Original Word: שֶׁפֶר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: shepher
Pronunciation: SHEH-fer
Phonetic Spelling: (sheh'-fer)
KJV: X goodly
NASB: beautiful
Word Origin: [from H8231 (שָׁפַר - To be beautiful)]

1. beauty

goodly

From shaphar; beauty -- X goodly.

see HEBREW shaphar

Word Origin
from shaphar
Definition
beauty, goodliness
NASB Translation
beautiful (1).

I. [שֶׁ֫פֶר noun masculine beauty, goodliness; — absolute אִמְרֵישָֿׁ֑פֶר Genesis 49:21 (see אֹמֶר, אָמִיר).

Location in Scripture

The term appears once, in Jacob’s final blessing: “Naphtali is a doe set free, who bears beautiful words” (Genesis 49:21).

Poetic Setting and Tribal Identity

In the poetic tableau of Genesis 49 each son’s future is sketched through vivid imagery. The phrase attached to Naphtali links effortless movement (“a doe set free”) with utterance marked by attractiveness and grace. Within Israel’s tribal history Naphtali would later inhabit the verdant hills west of the Sea of Galilee, a region renowned for fertility (Deuteronomy 33:23). The single word conveys both the loveliness of the land and the gracious tone that was to characterize the tribe’s contribution to the nation.

A Motif of Beautiful Speech

Hebrew poetry often pairs natural beauty with wholesome words. Proverbs 16:24 likens gracious speech to “honeycomb,” while Psalm 45:2 celebrates a royal figure upon whose lips “grace has been poured.” The blessing over Naphtali anticipates such themes: beauty finds expression not merely in physical surroundings but in verbal ministry that refreshes and heals.

Prophetic Echoes

Centuries later Isaiah announces, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the herald who proclaims peace” (Isaiah 52:7). The same emphasis on beauty in proclamation culminates in the gospel era when Jesus ministers extensively in Naphtali’s territory (Matthew 4:13-16). Jacob’s ancient word thus foreshadows the arrival of the Good News in Galilee, where Christ’s teaching astonished crowds with “gracious words” (Luke 4:22).

Theological Themes

1. Beauty rooted in covenant blessing: attractiveness is not superficial but the overflow of divine favor.
2. Speech as a vehicle of blessing: the tribe’s legacy underscores that words aligned with God’s purposes carry life (Proverbs 18:21).
3. Anticipation of the Messiah: the beautiful words ultimately find fullest expression in the gospel message (John 6:68).

Applications for Worship and Ministry

• Cultivate speech that mirrors the loveliness of God’s character—truthful, edifying, and seasoned with grace (Colossians 4:6).
• Recognize that geographical or personal limitations do not hinder God’s ability to produce beauty through His people; Naphtali’s hill country became a cradle for Christ’s ministry.
• Use the blessing of Genesis 49:21 as a prayer for communicators of the Word—that sermons, counseling, and everyday conversations carry the fragrance of Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14-15).

Historical Reception

Jewish tradition saw in Naphtali a tribe gifted in eloquence, and early Christian writers connected the “beautiful words” with the apostolic preaching that originated in Galilee. Hymnody and liturgy have echoed the motif, encouraging believers to offer fitting praise and testimony.

Summary

Though occurring only once, the term encapsulates a biblical vision of beauty expressed through liberated, life-giving speech—first promised to Naphtali, ultimately realized in the ministry of Jesus, and continually modeled in the Church’s witness.

שָֽׁפֶר׃ שפר׃ šā·p̄er šāp̄er ShaferInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts