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Boyd’s Bible Dictionary
:
(doubly fruitful). (1) Second
son
of
Joseph
(
Gen. 41:52
52
And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. (Genesis 41:52)
). Obtained
Jacob
’s
blessing
(
Gen. 48:8-20
8
And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said, Who are these?
9
And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.
10
Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.
11
And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath showed me also thy seed.
12
And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.
13
And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him.
14
And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.
15
And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day,
16
The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.
17
And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head.
18
And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.
19
And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.
20
And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh. (Genesis 48:8‑20)
). Tribe numerous (
Num. 1:33; 26:37
33
Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Ephraim, were forty thousand and five hundred. (Numbers 1:33)
37
These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those that were numbered of them, thirty and two thousand and five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph after their families. (Numbers 26:37)
). Allotment as in
Joshua 16:1-10
1
And the lot of the children of Joseph fell from Jordan by Jericho, unto the water of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goeth up from Jericho throughout mount Beth-el,
2
And goeth out from Beth-el to Luz, and passeth along unto the borders of Archi to Ataroth,
3
And goeth down westward to the coast of Japhleti, unto the coast of Beth-horon the nether, and to Gezer: and the goings out thereof are at the sea.
4
So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance.
5
And the border of the children of Ephraim according to their families was thus: even the border of their inheritance on the east side was Ataroth-addar, unto Beth-horon the upper;
6
And the border went out toward the sea to Michmethah on the north side; and the border went about eastward unto Taanath-shiloh, and passed by it on the east to Janohah;
7
And it went down from Janohah to Ataroth, and to Naarath, and came to Jericho, and went out at Jordan.
8
The border went out from Tappuah westward unto the river Kanah; and the goings out thereof were at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim by their families.
9
And the separate cities for the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages.
10
And they drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day, and serve under tribute. (Joshua 16:1‑10)
. (2) Site of
Absalom
’s
sheep
-farm (
2 Sam. 13:23
23
And it came to pass after two full years, that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal-hazor, which is beside Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king's sons. (2 Samuel 13:23)
). (3) Place to which Christ retired (
John 11:54
54
Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples. (John 11:54)
). (4) A
gate
of
Jerusalem
(
2 Kings 14:13
13
And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits. (2 Kings 14:13)
;
2 Chron. 25:23
23
And Joash the king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, at Beth-shemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits. (2 Chronicles 25:23)
;
Neh. 8:16; 12:39
16
So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim. (Nehemiah 8:16)
39
And from above the gate of Ephraim, and above the old gate, and above the fish gate, and the tower of Hananeel, and the tower of Meah, even unto the sheep gate: and they stood still in the prison gate. (Nehemiah 12:39)
). (5) “Mount of,” in
Ephraim
(
1 Sam. 1:1
1
Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite: (1 Samuel 1:1)
). (6) The “
wood
of,”
east
of
Jordan
(
2 Sam. 18:6
6
So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim; (2 Samuel 18:6)
).
Concise Bible Dictionary
:
Second
son
of
Joseph
and
Asenath
. The name is also given to the tribe of which he was the
head
, and also to the district of
Palestine
that fell to his
lot
. When
Israel
blessed the two sons of Joseph he set Ephraim before his elder
brother
, saying he should be greater, and his seed should become a multitude (or, “fatness”) of nations (
Gen. 48:17-19
17
And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head.
18
And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.
19
And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations. (Genesis 48:17‑19)
). Little is recorded of Ephraim personally; and of his descendants,
Joshua
the son
of
Nun
is the most renowned. The tribe on the second
year
from the Exodus numbered in fighting men 40,500; but had decreased during the forty years to 32,500 (
Num. 1:33
33
Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Ephraim, were forty thousand and five hundred. (Numbers 1:33)
;
Num. 26:37
37
These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those that were numbered of them, thirty and two thousand and five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph after their families. (Numbers 26:37)
).
The territory of the tribe was in the
heart
of Palestine, having
Manasseh
on the
north
,
Benjamin
on the
south
, and
Dan
on the
west
. See the map under
TWELVE
TRIBES. It has beautiful valleys and noble mountains with many springs and streams. Its two principal towns were
Shiloh
and
Shechem
.
Ephraim had the place of the
first-born
(
Jer. 31:9
9
They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn. (Jeremiah 31:9)
), the birthright being taken from
Reuben
and given to Joseph (
1 Chron. 5:1-2
1
Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright.
2
For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph's:) (1 Chronicles 5:1‑2)
). Also the place of
the tabernacle
was in the tribe of Ephraim, hence we find in the
time
of the
judges
this tribe asserting its own importance. They were angry with
Gideon
for not
calling
them to the war sooner than he did; but a soft answer appeased their
wrath
(
Judg. 7:24
24
And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Beth-barah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Beth-barah and Jordan. (Judges 7:24)
;
Judg. 8:1-3
1
And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.
2
And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?
3
God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that. (Judges 8:1‑3)
). Again they complained to
Jephthah
that he had gone without them to fight the
Ammonites
, though Jephthah declared that he had called them, and they had not responded. They also haughtily said of the
Gileadites
that they were fugitives of Ephraim, implying that they were not a tribe, but belonged to Ephraim, from whence they had escaped. The conflict was sharp; the Gileadites seized the ford of the
Jordan
, and then by putting all who wanted to pass to the test of pronouncing
Shibboleth
(which the Ephraimites could only call
Sibboleth
) they slew 42,000 of the men of Ephraim (
Judg. 12:1-6
1
And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire.
2
And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands.
3
And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the Lord delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me?
4
Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites.
5
And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay;
6
Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand. (Judges 12:1‑6)
). Thus was this proud and envious tribe punished for molesting their
brethren
, whereas they had not driven out the
heathen
inhabitants of the land, as they should have done (
Judg. 1:29
29
Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them. (Judges 1:29)
).
Type
of many in the
church
who in pride contend with their brethren, but do not fight
God
’s battles against
spiritual
wickedness. Later on the
Lord
forsook Shiloh, and chose, not the tribe of Ephraim, but that of
Judah
both for the place of royalty and for the
sanctuary
.
In the
kingdom
under
David
and
Solomon
we read very little of Ephraim, but it is twice called in the Psalm “the strength (or defense) of mine head” (
Psa. 60:7
7
Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver; (Psalm 60:7)
;
Psa. 108:8
8
Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver; (Psalm 108:8)
). At the division of the tribes Ephraim took the most prominent place; Shechem and
Samaria
being in their territory naturally contributed to this, and accounts for the
ten
tribes being constantly called “Ephraim” by
the prophets
. In the same way the two tribes are called “Judah” (
Hos. 5:3, 5, 13-14
3
I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is defiled. (Hosea 5:3)
5
And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them. (Hosea 5:5)
13
When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.
14
For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him. (Hosea 5:13‑14)
, &c). Isaiah prophesied that in sixty-five years Ephraim should be broken and should not be a people (
Isa. 7:8
8
For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people. (Isaiah 7:8)
). This was in B.C. 742, and Samaria was taken and Israel carried into
captivity
in B.C. 721, so that the
prophecy
doubtless referred to Esarhaddon planting a
colony
of
foreigners
in Samaria in B.C. 678, which fulfills the sixty-five years. This also agrees with the prophecy saying “the head of Ephraim” is Samaria.
In the prophecies also that refer to the future
blessing
of
the twelve tribes
Ephraim is regarded as representing the ten tribes (
Ezek. 37:16-22
16
Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:
17
And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.
18
And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not show us what thou meanest by these?
19
Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.
20
And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.
21
And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:
22
And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: (Ezekiel 37:16‑22)
), where the twelve tribes are to become one nation in their own land, with one king over them: a prophecy which clearly has never yet been fulfilled, but which will surely be accomplished in God’s own time.
Jackson’s
Dictionary of Scripture Proper Names
:
double ash-heap: I shall be doubly fruitful
Call: 1-630-543-1441
“Study to show thyself approved unto God, … rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
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