Ephraim

[Jeremiah 31:9] For I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.

Ephraim was the second son of Joseph (the firstborn was Manasseh) and the grandson of Jacob (later renamed Israel). In his old age, Jacob moved to Egypt with his family to join his son Joseph, who was by then the prime minister of Egypt, because of a famine in Canaan. Jacob adopted Joseph’s two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, who were born in Egypt. During his blessing, he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh. Genesis 48:20 says, “He put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.” Because of this, Ephraim and Manasseh were counted alongside their uncles, becoming two separate tribes in the nation of Israel, collectively known as the “House of Joseph.” When the Israelites entered the land of Canaan, the tribe of Levi was not given an inheritance because they were set apart to serve the Lord at the altar. This left 12 tribes who received an inheritance in the Promised Land.

Among the 12 tribes of Israel, the House of Joseph occupied the central and largest area of land. The tribe of Ephraim served as the leader for the Israelites entering Canaan because Joshua was from Ephraim. When Solomon’s son Rehoboam became king, God raised up Jeroboam, an Ephraimite, to lead the ten northern tribes to secede. The center of power for the northern kingdom of Israel remained with Ephraim. Its capital was first Tirzah and was later moved to Samaria, both of which were within the territory of Ephraim.

In the prophetic books, we often read the name “Ephraim” used as a reference to the northern kingdom of Israel, in contrast to the southern kingdom of Judah.