Topical Bible: Ephraim: A Tribe of Israel: Defeated by Him

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Ephraim, one of the twelve tribes of Israel, holds a significant place in biblical history. Named after the second son of Joseph and Asenath, Ephraim was blessed by Jacob, who placed him before his elder brother Manasseh (Genesis 48:13-20). This tribe became one of the most prominent in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, often representing the entire kingdom due to its size and influence.

Historical Context and Significance

Ephraim's territory was centrally located in the land of Canaan, encompassing a fertile and strategically important region. The tribe's influence grew during the period of the Judges and the United Monarchy. Joshua, the leader who succeeded Moses and led the Israelites into the Promised Land, was from the tribe of Ephraim (Numbers 13:8). This further solidified the tribe's prominence in Israel's early history.

Conflict and Defeat

Despite its prominence, the tribe of Ephraim experienced significant conflicts and defeats. One notable instance is recorded in the Book of Judges. The Ephraimites confronted Jephthah, a judge of Israel, for not involving them in the battle against the Ammonites. This confrontation led to a civil conflict, resulting in the defeat of Ephraim by Jephthah and the Gileadites. Judges 12:4-6 recounts this event: "Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. And the men of Gilead struck them down because they had said, 'You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim, living in Ephraim and Manasseh.' The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim, and whenever a fugitive from Ephraim said, 'Let me cross over,' the men of Gilead would ask him, 'Are you an Ephraimite?' If he answered, 'No,' they would tell him, 'Please say Shibboleth.' If he said, 'Sibboleth,' because he could not pronounce it correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time, forty-two thousand Ephraimites were killed."

This defeat highlights the internal strife and division within Israel during the time of the Judges, as well as the consequences of pride and disunity among the tribes.

Prophetic Warnings and Further Defeats

The prophets frequently addressed the tribe of Ephraim, often using it as a symbol for the Northern Kingdom's spiritual and moral decline. Hosea, in particular, prophesied against Ephraim for its idolatry and alliances with foreign nations. Hosea 7:8-9 states, "Ephraim mixes with the nations; Ephraim is an unturned cake. Foreigners consume his strength, but he does not notice. Even his hair is streaked with gray, but he does not know."

The ultimate defeat of Ephraim came with the Assyrian conquest of the Northern Kingdom in 722 BC. The Assyrians captured Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom, leading to the exile and dispersion of the ten tribes, including Ephraim. This event fulfilled the prophetic warnings and marked the end of Ephraim's political and territorial significance in biblical history.

Legacy and Symbolism

Despite its defeats, the tribe of Ephraim remains a significant symbol in biblical literature. It represents both the blessings and the failures of the Northern Kingdom. The tribe's account serves as a reminder of the importance of faithfulness to God and the consequences of turning away from His commandments. Throughout the prophetic writings, Ephraim is often used as a metaphor for Israel's waywardness and the hope for eventual restoration and redemption.

Nave's Topical Index

Judges 12:4-6
Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

The Crime Committed by the Inhabitants of Gibeah against the Wife ...
... was travelling and was making for Mount Ephraim and that ... sword against their brethren
of the tribe of Benjamin ... when at first the people of Israel were defeated ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter xix the crime committed.htm

Jeroboam
... with this as his record"he was the man "who made Israel to sin ... All we know with
certainty is that he belonged to the powerful tribe of Ephraim, which was ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/milligan/men of the bible some lesser-known/jeroboam.htm

Israel in Canaan.
... As Jacob had promised to Joseph, Ephraim and half Manaseh ... Sometimes it was a Canaanite
tribe with iron chariots ... he became ruler and judge over Israel; but no ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson v israel in canaan.htm

Redemption for Man Lost to be Sought in Christ.
... tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim;" "But chose the tribe
of Judah ... brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 6 redemption for man.htm

The Israelites
... into the heart of the mountains of Ephraim, the sanctuary of ... in driving them out
of Judah and Israel, but in ... of the history of any special tribe, all combined ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter i the israelites.htm

Canaan
... comparatively late appearance of Judah as a separate tribe in the history of Israel,
as well ... Deborah and Barak, Judah is not mentioned; Ephraim and Benjamin ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter ii canaan.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

True Prayer --True Power!
... sorrow, confess before him, ye children of Ephraim, that ye ... moved, because of the
defenses of the tribe of Reuben ... up, wake up, ye people of Israel; be astonished ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 6 1860/true prayertrue power.htm

The Iranian Conquest
... set at liberty and entrusted with the government of a mountain tribe dwelling to ...
and that he revolted against Astyages in 553 or 552 BC,** and defeated him. ...
/.../chapter ithe iranian conquest.htm

The Sibylline Oracles.
... be utterly destroyed, so that not a tribe shall be ... the Holy King, who shall reign
over Israel, and call ... appearing"he and his allies shall be defeated by an ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the sibylline oracles.htm