Interesting Facts

• Ephraim was one of the two sons born to Joseph by Asenath, the daughter of Potipherah priest of Heliopolis, before Jacob came into Egypt.
• When Joseph brought Ephraim and Manasseh to the ailing Jacob for a blessing, Jacob intentionally crossed his hands, placing his right hand (the greater blessing) on Ephraim, the younger, which displeased Joseph.
• During Jacob’s blessing, it was prophesied that Ephraim’s younger brother Manasseh would also become a people and be great, but Ephraim would be greater than him, and his seed would become a multitude of nations.
• Ephraim, along with Manasseh and Benjamin, was to carry Jacob’s bier at the west side during his burial procession to Canaan, according to Jacob’s instructions, taking the place of Levi and Joseph.
• Ephraim is listed among the sons of Joseph that were born to him in Egypt.

Genealogy

• Ephraim was the son of Joseph.
• His mother was Asenath, the daughter of Potipherah priest of Heliopolis.
• He had an older brother, Manasseh.
• He was a grandson of Jacob (Israel).
• His lineage connects him to the tribe of Joseph, which received a double portion in Israel, and he was blessed by Jacob to be greater than his older brother, signifying his tribe’s future prominence.

Historical Context

Ephraim was born and raised in Egypt during Joseph’s rise to power. He would have experienced the affluence and influence his father wielded as second in command to Pharaoh. Unlike his uncles who lived in Canaan, Ephraim’s formative years were spent immersed in Egyptian culture, though he would have also been aware of his Hebrew heritage through his father and eventually his grandfather Jacob. The famine that brought his uncles and grandfather to Egypt would have been a significant event in his life, leading to the reunion of his extended family in Goshen. Ephraim’s identity would have been shaped by this unique position of being part of Joseph’s Egyptian household while also belonging to the lineage of Jacob, who later bestowed a significant blessing upon him. The secure dwelling of Jacob and his sons in Egypt during Joseph’s governance would have been the primary social and political context of Ephraim’s early life.

Narrative

Ephraim’s primary role in the narrative, as depicted in the sources, is centered around the blessing bestowed upon him by his grandfather Jacob. When Joseph brought his two sons to the ailing Jacob, Joseph positioned Manasseh as the firstborn to receive the right-hand blessing. However, Jacob, with intentionality, crossed his hands and placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, signifying a greater blessing for the younger brother. This act displeased Joseph, who attempted to correct his father, but Jacob insisted that he knew what he was doing and prophesied Ephraim’s future greatness and the multitude of his descendants. This episode is crucial as it foreshadows the future prominence of the tribe of Ephraim within Israel, despite being the younger of Joseph’s sons. Later, Ephraim is mentioned in Jacob’s instructions for his burial, where he is designated, along with Manasseh, to be among those carrying the bier, substituting for Levi and Joseph, highlighting his integration within the twelve tribes. Beyond these key events, Ephraim is generally portrayed as part of Joseph’s household and among Jacob’s descendants who settled and prospered in Egypt under Joseph’s care. His narrative, therefore, is largely defined by Jacob’s prophetic blessing, which sets him apart despite his younger status and integrates him into the future of the Israelite nation.