Bible Word Study
אֶפְלָל
ʼEphlâl · Ephlal, an Israelite
אֶפְלָל
Ephlal, an Israelite
Definition
Ephlal is a proper name of a single individual mentioned in the Old Testament. It refers to an Israelite man, a descendant of Judah through the line of Jerahmeel, as recorded in the genealogical lists of 1 Chronicles 2:37. The name itself is derived from a Hebrew root meaning 'to judge' or 'to intercede,' suggesting a possible meaning like 'judge' or 'intercessor.' As a proper noun, it has no other semantic senses or variations in meaning across biblical passages, as it appears only this one time.
Biblical Usage
The word 'Ephlal' is used exclusively in 1 Chronicles 2:37 within a detailed genealogy tracing the lineage of the tribe of Judah. It identifies a specific person in the family tree of Jerahmeel, the son of Hezron. This usage is purely onomastic, serving only to name an individual within a list of ancestors, with no narrative context or action associated with him.
Etymology
The name Ephlal (אֶפְלָל) is derived from the Hebrew root פָּלַל (palal, H6419), which fundamentally means 'to judge,' 'to intervene,' or 'to intercede.' It is related to the common noun for 'judge' (פָּלִיל, palil) and the verb for prayer (הִתְפַּלֵּל, hitpalel), which involves interceding before God. The name is likely a passive participle form, potentially meaning 'judged' or 'interceded for,' indicating a child for whom prayer was made or one who is under divine judgment.
Semantic Range
While the individual Ephlal is not theologically significant, the etymology of his name connects to the important biblical concepts of judgment and intercessory prayer. Understanding that his name means 'judge' or 'intercessor' enriches the reading of 1 Chronicles by reminding us that even names in genealogies can carry theological weight, pointing to God's sovereignty in family lines and the hope for divine justice and mediation within the covenant community. In ancient Israelite culture, names were often meaningful and descriptive, sometimes reflecting circumstances of birth, parental hopes, or character traits. A name like Ephlal, meaning 'judge' or 'intercessor,' may have expressed a parent's prayerful aspiration for their child's role or destiny within the community. This differs from modern naming conventions, which are often less semantically driven. פָּלִיל (palil, H6414) — A direct noun meaning 'judge' or 'umpire,' whereas Ephlal is a proper name derived from the same root.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]