Japhia

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Japhi'a. (splendid).

1. The boundary of Zebulun, ascended from Daberath to Japhia, and thence, passed to Gath-hepher.  Joshua 19:12. Yafa , two miles south of Nazareth, is not unlikely to be identical with Japhin.

2. King of Lachish, at the time of the conquest of Canaan, by the Israelites.  Joshua 10:3. (B.C. 1450).

3. One of the sons of David, born to him in Jerusalem.  2 Samuel 5:15;  1 Chronicles 3:7;  1 Chronicles 14:6. (B.C. 1046).

Easton's Bible Dictionary

A town in the southern boundary of Zebulum ( Joshua 19:12 ); now Yafa, 2 miles south-west of Nazareth.

Copyright Statement These dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain.

Bibliography Information Easton, Matthew George. Entry for 'Japhia'. Easton's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ebd/j/japhia.html. 1897.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

Japhia. 1. King of Lachish, defeated and slain by Joshua (  Joshua 10:3 ff.). 2. One of David’s sons born at Jerusalem ( 2Sa 5:14-16 ,   1 Chronicles 3:5-8;   1 Chronicles 14:4-7 ). 3. A town on the south border of Zebulun (  Joshua 19:12 ); probably the modern Yâfâ , near the foot of the Nazareth hills.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

1. King of Lachish, one of the five kings of the Amorites, defeated by Joshua.  Joshua 10:3 .

2. Son of David, born at Jerusalem.   2 Samuel 5:15;  1 Chronicles 3:7;  1 Chronicles 14:6 .

3. Town on the boundary of Zebulun.  Joshua 19:12 . Identified with Yafa, 32 41' N, 35 16' E .

Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary

There was a city of this name, ( Joshua 19:12) and there was a king of this name, Japhia king of Lachish, ( Joshua 10:3) And David had a son named Japhia. ( 2 Samuel 5:15) The name perhaps is derived from Japha, to enlighten.

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Joshua 19:3 Joshua 10:1-27 10:31-32 3 2 Samuel 5:15

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Heb. Yaphi'a, יָפַיעִ, splendid; Sept. Ι᾿αφιε v.r. Ι᾿αφαγαί and Φαγγαί, but Ι᾿εφιέ . in 2 Samuel 5, 15), the name of two men, and also of a place.

1. The king of Lachish, who joined the confederacy at the instance of Adoni-zedek against Joshua, but was defeated and slain after confinement in the cave of Makkedah ( Joshua 10:3 sq.). B.C. 1618.

2. ‘ One of the sons of David (q.v.) by some one of his full wives whose name is not given, born at Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5, 15;  1 Chronicles 3:7;  1 Chronicles 14:6). B.C. post 1046.

3. A town on the eastern part of the southern boundary of Zebulon, situated on high ground between Daberath and Gath-hepher on the north ( Joshua 19:12). Reland (Palcest. p. 826) thinks it is the town Sycaninum (ἡ Συκαμίνος or Συκαμίνων, Steph. Byz. Συκάμινον ), on the Mediterranean, opposite Carmel, between Ptolemaisa and Caesarea (Pliny, 5, 15, 5), according to the Itin. Ainton. twenty Roman miles from the latter; called Hephat ( ῾Ηφά ) in the time of Eusebius (Onoze. s.v. Ι᾿αφέδ), and still extant (Golii Not. ad Alfrag. p. 132) under the name of Haiffa (Robinson's Researches, 3, 194). He also regards it as the Jebba of Pliny (5, 18), which Gesenius, however (Thesaur. p. 613), shows is distinguished from Sycaminum.. This position does not agree with the requirements of the text. The place has been identified by Dr. Robinson (Researches, 3: 200) with the modern village Yafa, about a mile and a half southwest of Nazareth (Schubert, Reise, 3, 203), where the Italian monks fix the residence of the apostle James (Raumer, Palast. p. 127). See Quaresmius, Elucidatio, 2, 843; and Early Travels, p. 186: Maundeville calls it the "Castle of Saffra." So, too, Von Harff, A.D. 1498 (Pilgerfahrt, p. 195). Although situated in a valley, the tribal line must have crossed ("went up," text of Joshua) the hills on the south of it (Keil; Comment. ad loc.). It contains about thirty houses, with the remains of a church, and has a few single palm-trees. Eusebius and Jerome doubtless refer to this place, as "Japhet, in the tribe of Zebulon, still called Jophe, or the ascent of Japho" (Onoma. s.v. Japhic). The Japha (Ι᾿αφά ) fortified by Josephus (Life, 37, 45) was probably the same, a large and strong village of Galilee, afterwards captured by Trajan and Titus, under the orders of Vespasian. In the storm and sack of the place, according to the same writer, 15,000 of the inhabitants were put to the sword, and 2130 made captives ( lar, 2, 20, 6; 3:7, 31). With this location De Saulcy (Narrat. 1, 73) and Schwarz (Palestine, p. 170) coincide, as also Van de Velde (ilemnzoi, p. 321) and Porter (Handbook, p. 385).