Introduction

Ephraim, one of the tribes of Israel, holds a significant place in biblical history and theology. Named after the second son of Joseph and Asenath, Ephraim was blessed by Jacob, who placed him before his elder brother Manasseh (Genesis 48:14-20). This tribe became prominent in the history of Israel, often representing the northern kingdom and, by extension, the ten tribes of Israel.

Biblical Background

Ephraim was born in Egypt during the time of Joseph's rise to power. His name, meaning "fruitful," was given by Joseph to signify God's blessing in the land of his affliction (Genesis 41:52). Jacob's blessing of Ephraim over Manasseh set the stage for Ephraim's future prominence: "But his father refused and said, 'I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a multitude of nations'" (Genesis 48:19).

Territorial Inheritance

The tribe of Ephraim received a central portion of the Promised Land, a fertile and strategically significant area. This territory included important cities such as Shiloh, where the tabernacle was located for many years (Joshua 18:1). The land of Ephraim was known for its agricultural productivity, aligning with the meaning of Ephraim's name.

Role in Israel's History

Ephraim played a crucial role in the history of Israel, often serving as a leader among the northern tribes. The tribe's influence is evident in the period of the Judges, where leaders such as Deborah and Gideon had connections to Ephraim (Judges 4:5; 7:24). The tribe's prominence continued into the monarchy, with Jeroboam I, an Ephraimite, leading the revolt that resulted in the division of the united kingdom (1 Kings 11:26).

Symbol of the Northern Kingdom

In the divided kingdom era, Ephraim became synonymous with the northern kingdom of Israel. The prophets frequently used "Ephraim" to refer to the entire northern kingdom, highlighting its leading role among the ten tribes. Hosea, for instance, often addressed Ephraim in his prophecies, warning of judgment due to idolatry and unfaithfulness: "Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone!" (Hosea 4:17).

Prophetic Significance

The tribe of Ephraim holds prophetic significance in the biblical narrative. The prophets spoke of a future restoration for Ephraim, alongside the other tribes of Israel. Jeremiah prophesied a time when Ephraim would be gathered and restored: "I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning: 'You disciplined me, and I was disciplined like an untrained calf. Restore me, and I will return, for You are the LORD my God'" (Jeremiah 31:18).

Conclusion

Ephraim's legacy is multifaceted, encompassing its historical role, symbolic representation of the northern kingdom, and prophetic promises of restoration. As a tribe, Ephraim's account is interwoven with the broader narrative of Israel's relationship with God, marked by both blessing and judgment.2 Chronicles 17:2
And he placed forces in all the fenced cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa his father had taken.
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2 Chronicles 25:6,7
He hired also an hundred thousand mighty men of valor out of Israel for an hundred talents of silver.
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Isaiah 7:8,9
For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within three score and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people.
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Isaiah 11:12,13
And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
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Isaiah 17:3
The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria: they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, said the LORD of hosts.
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Jeremiah 31:18,20
I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; You have chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn you me, and I shall be turned; for you are the LORD my God.
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Hosea 4:17
Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.
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Hosea 5:3,5
I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, you commit prostitution, and Israel is defiled.
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Hosea 6:4,10
O Ephraim, what shall I do to you? O Judah, what shall I do to you? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goes away.
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Hosea 8:11
Because Ephraim has made many altars to sin, altars shall be to him to sin.
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Hosea 12:14
Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly: therefore shall he leave his blood on him, and his reproach shall his LORD return to him.
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Jesus at the Well.
... Samaria comprised the country formerly occupied by the tribe of Ephraim and the
half tribe of Manasseh ... Few spots in all Israel had a more interesting history ...
/.../johnson/the new testament commentary vol iii john/jesus at the well.htm

The Prophet Hosea.
... invasion of Judah by the Syrians and Ephraim." But since ... the other prophets of the
kingdom of Israel, appeared. ... The interest of a whole tribe was closely bound ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the prophet hosea.htm

The Jewish World in the Days of Christ - the Jewish Dispersion in ...
... as it were, a second birth to make them once more Israel. ... miles northwest of Jerusalem,
in the ancient territory of Ephraim. ... [86] So Anna from the tribe of Aser ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter i the jewish world.htm

The Historical Books.
... 9) and the quarrel of the men of Ephraim with Jephthah ... of David, first at Hebron
over the tribe of Judah ... of Judah after the extinction of the kingdom of Israel. ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xx the historical books.htm

Appendix ix. List of Old Testament Passages Messianically Applied ...
... of the tribe of Gad, or of the tribe of Benjamin ... On which God replies: This is Ephraim,
the Messiah [the ... by which to infer from the apostasy of Israel the near ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/appendix ix list of old.htm

The Jewish Institutions and Laws of Far Higher Antiquity than the ...
... being divided, Jeroboam, of the tribe of Ephraim, the servant ... In his time, in the
fifteenth year, Israel was carried ... son of a Jewish mother, of the tribe of Dan ...
/.../the stromata or miscellanies/chapter xxi the jewish institutions and.htm

The Earlier Hebrew Histories.
... an established feature in the Kingdom of Ephraim, and Elijah ... social relations with
that particular tribe to which ... Chronicles of the Kings of Israel, and pieced ...
/.../gladden/who wrote the bible/chapter iv the earlier hebrew.htm

CHAP. I. -II. 3 (II. 1).
... sight; and there was none left but the tribe of Judah ... to the whole context, can refer
to Israel only, be ... Compare Jeremiah 31:20: "Is Ephraim a dear son to Me ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/chap i -ii 3 ii 1.htm

The Blessing of Jacob Upon Judah. (Gen. Xlix. 8-10. )
... During the whole period of the Judges, Ephraim held the supremacy. ... is my
lawgiver""equivalent to, Judah is my, ie, Israel's ruling tribe"point to ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the blessing of jacob upon.htm

How Joshua, the Commander of the Hebrews, Made War with The
... Canaanites, And Overcame Them, And Destroyed Them, And Divided Their Land By Lot
To The Tribes Of Israel. ... The tribe of Ephraim had by lot the land that ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 1 how joshua the.htm

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