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'''Ephraim''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|iː|f|r|iː|ə|m}};<ref>{{MW|Ephraim}}</ref> {{lang-he|{{Script/Hebr|אֶפְרַיִם}}}} ''ʾEp̄rayīm'', in [[Pausa|pausa:]] {{Script/Hebrew|אֶפְרָיִם}} ''ʾEp̄rāyīm'') was, according to the [[Book of Genesis]], the second son of [[Joseph (Genesis)|Joseph ben Jacob]] and [[Asenath]]. Asenath was an [[Ancient Egypt|Ancient Egyptian]]ian woman whom [[Pharaoh]] gave to Joseph as wife, and the daughter of [[Potipherah]], a priest of [[Heliopolis (ancient Egypt)|ʾĀwen]].<ref>{{bibleverse ||Genesis|41:50–52|HE}}</ref> Ephraim was born in Egypt before the arrival of the [[Israelites]] from [[Canaan]].<ref>{{bibleverse||Genesis|48:5|HE}}</ref>
The [[Book of Numbers]] lists three sons of Ephraim: Shuthelah, Beker, and Tahan.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Numbers|26:35}}</ref> However, [[1 Chronicles]] 7 lists eight sons, including Ezer and Elead, who were killed in an attempt to steal cattle from the locals. After their deaths he had another son, Beriah.<ref>{{bibleverse|1|Chronicles|7:20–23|HE}}</ref> He was the ancestor of [[Joshua]], son of [[Nun (biblical figure)|Nun ben Elishama]], the leader of the [[Israelite]] tribes in the [[conquest of Canaan]].<ref>{{bibleverse|1|Chronicles|7:20–27|HE}}</ref>
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[[File:Jacob Blessing Ephraim and Manasseh, by Benjamin West.jpg|thumb|''Jacob blessing Ephraim and Manasseh'', by [[Benjamin West]], 1766-68]]
 
The [[Book of Genesis]] related the name "Ephraim" to the Hebrew root פָּרָה (pārā), meaning "to be fruitful".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Strong's Hebrew Concordance - 6509. parah |url=https://biblehub.com/hebrew/6509.htm}}</ref> This referring to Joseph's ability to produce children, specifically while in [[Egypt]] (termed by the Torah as ''the land of his affliction'').<ref name="Genesis 41:52">Genesis 41:52</ref> The name Ephraim can therefore be translated as "I will be fruitful", with the [[Prefixes in Hebrew|prefix]] of aleph (א‎א) indicating the [[Grammatical person|first person]], [[Grammatical number|singular]], [[future tense]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Conjugation of לִפְרוֹת |url=https://www.pealim.com/dict/1693-lifrot/ |website=Pealim}}</ref>
 
In the biblical account, [[Joseph (Genesis) |Joseph]]'s other son is [[Manasseh (tribal patriarch)|Manasseh]], and Joseph himself is one of the two children of [[Rachel]] and [[Jacob]], the other being [[Benjamin]]. Biblical scholars regard it as obvious, from their geographic overlap and their treatment in older passages, that originally Ephraim and Manasseh were considered one tribe – that of ''Joseph''.<ref>''Jewish Encyclopedia'', "Ephraim".</ref> According to several biblical scholars, Benjamin was originally part of the suggested Ephraim-Manasseh single "Joseph" tribe, but the biblical account of Joseph as his father became lost.<ref>''Jewish Encyclopedia'' (1906)</ref><ref name= "Peake's commentary on the Bible">''Peake's commentary on the Bible''.</ref> A number of biblical scholars suspect that the distinction of the ''Joseph tribes'' (including Benjamin) is that they were the only Israelites which went to [[Egypt]] [[the Exodus|and returned]], while the main Israelite tribes simply emerged as a subculture from the [[Canaan]]ites and had remained in [[Canaan]] throughout.<ref name= "Peake's commentary on the Bible"/><ref name= "IsraelFinkelstein">[[Israel Finkelstein]], ''The Bible Unearthed''.</ref> According to this view, the story of Jacob's visit to [[Laban (Bible) |Laban]] to obtain a wife originated as a [[metaphor]] for this migration, with the property and family which were gained from Laban representing the gains of the Joseph tribes by the time they returned from Egypt;<ref name= "Peake's commentary on the Bible"/> according to textual scholars, the [[Jahwist]] version of the Laban narrative only mentions the Joseph tribes, and Rachel, and does not mention the other tribal [[matriarch]]s at all.<ref name= "IsraelFinkelstein" /><ref>[[Richard Elliott Friedman]], ''Who Wrote the Bible?''</ref>
 
In the Torah, the eventual precedence of the tribe of Ephraim is argued to derive from Jacob, half blind and on his deathbed, blessing Ephraim before [[Manasseh (tribal patriarch)|Manasseh]].<ref name="Genesis 41:52"/><ref name= "Genesis">Genesis 48:1</ref> The text describing this blessing features a [[hapax legomenon]] – the word שכל (''sh-k-l'') – which [[classical rabbinical literature]] has interpreted in esoteric manners;<ref name="auto">''Jewish Encyclopedia''</ref> some rabbinical sources connect the term with ''sekel'', meaning ''mind''/''wisdom'', and view it as indicating that [[Jacob]] was entirely aware of who he was actually blessing;<ref name= "Genesis" /> other rabbinical sources connect the term with ''shikkel'', viewing it as signifying that Jacob was ''despoiling'' Manasseh in favour of Ephraim;<ref name="Genesis" /> yet other rabbinical sources argue that it refers to the power of Jacob to ''instruct'' and guide the [[holy spirit]].<ref name= "Genesis" /> In classical rabbinical sources, Ephraim is described as being modest and not selfish.<ref name="auto"/> These rabbinical sources allege that it was on account of modesty and selflessness, and a [[prophecy|prophetic]] vision of [[Joshua]], that Jacob gave Ephraim precedence over Manasseh, the elder of the two;<ref name= "Genesis" /> in these sources Jacob is regarded as being sufficiently just that God upholds the blessing in his honour, and makes Ephraim the leading tribe.<ref name="Genesis" />
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<references/>
*{{eastonsEBD|wstitle=Ephraim}}
 
==External links==
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* A painting by J Franklin of {{ws|[[s:Letitia Elizabeth Landon (L. E. L.) in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1839/Jacob Blessing Ephraim and Manasseh|Jacob Blessing the Children of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh)]]}}, engraved by G Presbury for Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1839 and with a poetical illustration by [[Letitia Elizabeth Landon]].
 
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