Topical Bible: Ephraim: Mount of a Place of Hiding for Israelites

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Ephraim, a significant location in biblical history, is often associated with the tribe of Ephraim, one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The tribe itself was named after Ephraim, the second son of Joseph and Asenath, and grandson of Jacob. The name "Ephraim" means "fruitful," reflecting the blessing Jacob bestowed upon Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, in Genesis 48:19: "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.'"

The Mount of Ephraim, also referred to as the hill country of Ephraim, is a region in the central part of the land of Israel. It is characterized by its rugged terrain and strategic location, which made it a place of refuge and hiding for the Israelites during times of distress. This area is frequently mentioned in the Old Testament as a significant geographical and tribal region.

One notable biblical event associated with the Mount of Ephraim is found in the account of the prophet Samuel. Samuel, who was from Ramah in the hill country of Ephraim, judged Israel from this region. In 1 Samuel 1:1, it is written, "Now there was a man from Ramathaim-zophim in the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite."

The Mount of Ephraim also served as a place of hiding for the Israelites during the time of the judges. In Judges 3:27, after Ehud assassinated Eglon, the king of Moab, he sounded the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, rallying the Israelites to rise against their oppressors: "On reaching Seirah, he blew the ram’s horn in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with Ehud leading them."

Additionally, the Mount of Ephraim is mentioned in the context of the division of the kingdom of Israel. After the death of Solomon, the northern tribes, including Ephraim, rebelled against Rehoboam, Solomon's son, leading to the establishment of the northern kingdom of Israel under Jeroboam. This division is highlighted in 1 Kings 12:25, where Jeroboam fortified Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there.

The strategic importance of the Mount of Ephraim is further underscored in the narrative of Abijah, king of Judah, who confronted Jeroboam in battle. In 2 Chronicles 13:4, Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, in the hill country of Ephraim, and addressed Jeroboam and all Israel, emphasizing the covenantal faithfulness of the house of David.

Throughout the biblical narrative, the Mount of Ephraim serves as a backdrop for significant events in Israel's history, symbolizing both the strength and the struggles of the Israelite people. Its rugged terrain provided a natural fortress and a place of refuge, reflecting the enduring resilience of the tribes of Israel in their pursuit of faithfulness to God's covenant.

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1 Samuel 14:22
Likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves in mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle.
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Library

Six Cities
... at the extremity of a valley among the hills of Ephraim. ... of Abarim,"perhaps a spur
of the great mount Nebo, from ... A MAN shall be as a hiding-place from the ...
/.../macduff/the cities of refuge or the name of jesus/ii six cities.htm

The Flight into Egypt and St. John the Baptist in the Desert
... was a town with a name which sounded like Ephraim. ... home, an Essene from the community
on Mount Horeb came ... did John, His precursor, fly to a hiding place in the ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/xvi the flight into egypt.htm

Covenanting According to the Purposes of God.
... And it shall come to pass that in the place where it was ... when the Lord of hosts shall
reign in mount Zion, and ... for I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is my ...
/.../the ordinance of covenanting/chapter viii covenanting according to.htm

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
... old had made a solemn covenant; His dwelling-place was Mount Sinai or Mount Seir,
and ... of Reuben with Gad;*** others, such as Ephraim, Manasseh, Benjamin ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm

Letter Liii. To Paulinus.
... the rock of the wilderness to the mount of the ... and the cutting off of the chariot
from Ephraim and of ... great among the Gentiles: and in every place incense [1503 ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter liii to paulinus.htm

Tiglath-Pileser iii. And the Organisation of the Assyrian Empire ...
... at the foot of Mount Taurus and Mount Amanus must ... gave way before the two houses
of Ephraim and Judah ... which preserved the memory of what had taken place in the ...
/.../chapter iitiglath-pileser iii and the.htm

The Last Days of the Old Eastern World
... father Amyntas; but at this juncture half of his fleet was destroyed by a tempest
in the vicinity of Mount Athos, and the disaster, which took place just as ...
/.../chapter iithe last days of 2.htm

The Pharisee and the Publican
... like Joseph, are for setting of Manasseh before Ephraim; but God ... 4. We come, in the
next place, to the ground ... to the pattern shewn thee in the mount." Set faith ...
/.../bunyan/the pharisee and publican/the pharisee and the publican.htm

A Discourse Upon the Pharisee and the Publican
... like Joseph, are for setting of Manasseh before Ephraim; but God ... Seventh, We come
in the next place to the ground of ... to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount. ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a discourse upon the pharisee.htm

The Desire of the Righteous Granted;
... [First.] The words then, in the first place, present us with the ... [Third.] In the
third place, as the wicked has his fears, so the righteous has his desires. ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the desire of the righteous.htm