Ephraim

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This article is about the Israelite tribal patriarch. For other uses, see Ephraim (disambiguation).
Ephraim
אֶפְרַיִם‎
Ephraim, son of Joseph (1843) by Francesco Hayez
Born2200 AM (c. 1560 BC)
Avaris, Second Intermediate Period of Egypt
(present-day Sharqia, Egypt)
Died
unknown
Parents
Relatives

Ephraim (/ˈiːfriːəm/;[1] Hebrew: אֶפְרַיִם‎ ʾEp̄rayīm, in pausa: אֶפְרָיִם‎ ʾEp̄rāyīm) was, according to the Book of Genesis, the second son of Joseph ben Jacob and Asenath. Asenath was an Ancient Egyptian woman whom Pharaoh gave to Joseph as wife, and the daughter of Potipherah, a priest of ʾĀwen.[2] Ephraim was born in Egypt before the arrival of the Israelites from Canaan.[3]

The

conquest of Canaan.[6]

According to the biblical narrative,

Northern Kingdom of Israel, was also from the house of Ephraim.[7]

Biblical criticism

Jacob blessing Ephraim and Manasseh, by Benjamin West, 1766-68

The Book of Genesis related the name "Ephraim" to the Hebrew root פָּרָה (pārā), meaning "to be fruitful".[8] This referring to Joseph's ability to produce children, specifically while in Egypt (termed by the Torah as the land of his affliction).[9] The name Ephraim can therefore be translated as "I will be fruitful", with the prefix of aleph (א‎) indicating the first person, singular, future tense.[10]

In the biblical account,

matriarchs at all.[14][15]

In the Torah, the eventual precedence of the tribe of Ephraim is argued to derive from Jacob, half blind and on his deathbed, blessing Ephraim before

holy spirit.[16] In classical rabbinical sources, Ephraim is described as being modest and not selfish.[17] These rabbinical sources allege that it was on account of modesty and selflessness, and a prophetic vision of Joshua, that Jacob gave Ephraim precedence over Manasseh, the elder of the two;[16] in these sources Jacob is regarded as being sufficiently just that God upholds the blessing in his honour, and makes Ephraim the leading tribe.[16]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Ephraim". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary.
  2. ^ Genesis 41:50–52
  3. ^ Genesis 48:5
  4. ^ Numbers 26:35
  5. ^ 1 Chronicles 7:20–23
  6. ^ 1 Chronicles 7:20–27
  7. ^ 1 Kings 11:26
  8. ^ "Strong's Hebrew Concordance - 6509. parah".
  9. ^ a b Genesis 41:52
  10. ^ "Conjugation of לִפְרוֹת". Pealim.
  11. ^ Jewish Encyclopedia, "Ephraim".
  12. ^ Jewish Encyclopedia (1906)
  13. ^ a b c Peake's commentary on the Bible.
  14. ^ a b Israel Finkelstein, The Bible Unearthed.
  15. ^ Richard Elliott Friedman, Who Wrote the Bible?
  16. ^ a b c d e f Genesis 48:1
  17. ^ a b Jewish Encyclopedia

External links

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