes in moments that demand our attention and awe.
Similarly, Psalm 50:2 describes God shining out from Zion, the perfection of beauty. This image suggests that God’s glory is not hidden away but revealed openly to those who seek Him. For your faith, this means you do not need to search endlessly for signs. The light of God’s truth and character shines forth clearly in Scripture and in His actions throughout history.
Even in the darkest times, like the despair expressed in Job 3:4, the promise remains that light will eventually shine again. This word encourages us to trust in a God who controls the heavens and reveals Himself with brilliance. You can find comfort knowing that His presence is as real and visible as the sun breaking through storm clouds.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 7 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- you have shone forth1×
- shine forth1×
- it shine forth1×
- he shone forth1×
- he has shone forth1×
- and/ it shone forth1×
- and/ he makes shine forth1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תּוֹפַ֖ע1×
- וַ/תֹּ֥פַע1×
- וְ֝/הוֹפִ֗יעַ1×
- הוֹפָֽעְתָּ\׃1×
- הוֹפִֽיעַ\׃1×
- הוֹפִֽיַע\׃1×
- הוֹפִ֙יעַ֙1×
Key Verses
-
Job 37:15
Do you know how God controls them, and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine?
This verse uses the verb to describe God actively causing lightning to shine, highlighting His sovereign control over nature's most powerful displays.
-
Psalms 50:2
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines out.
Here the word depicts God shining out from Zion, connecting His radiant glory directly with the perfection of His beauty and presence.
-
Deuteronomy 33:2
He said, “Yahweh came from Sinai, and rose from Seir to them. He shone from Mount Paran. He came from the ten thousands of holy ones. At his right hand was a fiery law for them.
The term describes Yahweh shining from Mount Paran, illustrating a historical moment where divine revelation was accompanied by visible brilliance.