Biblical People
Ephraim. [Heb. Ephrayim, “double fruitfulness”; Gr. Ephraim].

1.   The second son of Joseph (Gen 41:50-52). Although younger than Manasseh, Ephraim was given preeminence over his older brother in the blessing of their dying grandfather Jacob. Jacob declared that these two grandsons should be reckoned as his heirs, along with his own sons, and he indicated the prominent position of Ephraim's descendants (ch 48:5-20).

2.   The descendants of Ephraim, 1, and one of the tribes of Israel (Jos 16:4, 10; Jgs 5:14). Although their ancestor Ephraim was only a grandchild of Jacob, his descendants and those of his brother Manasseh were always treated by the Israelites as two separate tribes equal in rank to those that descended from Jacob's sons. During the desert wandering the tribe of Ephraim was one of the smallest among the Hebrew tribes (Num 1:33; 26:37), but it rapidly increased in importance after the conquest of Canaan, owing probably to the influence of Joshua, who was himself an Ephraimite (Jos 19:50; 24:29, 30). In the distribution of the Promised Land Ephraim received a territory that lay between Benjamin and Manasseh (Palestine Under Joshua and the Judges). Its northern boundary ran from Ataroth near the Jordan to the city of Shechem, which was included in its territory, then to Tappuah, and then along the river Kanah to the Mediterranean Sea. The southern boundary ran from Jericho to Bethel, then to the two Beth-horons, and from there to the Mediterranean Sea via Gezer (Jos 16:1-8; 21:20, 21). The Ephraimites failed to drive out the Canaanites from Gezer (ch 16:10), but conquered Bethel (Jgs 1:22-26). They also took part in the war against Sisera, and were praised by Deborah for their patriotic aid (ch 5:14). They quarreled with Gideon, a Manassite, for having failed to call them when he warred against the Midianites (ch 8:1-3), and were angry also with Jephthah for not having called them when he fought against the Ammonites. In the ensuing civil war the tribe of Ephraim suffered great losses. They were identified by the enemy because they had a distinctive pronunciation of certain words (ch 12:1-6). See Shibboleth. Micah, who set up an idol that eventually became a permanently worshiped cult object at Dan, and Jeroboam, the first king of Israel after the secession of the 10 tribes, were Ephraimites. Jeroboam's tribal affiliation doubtless accounts for his choice of Shechem as his first capital (Jgs 17:1; 18:30, 31; Ki 11:26; 12:25). Ephraim is listed among the 12 tribes (Eze 48:5-6), but omitted in John's enumeration of the 144,000 (Rev 7:4-8).

3.   A designation, sometimes used by the prophets, for the whole northern kingdom of 10 tribes (Is 7:2, 5, 9, 17; 9:9; 17:3; 28:3; Hos 4:17; 5:3; 9:3-17).

4.   A town near Baal-hazor, in the vicinity of which Absalom had his sheep range (2 Sa 13:23). Jesus went to Ephraim after having raised Lazarus from the dead (Jn 11:54). In 1 Macc 11:34 it is called Aphairema. It has been identified with Ophrah of Benjamin (see Ephron, 3), which is probably the modern village of et\\ÐT\\aiyebeh, 41/2 mi. (c. 7 km.) northeast of Bethel (Palestine Under Joshua and the Judges).

5.   The designation of a gate in the wall of Jerusalem. See Ephraim Gate.

6.   The designation of a certain forest or wood, which was the scene of the decisive battle between David's forces and those of his rebellious son Absalom (2 Sa 18:6). This forest was certainly in Transjordan, probably not far from Mahanaim, but it has not been located. It may have received its name from a colony of Ephraimites that may have dwelt in this area of Manasseh (cf. Jos 12:4; Jos 17:14-17).

Horn, Siegfried H., Seventh-day Adventist Bible Dictionary, (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association) 1979.

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