אֶפְרַיִם (H669) — Hebrew Lexicon

אֶפְרַיִם

𐤀𐤐𐤓𐤉𐤌

Eferayim

H669 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Ephrayim: a personal, tribal, and geographic name in the Hebrew Bible. Primarily, it designates (1) the younger son of Joseph and Asenath born in Egypt, (2) the people descending from him (the tribe of Ephraim), and (3) their assigned territory in the central hill country of Canaan. The term also comes to be used more broadly: in prophetic and later historical books, "Ephraim" at times serves as a synecdoche for the northern kingdom of Israel as a whole, due to the tribe's geographic dominance and political prominence within that polity. The semantic range therefore includes individual (personal), tribal, territorial, and at times national/division identifiers.

Semantic Range

the personal name of a son of Joseph, name of an Israelite tribe, name of tribal territory in central Canaan, designation for members of that tribe, figurative expression for the northern kingdom of Israel

Root / Etymology

From the Hebrew root פרה (p-r-h), meaning 'to be fruitful, bear fruit.' The formation אֶפְרַיִם (Ephrayim) is a dual form, likely originally suggesting 'double fruitfulness' or 'fruitfulness twice over,' perhaps alluding to Joseph's statement upon naming his son in Genesis 41:52. The name is structurally a dual of the masculine form אֶפְרָת (Ephrath/Ephratah), but the precise relationship is debated; the most direct derivation is from the root meaning 'to bear fruit.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

The personal name Ephrayim is introduced in the Joseph narrative (Gen 41–50) as the second son of Joseph, who rises to prominence over his elder brother Manasseh through Jacob's blessing (Gen 48). The Ephraimite tribe subsequently becomes a leading tribe among the Israelites, central in the settlement, period of the Judges, and the division of the monarchy. During the divided monarchy (Iron Age), 'Ephraim' is frequently used by prophetic books (especially Hosea, Isaiah, Jeremiah) as a designation for the entire northern kingdom (Israel/Samaria), reflecting the political significance and central location of the tribe and its ancestral territory. In later texts, the term 'Ephraimite(s)' can refer specifically to members of the tribe or its territory, but may also appear in broader polemical or metaphorical senses, especially in exilic and post-exilic literature reflecting on the fate and identity of the northern tribes. English translations usually render the term directly as 'Ephraim,' sometimes as 'Ephraimite(s),' and rarely attempt to convey the figurative/national usage with terms like 'Israel' unless unambiguous in context. The later English term 'Jew' (Judean) does not historically correspond to Ephraimites, and the populations referred to by the designation 'Ephraim' in the biblical period should not be confused with later Judean/Jewish populations.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

dual of masculine form of אֶפְרָת; double fruit; Ephrajim, a son of Joseph; also the tribe descended from him, and its territory; Ephraim, Ephraimites.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

פרה (Parah) — to bear fruit, to be fruitful, to bring forth (fruit or offspring)

Root פרה to be fruitful, to bear fruit, to produce offspring

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H6511	פָּרָה	and the Parah
H6529	פְּרִי	in his fruit
H672	אֶפְרָת	in Fruitful-Place

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`H669-01`	אֶפְרָֽיִם	eferayim	`HNp`	Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim	149
`H669-06`	וְ/אֶפְרַ֛יִם	veeferayim	`HC/Np`	and Ephraim	and Double-Fruitfulness	and Eferayim	13
`H669-03`	לְ/אֶפְרַ֔יִם	leeferayim	`HR/Np`	to Ephraim	to Double-Fruitfulness	to Eferayim	10
`H669-04`	מֵ/אֶפְרַ֥יִם	meeferayim	`HR/Np`	from Ephraim	from Double-Fruitfulness	from Eferayim	6
`H669-02`	כְּ/אֶפְרַ֖יִם	keeferayim	`HR/Np`	like Ephraim	like Double-Fruitfulness	like Eferayim	1
`H669-05`	וּ/בְ/אֶפְרַ֥יִם	uveeferayim	`HC/R/Np`	and-in-Ephraim	and in Double-Fruitfulness	and in Eferayim	1

Occurrences in Scripture

180 occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`H669-01`	Genesis 41:52	אֶפְרָ֑יִם	eferayim	`HNp`	Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Genesis 46:20	אֶפְרָֽיִם	eferayim	`HNp`	Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Genesis 48:1	אֶפְרָֽיִם	eferayim	`HNp`	Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Genesis 48:5	אֶפְרַ֨יִם֙	eferayim	`HNp`	Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Genesis 48:13	אֶפְרַ֤יִם	eferayim	`HNp`	Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Genesis 48:14	אֶפְרַ֨יִם֙	eferayim	`HNp`	Ephraim's	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Genesis 48:17	אֶפְרַ֖יִם	eferayim	`HNp`	of Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Genesis 48:17	אֶפְרַ֖יִם	eferayim-2	`HNp`	of Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-02`	Genesis 48:20	כְּ/אֶפְרַ֖יִם	keeferayim	`HR/Np`	like Ephraim	like Double-Fruitfulness	like Eferayim
`H669-01`	Genesis 48:20	אֶפְרַ֖יִם	eferayim	`HNp`	Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-03`	Genesis 50:23	לְ/אֶפְרַ֔יִם	leeferayim	`HR/Np`	Ephraim's	to Double-Fruitfulness	to Eferayim
`H669-03`	Numbers 1:10	לְ/אֶפְרַ֕יִם	leeferayim	`HR/Np`	of Ephraim	to Double-Fruitfulness	to Eferayim
`H669-01`	Numbers 1:32	אֶפְרַ֔יִם	eferayim	`HNp`	Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Numbers 1:33	אֶפְרָ֑יִם	eferayim	`HNp`	Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Numbers 2:18	אֶפְרַ֛יִם	eferayim	`HNp`	of Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Numbers 2:18	אֶפְרַ֔יִם	eferayim-2	`HNp`	of Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Numbers 2:24	אֶפְרַ֗יִם	eferayim	`HNp`	of Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Numbers 7:48	אֶפְרָ֑יִם	eferayim	`HNp`	Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Numbers 10:22	אֶפְרַ֖יִם	eferayim	`HNp`	of Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Numbers 13:8	אֶפְרָ֖יִם	eferayim	`HNp`	of Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-06`	Numbers 26:28	וְ/אֶפְרָֽיִם	veeferayim	`HC/Np`	and Ephraim	and Double-Fruitfulness	and Eferayim
`H669-01`	Numbers 26:35	אֶפְרַיִם֮	eferayim	`HNp`	Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Numbers 26:37	אֶפְרַ֨יִם֙	eferayim	`HNp`	of Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Numbers 34:24	אֶפְרַ֖יִם	eferayim	`HNp`	of Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Deuteronomy 33:17	אֶפְרַ֔יִם	eferayim	`HNp`	Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Deuteronomy 34:2	אֶפְרַ֖יִם	eferayim	`HNp`	of Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-06`	Joshua 14:4	וְ/אֶפְרָ֑יִם	veeferayim	`HC/Np`	and Ephraim	and Double-Fruitfulness	and Eferayim
`H669-06`	Joshua 16:4	וְ/אֶפְרָֽיִם	veeferayim	`HC/Np`	and Ephraim	and Double-Fruitfulness	and Eferayim
`H669-01`	Joshua 16:5	אֶפְרַ֖יִם	eferayim	`HNp`	Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Joshua 16:8	אֶפְרַ֖יִם	eferayim	`HNp`	Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Joshua 16:9	אֶפְרַ֔יִם	eferayim	`HNp`	Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Joshua 16:10	אֶפְרַ֨יִם֙	eferayim	`HNp`	Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Joshua 17:8	אֶפְרָֽיִם	eferayim	`HNp`	Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-03`	Joshua 17:9	לְ/אֶפְרַ֔יִם	leeferayim	`HR/Np`	of-Ephraim	to Double-Fruitfulness	to Eferayim
`H669-03`	Joshua 17:10	לְ/אֶפְרַ֗יִם	leeferayim	`HR/Np`	belonged to Ephraim	to Double-Fruitfulness	to Eferayim
`H669-01`	Joshua 17:15	אֶפְרָֽיִם	eferayim	`HNp`	of Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-03`	Joshua 17:17	לְ/אֶפְרַ֥יִם	leeferayim	`HR/Np`	to Ephraim	to Double-Fruitfulness	to Eferayim
`H669-01`	Joshua 19:50	אֶפְרָ֑יִם	eferayim	`HNp`	Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Joshua 20:7	אֶפְרָ֑יִם	eferayim	`HNp`	of Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Joshua 21:5	אֶ֠פְרַיִם	eferayim	`HNp`	Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Joshua 21:20	אֶפְרָֽיִם	eferayim	`HNp`	of Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Joshua 21:21	אֶפְרָ֑יִם	eferayim	`HNp`	of Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Joshua 24:30	אֶפְרָ֑יִם	eferayim	`HNp`	of Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Joshua 24:33	אֶפְרָֽיִם	eferayim	`HNp`	of Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-06`	Judges 1:29	וְ/אֶפְרַ֨יִם֙	veeferayim	`HC/Np`	And Ephraim	and Double-Fruitfulness	and Eferayim
`H669-01`	Judges 2:9	אֶפְרָ֑יִם	eferayim	`HNp`	of Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Judges 3:27	אֶפְרָ֑יִם	eferayim	`HNp`	of Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Judges 4:5	אֶפְרָ֑יִם	eferayim	`HNp`	of Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Judges 5:14	אֶפְרַ֗יִם	eferayim	`HNp`	Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim
`H669-01`	Judges 7:24	אֶפְרַ֜יִם	eferayim	`HNp`	Ephraim	Double Fruitfulness	Eferayim

← H668 Hebrew Lexicon H670 →