Ephraim, a city near the Judean wilderness where Jesus withdrew after the raising of Lazarus.
Ephraim is mentioned in Jhn.11.54 as the place where Jesus withdrew with His disciples after the raising of Lazarus. This event had intensified the opposition of the Jewish religious leaders, who were plotting to kill Jesus (Jhn.11.45-53).
The city of Ephraim was located near the wilderness, likely referring to the Judean wilderness east of Jerusalem. By withdrawing to this area, Jesus sought to avoid confrontation with His enemies until the appointed time for His passion and death.
The exact location of Ephraim is uncertain, but it may be the same as the city of Ephron mentioned in 2Ch.13.19, which was situated in the hill country of Judah, near Bethel.
2 verses in 2 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H0669
Two years later, when Absalomʼs sheepshearers were at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, he invited all the sons of the king.
As a result, Jesus no longer went about publicly among the Jews, but He withdrew to a town called Ephraim in an area near the wilderness. And He stayed there with the disciples.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.