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Easton's Bible Dictionary
double fruitfulness ("for God had made him fruitful in
the land of his affliction"). The second son of Joseph, born in Egypt ( Genesis
41:52 ; 46:20 ). The first incident recorded regarding him is his being placed,
along with his brother Manasseh, before their grandfather, Jacob, that he might
bless them ( Genesis 48:10 ; Compare 27:1 ). The intention of Joseph was that
the right hand of the aged patriarch should be placed on the head of the elder
of the two; but Jacob set Ephraim the younger before his brother, "guiding his
hands wittingly." Before Joseph's death, Ephraim's family had reached the third
generation ( Genesis 50:23 ).
Hitchcock's Dictionary of Bible Names
fruitful; increasing
Smith's Bible Dictionary
(double fruitfulness)
(1) The second son of Joseph by his wife Asenath. (B.C. 1715-1708.) The first
indication we have of that ascendancy over his elder brother Manasseh which at
a later period the tribe of Ephraim so unmistakably possessed is in the blessing
of the children by Jacob. ( Genesis 48:1 )
(2) That portion of Canaan named after Josephs second son. ( Genesis 41:50 - 52
) The boundaries of the portion of Ephraim are given in ( Joshua 16:1 - 10 ) The
south boundary was coincident for part of its length with the north boundary of
Benjamin. It extended from the Jordan on the east, at the reach opposite Jericho,
to the Mediterranean on the west, probably about Joppa. On the north of Ephraim
and Manasseh were the tribes of Asher, Zebulun and Issachar. The territory thus
allotted to the "house of Joseph" may be roughly estimated at 55 miles from east
to west by 70 from north to south. It was one at once of great richness and great
security. Its fertile plains and well-watered valleys could only be reached by
a laborious ascent through steep and narrow ravines, all but impassable for an
army. Under Joshua the tribe must have taken a high position in the nation, to
judge from the tone which the Ephraimites assumed on occasions shortly subsequent
to the conquest. After the revolt of Jeroboam the history of Ephraim is the history
of the kingdom of Israel, since not only did the tribe become a kingdom, but the
kingdom embraced little besides the tribe.
(3) a city "in the district near the wilderness" to which our Lord retired with
his disciples when threatened with violence by the priests. ( John 11:54 )
(4) In "Baal-hazor which is by Ephraim" was Absaloms sheepfarm, at which took
place the murder of Amnon, one of the earliest precursors of the great revolt.
( 2 Samuel 13:23 ) There is no clue to its situation.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
e'-fra-im, e'-fra-im ('ephrayim, "double fruit"):
1. The Patriarch:
The younger of the two sons of Joseph and Asenath, born in Egypt. He and his brother
Manasseh were adopted by Jacob, and ranked as his own sons, each becoming the
ancestor of a tribe in Israel. In blessing his grandchildren, despite their father's
protest, Jacob preferred the younger, foreshadowing the future eminence of his
descendants (Genesis 41:50 ; 48:20). In the Blessing of Jacob however, the two
are included under the name of Joseph (Genesis 49:22).
2. The Tribe:
At the first census on leaving Egypt, Ephraim's men of war numbered 40,500; and
at the second census they are given as 32,500 (Numbers 1:33 ; 26:37). See, however,
article NUMBERS.
The head of the tribe at the Exodus was Elishama, son of Ammihud (Numbers 1:10).
With the standard of the tribe of Ephraim on the West of the tabernacle in the
desert march were Manasseh and Benjamin (Numbers 2:18). The Ephraimite among the
spies was Hoshea (i.e. Joshua), the son of Nun (Numbers 13:8). At the division
of the land Ephraim was represented by prince Kemuel, son of Shiphtan (Numbers
34:24). The future power of this tribe is again foreshadowed in the Blessing of
Moses (Deuteronomy 33:17). When Moses died, a member of the tribe, Joshua, whose
faith and courage had distinguished him among the spies, succeeded to the chief
place in Israel. It was natural that the scene of national assemblies, and the
center of the nation's worship, should be chosen within the land occupied by the
children of Joseph, at Shechem and Shiloh respectively. The leadership of Ephraim
was further emphasized by the rule of Samuel. From the beginning of life in Palestine
they enjoyed a certain prestige, and were very sensitive on the point of honor
(Judges 7:24 ; 8:1 ; 12:1). Their acceptance of and loyalty to Saul, the first
king chosen over Israel, may be explained by his belonging to a Rachel tribe,
and by the close and tender relations existing between Joseph and Benjamin. But
they were never reconciled to the passing of the scepter to Judah in the person
of David (2 Samuel 2:8). That Israel would have submitted to the sovereignty of
Absalom, any more than to that of David, is not to be believed; but his revolt
furnished an opportunity to deal a shrewd blow at the power of the southern tribe
(2 Samuel 15:13). Solomon's lack of wisdom and the crass folly of Rehoboam in
the management of the northern tribes fanned the smoldering discontent into a
fierce flame. This made easy the work of the rebel Jeroboam; and from the day
of the disruption till the fall of the Northern Kingdom there was none to dispute
the supremacy of Ephraim, the names Ephraim and Israel being synonymous. The most
distinguished of Ephraim's sons were Joshua, Samuel and Jeroboam I.
3. The Territory:
The central part of Western Palestine fell to the children of Joseph; and, while
the boundaries of the territory allotted to Ephraim and Manasseh respectively
are given in Joshua 16 ; 17:1, it seems to have been held by them in common for
some time (Joshua 17:14). The Canaanites in certain cities of both divisions were
not driven out. It was probably thought more profitable to enslave them (Joshua
16:10; 17:13). The boundaries of Ephraim cannot be followed with accuracy, but
roughly, they were as follows:
The southern boundary, agreeing with the northern border of Benjamin, started
from Bethel, and passed down westward by nether Beth-horon and Gezer toward the
sea (Joshua 16:3; in verse 5 it stops at upper Beth-horon); it turned northward
to the southern bank of the brook Kanah (Wady Kanah) along which it ran eastward
(Joshua 17:10) to Michmethath (the plain of Mukhneh); thence it went northward
along the western edge of the plain to Shechem. It then bent eastward and southward
past Taanath-shiloh (Ta'ana), Janoah (Yankun) to Ataroth and Naarah (unidentified)
and the Jordan (Joshua 16:7). From Ataroth, which probably corresponds to Ataroth-addar
(Joshua 16:5), possibly identical with the modern et-Truneh, the southern border
passed up to Bethel. Along the eastern front of the land thus defined there is
a steep descent into the Jordan valley. It is torn by many gorges, and is rocky
and unfruitful. The long slopes to the westward, however, furnish much of the
finest land in Palestine. Well watered as it is, the valleys are beautiful in
season with cornfields, vineyards, olives and other fruit trees. The uplands are
accessible at many points from the maritime plain; but the great avenue of entrance
to the country runs up Wady esh-Sha'ir to Nablus, whence, threading the pass between
Gerizim and Ebal, it descends to the Jordan valley. In this favored region the
people must have lived in the main a prosperous and happy life. How appropriate
are the prophetic allusions to these conditions in the days of Ephraim's moral
decay (Isaiah 28:1 , 4 ; Jeremiah 31:18 ; Hosea 9:13 ; 10:11, etc.)!
EPHRAIM (2)
(1) A position apparently of some importance, since the position of Baal-hazor
(probably = Tell 'Asur) where Abraham's sheep- farm was located, is determined
by relation to it (2 Samuel 13:23). That it lay North of Jerusalem seems to be
indicated in 2 Samuel 13:34. It may be identical with the Ephraim of Eusebius,
Onomasticon, 20 Roman miles North of Jerusalem, and therefore to be sought somewhere
in the neighborhood of Sinjil and el- Lubban. Connected with this may have been
the name Aphaerema, a district in Samaria mentioned in 1 Macc 11:34; Ant, XIII,
iv, 9.
(2) The town near the wilderness to which Jesus retired after the raising of Lazarus
(John 11:54). This probably corresponds to Ephrem of Eusebius, Onomasticon (s
.v. "Afra") 5 Roman miles East of Bethel. This may be the place named along with
Bethel by Josephus (BJ, IV, ix, 9). It probably answers to eT-Taiyebeh, a large
village about 4 miles North of Beitin. The antiquity of the site is attested by
the cisterns and rock tombs. It stands on a high hill with a wide outlook including
the plains of Jericho and the Dead Sea.
W. Ewing
Tags:
bible commentary, bible history, bible reference, bible study, define, ephra-im, ephraim, grandson of jacob, joseph (son of), manasseh, territory, tribe
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