Ephraim was the second son of Joseph, and his descendants formed one of the twelve tribes of Israel, often playing a prominent role in the nation's history.
Ephraim was the second son of Joseph, born to him in Egypt by his wife Asenath (Gen.41.52). He and his older brother Manasseh were adopted by Israel (or 'Jacob') and blessed, with Ephraim receiving the greater blessing (Gen.48). Ephraim's descendants formed one of the twelve tribes of Israel, and they were often grouped with the tribe of Manasseh under the collective name "Joseph" (Num.1.32,33; 26.28,35,37).
The tribe of Ephraim settled in the central region of Canaan (Jos.16.4,5,8,9,10) and played a significant role throughout Israel's history. They were known for their military prowess (Jdg.5.14; Psa.78.9) and produced several notable leaders, including Joshua (Num.13.8), Abdon (Jdg.12.15), and Samuel (1Sa.1.1). However, they also exhibited pride and a rebellious spirit at times (Jdg.8.1,2; 12.1; 2Sa.20.21).
Ephraim, along with the other northern tribes, separated from Judah after Solomon's reign and formed the northern kingdom of Israel (1Ki.12.25). The prophets often addressed Ephraim, warning them of judgment for their idolatry and unfaithfulness (Isa.7.2,5,8,9; Jer.31.18,20; Hos.4.17; 5). However, there were also promises of restoration and blessing (Jer.31.6,9; Ezk.37.16,19).
In the New Testament, Ephraim is mentioned in the context of Jesus withdrawing to a village called Ephraim before his final entry into Jerusalem (Jdg.12.6; 1Ch.12.30; 27.20; 2Ch.25.7; Psa.78.9; 2Ch.13.19; 1Ki.11.26; 1Sa.1.1).
Ephraim Hastings Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible (1898)
E'PHRAIM (double fruitfulness), the second son of Joseph. Gen 41:52. Though younger than Manasseh, he was the object of peculiar favor, and the prediction of their grandfather, Jacob, was literally fulfilled. Cornp. Gen 48:8-20; Num 2:18-21.
E'PHRAIM (double fruitfulness), a territory named after Joseph's second son, Gen 41:50-52; its boundaries are given in Josh 16:1-10. It lay in the centre of Canaan, south of Manasseh and north of Benjamin and Dan, extending from the Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea. It was about 55 miles long, and about 30 miles in its greatest breadth. Physical Features. — It may be divided into three groups:1. The valley of the Jordan; 2. The hill-country; 3. The plain of Sharon, on the sea-coast. All these were well watered and fertile, fulfilling the blessing of Moses in Deut 33:13-16. History. — For the early history of this territory, see Canaan. For more than 400 years Ephraim, with Manasseh and Benjamin, exercised undisputed preeminence. Joshua and Samuel were Ephraimites. In its territory, at Shiloh, the tabernacle was set up. Josh 18:1. The territory was prominent during the reigns of David and Solomon; but after the revolt of the ten tribes from Rehoboam, Jeroboam selected Shechem in Ephraim as his capital, 1 Kgs 12:25, when this territory became the chief portion of the northern kingdom of Israel. See Israel, Kingdom of. It was desolated by the Assyrians at the time of the Babylonish Captivity, and the country was repeopled by colonists, and later its name was changed to Samaria. See Samaria. Ephraim, Gate of, one of the gates of ancient Jerusalem, 2 Kgs 14:13; 2 Chr 25:23; Neh 8:16; Neh 12:39; probably on the north side, as the present Damascus gate is. Ephraim, Mount, a name applied to the hill-country of Ephraim, extending from…
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Ephraim Schaff Schaff’s Dictionary of the Bible
E'PHRAIM (double fruitfulness), a territory named after Joseph's second son, Gen 41:50-52; its boundaries are given in Josh 16:1-10. It lay in the centre of Canaan, south of Manasseh and north of Benjamin and Dan, extending from the Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea. It was about 55 miles long, and about 30 miles in its greatest breadth. Physical Features. — It may be divided into three groups:1. The valley of the Jordan; 2. The hill-country; 3. The plain of Sharon, on the sea-coast. All these were well watered and fertile, fulfilling the blessing of Moses in Deut 33:13-16. History. — For the early history of this territory, see Canaan. For more than 400 years Ephraim, with Manasseh and Benjamin, exercised undisputed preeminence. Joshua and Samuel were Ephraimites. In its territory, at Shiloh, the tabernacle was set up. Josh 18:1. The territory was prominent during the reigns of David and Solomon; but after the revolt of the ten tribes from Rehoboam, Jeroboam selected Shechem in Ephraim as his capital, 1 Kgs 12:25, when this territory became the chief portion of the northern kingdom of Israel. See Israel, Kingdom of. It was desolated by the Assyrians at the time of the Babylonish Captivity, and the country was repeopled by colonists, and later its name was changed to Samaria. See Samaria. Ephraim, Gate of, one of the gates of ancient Jerusalem, 2 Kgs 14:13; 2 Chr 25:23; Neh 8:16; Neh 12:39; probably on the north side, as the present Damascus gate is. Ephraim, Mount, a name applied to the hill-country of Ephraim, extending from Bethel to the plain of Jezreel; called also the "mountains of Israel," Josh 11:21, and "mountains of Samaria." Jer 31:5-6; Am 3:9. Ephraim, Wood of, a forest in which the great battle was fought when Absalom was killed. 2 Sam 18:6. It lay east of…
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Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
159 verses in 18 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H0669