The second son of Joseph and Asenath, who received the greater blessing from his grandfather Jacob despite being the younger brother. Jacob prophesied that Ephraim’s descendants would become ‘a multitude of nations.’ The tribe of Ephraim became so dominant in the northern kingdom that ‘Ephraim’ was sometimes used as a synonym for all of Israel. Joshua himself was from the tribe of Ephraim, and the tabernacle was set up at Shiloh in Ephraim’s territory.
But his father refused. “I know, my son, I know!” he said. “He too shall become a people, and he too shall be great; nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.”Genesis 48:19 · Berean Standard Bible
And the second son he named Ephraim, saying, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
Pharaoh has a dream no one can explain. Joseph goes from a dungeon to second-in-command over all of Egypt in a single day.
Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up in bed. Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there He blessed me and told me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you; I will make you a multitude of peoples, and will give this land to your…
Jacob blesses Joseph's sons with crossed hands — putting the younger ahead of the older. The pattern of God's upside-down choices continues.
BibleKey's family tree is a pan-and-zoom canvas across every era — tap any person for their story, then jump straight into the chapter.
BibleKey connects the people, the passages and the meaning — in one place.
Download on the App StoreFree on iPhone & iPad