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עֵיפָה

𐤏𐤉𐤐𐤄

Eyfah

H5891 noun

SILEX Entry

Root עוף to fly, to soar

Definition

Proper noun: (1) Ephah—the name of a son of Midian, a descendant of Abraham through Keturah, and ancestor of an Arabian tribe; (2) Ephah—used as the name of a clan or region associated with the Midianites; (3) Ephah—also used as the name of other individuals within Israelite genealogies, including an Israelite man from the tribe of Judah and an Israelite woman. The primary sense is that of a personal or clan name, which at times becomes associated with an ethnic group or geographical territory.

Semantic Range

proper noun denoting a personal name (male), tribal ancestor, clan, geographic region, individual Israelite (male or female)

Root / Etymology

From the root עוף (‘uph), meaning 'to fly, to soar.' The precise etymology of the name is uncertain, but it may carry the sense of 'darkness' or 'gloom' as a metaphorical extension, given possible connections with similar Semitic roots. The lexeme עֵיפָה in this case should not be confused with the common noun עֵיפָה ('eiphah), meaning a dry measure. The personal name is likely pre-Israelite or reflects North Arabian tribal naming practices.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Throughout the Hebrew Bible, עֵיפָה (Ephah) appears in several genealogical contexts: (a) Genesis 25:4, 1 Chronicles 1:33, and other texts, as a Midianite chief, thus establishing Ephah as an ethnonym for a northern Arabian people later associated with the trade of gold, incense, and camels (cf. Isaiah 60:6, where 'Ephah' occurs as a tribe known for trade connections); (b) as the name of a man and a woman in 1 Chronicles 2:46–47, appearing in specifically Judahite genealogies—demonstrating the use of the name within different segments of Israelite society. Later translation traditions used 'Ephah' as a transliteration rather than interpreting its possible meaning. Not to be confused with the Hebrew common noun עֵיפָה ('ephah), a unit of dry measure; contextual cues in genealogical and narrative sections clarify whether the reference is to a personal or ethnic name.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

the same as עֵיפָה; Ephah, the name of a son of Midian, and of the region settled by him; also of an Israelite and of an Israelitess; Ephah.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

עוף (ʿ-w-p̄) — to fly, to soar

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3287 יָעֵף the exhausted one
H4155 מוּעָף covered-over dimness
H4588 מָעוּף shadowed gloom of
H5774 עוּף he flew
H5775 עוֹף flying creature

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5891-02 וְ/עֵיפָ֔ה veeyfah HC/Np and Ephah and Ephah 3
H5891-01 עֵיפָ֤ה eyfah HNp Ephah Ephah (Soaring-One) 2

Occurrences in Scripture

5 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5891-01 Genesis 25:4 עֵיפָ֤ה eyfah HNp Ephah Ephah (Soaring-One)
H5891-02 Isaiah 60:6 וְ/עֵיפָ֔ה veeyfah HC/Np and Ephah and Ephah
H5891-01 1 Chronicles 1:33 עֵיפָ֤ה eyfah HNp Ephah Ephah (Soaring-One)
H5891-02 1 Chronicles 2:46 וְ/עֵיפָה֙ veeyfah HC/Np and Ephah and Ephah
H5891-02 1 Chronicles 2:47 וְ/עֵיפָ֥ה veeyfah HC/Np and Ephah and Ephah
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