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Ephai
Ephai
עוֹפַי o.phay
Ephai (Hebrew: עוֹפַי, o.phay) is a biblical name; its Hebrew etymology is not securely established. It appears once, at Jeremiah 40:8. In United States birth records the name is below the reporting threshold. Appears with Jaazaniah in Jeremiah 40.
The bearer in scripture
One person in scripture bears this name.
-
Ephai
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 1 across 1 book
- Bearers
- 1 one person only
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- Divided Kingdom
- Hapax
- Yes occurs exactly once
Using it today
In United States birth records this name is below the reporting threshold. The Social Security Administration does not publish counts under five, so a name given to four children looks the same as one given to none.
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | Jeremiah 40:8 |
| Cross-references | 31 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Jonathan co-occurrence Appears with Jonathan in Jeremiah 40.
- Seraiah co-occurrence Appears with Seraiah in Jeremiah 40.
- Tanhumeth co-occurrence Appears with Tanhumeth in Jeremiah 40.
- Jaazaniah co-occurrence Appears with Jaazaniah in Jeremiah 40.
- Maacathites co-occurrence Appears with Maacathites in Jeremiah 40.
- Jezaniah co-occurrence Appears with Jezaniah in Jeremiah 40.
- Kareah co-occurrence Appears with Kareah in Jeremiah 40.
- Johanan co-occurrence Appears with Johanan in Jeremiah 40.
Origin & meaning
A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at Jer.40.8
§ Ephai = "gloomy"
a Netophathite, whose sons were among the captains of the forces left in Judah after the deportation to Babylon
Ephai the Netophathite was the father of one of the men who came to Gedaliah at Mizpah.
The biblical story
Ephai the Netophathite is mentioned briefly in the book of Jeremiah as the father of one of the men who came to Gedaliah at Mizpah (Jer.40.8). After the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians, Gedaliah was appointed as the governor over the remnant of Judah. A group of men, including the son of Ephai, came to Gedaliah and pledged their allegiance to him. The Netophathites were inhabitants of Netophah, a village near Bethlehem in Judah. The mention of Ephai's origin suggests that he and his family were from this village. No further information is provided about Ephai himself or his son, who is not named in the text. The inclusion of Ephai's name serves to identify the background of one of the men who supported Gedaliah and to highlight the diverse group of people who gathered around the appointed governor in the aftermath of Jerusalem's destruction. The mention of Ephai and his son's allegiance to Gedaliah also underscores the importance of the governor's role in providing leadership and stability for the remnant of Judah during this turbulent period.
Key verses
Ephai appears in 1 verse. Here are some of the most notable:
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Then they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.
Jeremiah 40:8
Show all 1 reference
Jeremiah (1)
- Jeremiah 40:8