Ephrathah
Ephrathah is another name for Bethlehem (Rut.1.2; 1Sa.17.12) and is also the name of Caleb's wife whose son founded it (1Ch.2.19,50; 4.4).
Biography
Ephrathah was the wife of Caleb, one of the faithful spies from the tribe of Judah, and her name is closely associated with Bethlehem (1 Chronicles 2:19, 50; 4:4). Through her son Hur, she became the ancestral mother of the clan that settled and helped found the town of Bethlehem. The connection between the personal name Ephrathah and the place name Bethlehem-Ephrathah (Ruth 1:2; 1 Samuel 17:12) suggests that this woman's lineage was so foundational to the region that the territory itself came to bear a form of her name. As a wife and mother in the line of Caleb, she stands among the matriarchs of Judah whose descendants shaped the heartland of Israel.
Significance
Ephrathah holds quiet but profound significance in the biblical narrative. As the ancestral mother of Bethlehem through her son Hur and grandson Salma (1 Chronicles 2:50–51), she is linked to the town that would become the birthplace of David and, ultimately, of Jesus Christ (Micah 5:2). The merging of her personal name with the place name Bethlehem-Ephrathah reflects how deeply her lineage was identified with that land. She represents the Judahite women whose roles in establishing families and communities created the geographical and genealogical setting for Israel's greatest king and for the fulfillment of messianic prophecy, a quiet but essential thread in the tapestry of redemption.
Verse Appearances (5)
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]