ya.phah describes beauty seen in persons or a tree, and can also describe making oneself or an object attractive.

The attested uses chiefly describe a person or tree as beautiful, including a woman’s adornment, a great tree’s branches, and bodily imagery in the Song. Two verses use forms in contexts of beautifying: people decorate an object with silver and gold, and a devastated woman beautifies herself in vain.

1. Being beautiful in appearance · dominant

   In Ezekiel 16:13, the Qal sequential imperfect follows clothing, jewelry, and rich food; the APB renders the resulting clause, “you became very beautiful and rose to royalty.” In Ezekiel 31:7, a Qal sequential imperfect describes a tree in its greatness and long branches beside abundant waters. Song of Songs 4:10 uses a Qal perfect plural in praise of the bride’s breasts, while Song of Songs 7:7 uses a Qal perfect addressed to a woman whose stature is compared with a palm tree. Psalm 45:3 has a Pealal perfect addressed to a mighty man in a line mentioning splendor and glory, though the APB does not isolate the term’s contribution.

   Ezekiel 16:13Ezekiel 31:7Psalm 45:3Song of Songs 4:10Song of Songs 7:7
2. Beautifying by adornment · common

   In Jeremiah 10:4, a Piel imperfect occurs where people apply silver and gold to an object before fastening it with nails and hammers; the APB renders, “They beautify it with silver and gold.” In Jeremiah 4:30, a Hithpael imperfect addresses a devastated woman who clothes herself in scarlet, wears gold ornament, and paints her eyes; the APB renders, “you beautify yourself in vain.”

   Jeremiah 10:4Jeremiah 4:30

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB explicitly uses “beautiful” in Ezekiel 16:13, Ezekiel 31:7, and Song of Songs 4:10, and “beautify” or “beautify yourself” in Jeremiah 10:4 and Jeremiah 4:30. Because it is a whole-verse translation, Psalm 45:3 and Song of Songs 7:7 do not isolate an English equivalent for the form.