Lexical Definition

‎אֶפְרַיִם‎ ʼEphrayim (ef-rah'-yim) Ephraim ^N:N-M-P
dual of masculine form of ‎אֶפְרָת‎; double fruit

Ephraim, Ephraimites.

• § Ephraim = "double ash-heap: I shall be doubly fruitful"
• Ephrajim, a son of Joseph
• also the tribe descended from him, and its territory

1) second son of Joseph, blessed by him and given preference over first son, Manasseh
2) the tribe, Ephraim
3) the mountain country of Ephraim
4) sometimes used name for the northern kingdom (Hosea or Isaiah)
5) a city near Baal-hazor
6) a chief gate of Jerusalem

See Greek: Ἐφραίμ

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎אֶפְרַ֫יִם‎ proper name, masculine Ephraim (Gen 41:52 connected with ‎הִפְרָה‎, Hiph`il of ‎פרה‎, compare ‎פרא‎ Hiph`il Hos 13:15).

1. 2nd son of Joseph Gen 41:52; Gen 46:20 reckoned among sons of Jacob, blessed by him, and given preference over Manasseh Gen 48:1; Gen 48:5; Gen 48:13; Gen 48:14; Gen 48:17 (twice in verse) (compare vGen 48:19) vGen 48:20 vGen 48:20; Gen 50:23; Num 1:10; 1Chr 7:20; 1Chr 7:22.

2. ‎בְּנֵי אֶפְרַיִם‎ (= descendants, tribe of east) Num 1:32; Num 2:18 (twice in verse); Num 2:24; Num 7:48; Num 10:22; Num 26:35; Num 26:37; Josh 16:5; Josh 16:9 (boundaries of territory), Josh 17:8; 1Chr 9:3; 1Chr 12:31*; 1Chr 27:10; 1Chr 27:14; 1Chr 27:20; 1Chr 2:12 less often ‎׳‎‎מַטֵּה א‎ Num 1:33; Num 13:8; Josh 21:5; 1Chr 6:51* ‎׳‎‎מַטֵּה בְנֵיאֿ‎ Num 34:24; Josh 16:8 compare Josh 14:4 ‎׳‎‎שֵׁבֶט א‎ Ps 78:67 (|| ‎אֹהֶל יוֺסֵף‎); ‎׳‎‎בֵּית א‎ Judg 10:9 also ‎׳‎‎א‎ alone, tribe Ephraim Num 26:28; Deut 33:17; Josh 16:10 + often; ‎וּמְנַשֶּׁה‎ ‎׳‎‎אֶרֶין א‎ Josh 17:17 compare Judg 12:15; 2Chr 30:10 especially

3. ‎הַראֶֿפְרַיִם‎ the mountain-country of Ephraim, a ridge stretching from north to south through territory assigned to Ephraim, with fruitful land on both slopes, especially the western (compare Di Josh 16:1) Josh 17:15; Josh 19:50; Josh 20:7; Judg 2:9; Judg 3:27; Judg 4:5 + 26 t.

4. by Hosea & Isaiah (rarely later) ‎אֶפְרַיִם‎ = kingdom of northern Israel (from Ephraim as largest & strongest tribe in it) Hos 4:17; Hos 5:3 (twice in verse); Hos 5:5 (|| ‎יִשְׂרָאֵל‎) vHos 5:11 vHos 5:12 + 30 t. Hosea; Isa 7:2; Isa 7:5; Isa 7:8; Isa 7:9; Isa 7:17 + 9 t. Isaiah; also Jer 7:15; Jer 31:9; Jer 31:18; Jer 31:20; Ezek 37:16 (strike out Co) vEzek 37:19; Ps 78:9; 2Chr 25:7; 2Chr 25:10 compare 2Chr 30:1; Ps 60:9* = Ps 108:9* ‎׳‎‎עָרֵי א‎ 2Chr 17:2 compare 2Chr 34:6 ‎׳‎‎שְׂדֵה א‎ Obad 1:19 hence ‎׳‎‎א‎ alone in local sense 2Chr 31:1 also Hos 5:9, where feminine (& perhaps Isa 7:2).

5. ‎יִעַר אֶפְרַיִם‎ 2Sam 18:6, east of Jordan; ᵐ5^L Klo read ‎יער מַחֲנַיִם‎ compare 2Sam 17:24; 2Sam 17:27.

6. name of a city near Baal-hazor 2Sam 13:23 (= Ἐφραϊμ John 11:54 & 1 Macc 11:34? Klo compare ᵐ5^L Γοφραιμ & ‎עפרון‎, Qr ‎עֶפְרַיִן‎ 2Chr 13:9 so previously Bö Th Ke compare Dr).

7. ‎שַׁעַר אֶפְרַיִם‎ a chief gate of Jerusalem 2Kgs 14:13; 2Chr 25:23; Neh 8:16; Neh 12:39 perhaps at northwest angle, near Holy Sepulchre, compare Schick-Guthe^{ZPV 1885}.

‎אֶפְרָת‎ see ‎אפרתה‎. below

Brown-Driver-Briggs References