Interesting Facts

• Epher was the grandfather of Jehudith, one of the wives of Esau.
• Epher was part of the families of Heth, the son of Canaan.
• The sources list four sons of Epher: Ephron, Zur, Alirun, and Medin.

Genealogy

• Epher’s father is not explicitly named in the provided sources.
• Epher was the father of Beeri.
• He was the grandfather of Jehudith.
• Epher had four sons: Ephron, Zur, Alirun, and Medin.
• Through his son Beeri and granddaughter Jehudith, Epher became the great-grandfather of Esau’s daughters.

Historical Context

Epher lived in the land of Canaan and belonged to the families of Heth, who was a son of Canaan. This places Epher within the indigenous population of Canaan during the time when Abraham’s descendants, including Isaac and Esau, were also residing in the land. The marriage of Epher’s granddaughter, Jehudith, to Esau is specifically noted in the sources, and the fact that she was a Hittite is mentioned in Genesis. This intermarriage is stated to have been a source of grief for Isaac and Rebekah, suggesting a cultural or religious distinction between the family of Abraham and the Hittites. Therefore, Epher’s existence and lineage are part of the broader context of the interactions and, at times, tensions between the patriarchal lineage of Abraham and the established Canaanite inhabitants of the land.

Narrative

Epher himself does not have a personal narrative within the provided excerpts. He is mentioned solely in the context of his genealogical relationship to Jehudith, who became the wife of Esau. His significance in the narrative lies in his ancestry as a member of the families of Heth, highlighting Esau’s connection through marriage to the local Canaanite population. The listing of his sons further contributes to the genealogical details provided in the texts regarding the inhabitants of the land. While Epher’s individual actions or words are absent, his lineage forms a part of the background against which the stories of Isaac, Jacob, and Esau unfold, illustrating the familial and potentially cultural dynamics of the time period.