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אֶפְרָתִי

𐤀𐤐𐤓𐤕𐤉

Eferati

H673 noun

SILEX Entry

Root אפרת to be fruitful, to bear fruit (root sense of אפר, as seen in place name Ephrath)

Definition

Denotes a person originating from either Ephrath (an earlier name for Bethlehem in Judah) or, less commonly, related to the territory of Ephraim. Most frequently used to indicate someone from Ephrath/Bethlehem. The term can function as a gentilic (identifying geographical origin) or as a quasi-ethnic descriptor, depending on context. Rarely, the term is also applied to Israelites with connections to the tribe or territory of Ephraim, but such usage is contextually determined.

Semantic Range

person from Ephrath/Bethlehem, Judahite of Ephrathite origin, occasionally person of Ephraimite affiliation; native of Ephrath, native of the territory of Ephraim (rare, contextually dependent)

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root אפרת (Ephrath), the original name of a town later known as Bethlehem, in the territory allotted to the tribe of Judah. The gentilic suffix -י denotes origin or association ('of Ephrath'). Usage for Ephraimites likely arises secondarily from a similarity in sound, not from direct derivation from the root אפר but through association in tradition. Thus, the primary etymological sense refers to Ephrath, with secondary connotation (by confusion or extension) referring to Ephraimites in some passages.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In most biblical occurrences (e.g., 1 Sam 17:12; Ruth 1:2), אֶפְרָתִי refers to individuals from Ephrath/Bethlehem in Judah, marking their geographic and social origin within Israelite society. The term distinguishes certain families and individuals—such as Elimelech, Boaz, and David's family—as originating in this important Judahite locale. In the genealogy lists or narrative introductions, it clarifies clan and territorial affiliation, which can have legal and social implications, especially regarding inheritance, marriage, or migration. A minority of uses (e.g., 1 Sam 1:1) might refer to affiliation with the tribe of Ephraim, but linguistic and contextual evidence strongly favors identification with Ephrath/Bethlehem in most cases; the association with Ephraim likely arose from later confusion or reapplication in certain textual traditions. English translations sometimes conflate Ephrathite and Ephraimite due to similar terminology, but they are distinct in Hebrew usage. In post-exilic and Second Temple literature, the term largely falls out of use, its function supplanted by more specific geographic or tribal identifiers.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

patrial from אֶפְרָת; an Ephrathite or an Ephraimite; Ephraimite, Ephrathite.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אפרת (ʾ-p-r-t) — fruitfulness, bearing fruit; Ephrath (place name associated with fruitfulness)

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H673-01 אֶפְרָתִֽי eferati HNgmsa an Ephraimite Ephrathite 3
H673-02 אֶפְרָתִ֔ים eferatim HNgmpa Ephrathites Ephrathite men 1
H673-03 הַֽ/אֶפְרָתִ֥י haeferati HTd/Ngmsa Ephrathite? Ephrathite man 1

Occurrences in Scripture

5 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H673-03 Judges 12:5 הַֽ/אֶפְרָתִ֥י haeferati HTd/Ngmsa Ephrathite? Ephrathite man
H673-01 1 Samuel 1:1 אֶפְרָתִֽי eferati HNgmsa an Ephraimite Ephrathite
H673-01 1 Samuel 17:12 אֶפְרָתִ֜י eferati HNgmsa Ephrathite Ephrathite
H673-01 1 Kings 11:26 אֶפְרָתִ֜י eferati HNgmsa an Ephraimite Ephrathite
H673-02 Ruth 1:2 אֶפְרָתִ֔ים eferatim HNgmpa Ephrathites Ephrathite men
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