---
title: אֶפְרַיִם — Ephraim · The Tanakh dictionary
description: אֶפְרַיִם (669), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 180 times: Ephraim. BDB 1906: n.pr.m. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# אֶפְרַיִם

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«אֶפְרַיִם» in the Tanakh dictionary: **Ephraim** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 180 times · **Key:** 669 · **BDB:** אֶפְרַ֫יִם

### Glosses

of.Ephraim (94); Ephraim (81); O.Ephraim (4)

### Meaning (OSHB)

Ephraim [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/669/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.pr.m. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/669/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.pr.m. Ephraim (Gn 41:52 connected with הִפְרָה, Hiph. of פרה, cf. פרא Hiph. Ho 13:15). 2nd son of Joseph Gn 41:52; 46:20; reckoned among sons of Jacob, blessed by him, and given preference over Manasseh 48:1, 5, 13, 14, 17(×2) (cf. v 19) v 20(×2); 50:23 Nu 1:10 1 Ch 7:20, 22. בְּנֵי אֶפְרַיִם (= descendants, tribe of E.) Nu 1:32; 2:18, 24; 7:48; 10:22; 26:35, 37 Jos 16:5, 9 (boundaries of territory), 17:8 1 Ch 9:3; 12:30(31); 27:10, 14, 20 2 Ch 28:12; less often מַטֵּה א׳ Nu 1:33; 13:8 Jos 21:5 1 Ch 6:51; מַטֵּה בְנֵי א׳ Nu 34:24 Jos 16:8 cf. 14:4; שֵׁבֶט א׳ ψ 78:67 (‖ אֹהֶל יוֹסֵף); בֵּית א׳ Ju 10:9; also א׳ alone, tribe Ephraim Nu 26:28 Dt 33:17 Jos 16:10 + often; א׳ וּמְנַשֶּׁה Jos 17:17 cf. Ju 12:15 (א׳ א׳ ומ׳) 2 Ch 30:10 הַר־אֶפְרַיִם the mountain-country of Ephraim, a ridge stretching from N. to S. through territory assigned to Ephr., with fruitful land on both slopes, especially the western (cf. Di Jos 16:1) Jos 17:15; 19:50; 20:7 Ju 2:9; 3:27; 4:5 + 26 times by Ho \& Is (rarely later) אֶפְרַיִם = kingdom of northern Israel (from Ephr. as largest \& strongest tribe in it) Ho 4:17; 5:3(×2), 5 (‖ יִשְׂרָאֵל) v 11, 12 + 30 times Ho; Is 7:2, 5, 8, 9, 17 + 9 times Is; also Je 7:15; 31:9, 18, 20 Ez 37:16 (del. Co) v 19 ψ 78:9 2 Ch 25:7, 10 cf. 30:1 ψ 60:9 = 108:9; עָרֵי א׳ 2 Ch 17:2 cf. 34:6; שְׁדֵה א׳ Ob 19; hence א׳ alone in loc. sense 2 Ch 31:1; also Ho 5:9, where fem. (\& perhaps Is 7:2). יַעַר אֶפְרַיִם 2 S 18:6, E. of Jordan; 𝔊L Klo read יער מַחֲנַיִם, cf. 17:24, 27. name of a city near Baal-hazor 2 S 13:23 (= Ἐφραϊμ John 11:54 \& 1 Macc 11:34? Klo comp. 𝔊L Γοφραιμ \& עפרון, Qr עֶפְרַיִן 2 Ch 13:19; so previously Bö Th Ke cf. Dr). שַׁעַר אֶפְרַיִם a chief gate of Jerusalem 2 K 14:13 2 Ch 25:23 Ne 8:16; 12:39; perhaps at NW. angle, near Holy Sepulchre, cf. Schick-GutheZPV 1885.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 82 of its verses cited, 0 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (1 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (1 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «אֶפְרַיִם» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/669/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Numbers 13:8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/NUM.13.8/)

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לְמַטֵּ֥ה אֶפְרָ֖יִם הוֹשֵׁ֥עַ בִּן־נֽוּן׃

*Word for word:* for the.tribe of.Ephraim Hoshea the.son of.Nun

*JPS 1917:* Of the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun.

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[Hosea 4:17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/HOS.4.17/)

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חֲב֧וּר עֲצַבִּ֛ים אֶפְרָ֖יִם הַֽנַּֽח־לֽוֹ׃

*Word for word:* \[is\].joined of.idols Ephraim leave.alone (to) him

*JPS 1917:* Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone.

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