H0672 H0672
Ephrathah — region near Bethlehem; associated with Rachel's burial and the Messiah's birthplace (Mic 5:2)
The name אֶפְרָתָה (Ephrathah) designates a district closely identified with Bethlehem in Judah, though the precise relationship — whether Ephrathah is an older name for Bethlehem itself or a surrounding region — remains debated. Rachel died and was buried on the road to Ephrath (Gen 35:16, 19; 48:7), establishing a link between this place and maternal grief. Ruth 4:11 pairs Ephrathah with Bethlehem in a blessing formula. Most significantly, Micah 5:2 prophesies that from 'Bethlehem Ephrathah' will come a ruler whose origins are from of old — a passage applied messianically in Matthew 2:6. The gentilic 'Ephrathite' (1 Sam 17:12) identifies David's family. Spanish 'Efrata' and French 'Éphrata' preserve the name across traditions.
Senses
1. Ephrathah, place near Bethlehem — A place name closely associated with or identical to Bethlehem in Judah, carrying deep patriarchal and messianic significance. Rachel was buried on the road to Ephrath (Gen 35:16, 19; 48:7). Boaz's townsmen invoke it alongside Bethlehem in blessing Ruth's marriage (Ruth 4:11). Psalm 132:6 recalls finding the ark 'in the fields of Jaar' after hearing of it 'in Ephrathah.' Micah 5:2 names 'Bethlehem Ephrathah' as the birthplace of the future ruler, a prophecy central to Christian messianic expectation (Matt 2:6). Spanish 'Efrata' and German 'Ephrata' faithfully transmit the toponym. 10×
AR["أَفراث", "أَفراثَة", "أَفْراتَةَ", "أَفْرَاتَ", "أَفْرَاتَةُ", "إِلَى-أَفْرَاتَ", "بِـ-أَفْرَاتَةَ", "فِي-أَفْرَاتَةَ"]·ben["ইফ্রাতায়", "ইফ্রাতের", "ইফ্রাথা", "ইফ্রাথাতে;", "ইফ্রাথায়", "ইফ্রাথার", "ইফ্রাৎ"]·DE["[אפרת]", "[אפרתה]", "[באפרתה]", "in-Ephratah", "nach-Efrat", "nach-Efrata"]·EN["Ephrath", "Ephrath-ward", "Ephrathah", "in-Ephratah", "in-Ephrathah", "to-Ephrath"]·FR["Ephrath", "Ephrath-garde", "[אפרת]", "[אפרתה]", "[באפרתה]", "dans-Ephrathah", "Éphrath", "à-Ephrath"]·heb["אפרת", "אפרתה", "ב-אפרתה"]·HI["एप्रात", "एप्राता", "एप्राता-में", "एफ़्रात-के", "एफ़्राता-को"]·ID["Efrat", "Efrata", "di-Efrata", "ke-Efrata"]·IT["Ephrath", "Ephrath-ward", "[אפרת]", "[אפרתה]", "[באפרתה]", "a-Ephrath", "in-Ephrathah"]·jav["Efrata", "ing-Efrata", "Èfrat", "Èfrata", "Éfrat", "Éfrata"]·KO["에브라", "에브라다", "에브라다-에서", "에브라다로", "에브라다아", "에브라다의", "에서-에브라다에서"]·PT["'Efrat", "'Efratah", "Efrat", "Efratah", "em-'Efratah", "em-Efrata"]·RU["Эфрата", "Эфраты", "Эфрафы", "в-Ефрате", "в-Ефрафе", "в-Ефрафу", "в-Эфрату", "и-родила", "на-Ефрафу"]·ES["Efrat", "Efrata", "Efratah", "Efratá", "en-Efrata", "en-Efratá"]·SW["Efrata", "Efratha", "Efrathi", "katika-Efrata", "katika-Efratha", "wa-Efratha"]·TR["Efrat'a", "Efrat'ı", "Efrat'ın", "Efrata", "Efrata'da", "Efrata'nın"]·urd["افرات", "افراتہ", "افراتہ-میں", "افراتہ-کا", "افراتہ-کے"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)H2009 1. presentative particle: behold, look (881×)H0589 1. I (first person singular pronoun) (874×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† אֶפְרָ֫תָה n.pr. (v. Sta§ 308 d. 1; 342 d. 2; Morgenl. Forsch. 215)—might in several cases, e.g. Gn 35:16, be אֶפְרָת + ה loc., but v. Ru 4:11;— 1. n.pr.loc. place near Bethel, where Rachel died & was buried Gn 35:16, 19; 48:7 (אֶפְרָת only Gn 48:7 where ה perhaps dropped on acc. of ה following (Ol); in last two passages הוא בית לחם is a gloss, v. Di; cf. 1 S 10:2). 2. id., a name of Bethlehem…