Genesis 41:52

Hebrew (Westminster Leningrad Codex)

English Translation

The name of the second, he called Ephraim: "For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction."

World English Bible · Public Domain

Highlights

1 first appearance in the Hebrew Bible

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הִפְרַ֥נִי

pârâh

H6509

“to bear fruit · me”

Verb, Hiphil, Perfect, 3rd Person, Masculine, Singular + Suffix, Personal, 1st Person, Common, Singular

Appears 29× in the Hebrew Bible
First appears at Genesis 1:22

Full BDB Definition

Origin: a primitive root

TWOT: 1809

to bear fruit, be fruitful, branch off - (Qal) to bear fruit, be fruitful - (Hiphil) - to cause to bear fruit - to make fruitful - to show fruitfulness, bear fruit

About this verse

These counts appear in no published source. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged text and Lemma’s own curated glosses. What Lemma adds →

10: words
10: distinct lemmas
Pentateuch: section

First appearance in Scripture

This word makes its first canonical appearance in the Hebrew Bible here:

אֶפְרָ֑יִם Ephraim H669

Shared distinctive vocabulary

הִפְרַ֥נִי to bear fruit H6509 occurs in 28 verses of the Hebrew Bible. Also found in:

Grammatical profile

2 verbs
5 nouns
1 adjective
1 conjunction
1 particle

Verb forms

קָרָ֣א Qal · Perfect
הִפְרַ֥נִי Hiphil · Perfect

Hebrew & Septuagint length

In English translation the verse runs 20 words from the Hebrew and 22 from the Septuagint (LXX English) — closely comparable.

A rough comparison of the two English renderings, which tokenize alike — not a word-level alignment.

Word counts can differ between the Hebrew and the Greek without any difference in meaning — e.g. the Hebrew direct-object marker אֵת has no separate Greek word, and Greek often adds the article ὁ.

In the original languages it is 10 Hebrew tokens and 16 Greek tokens — but the two are counted differently (Hebrew bundles its prefixes and suffixes into one token; the Greek is in lemma form), so that isn’t a like-for-like length.

Cross-references

Topical passages linked to Genesis 41:52 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — connected by theme and wording, ordered by reader-vote popularity; previews shown in the World English Bible.

Genesis 49:22 "Joseph is a fruitful vine, A fruitful vine by a spring; His branches run over the wall.
Genesis 50:23 Joseph saw Ephraim's children to the third generation. The children also of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were born on Joseph's knees.
Genesis 17:6 I will make you exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of you. Kings will come out of you.
Genesis 28:3 May God Almighty bless you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, that you may be a company of peoples,
Psalms 105:17–18 He sent a man before them. Joseph was sold for a slave.
Isaiah 40:1–2 Comfort you, comfort you my people, says your God.
Amos 6:6 Who drink wine in bowls, And anoint themselves with the best oils; But they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
Genesis 29:32–35 Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she named him Reuben. For she said, "Because Yahweh has looked at my affliction. For now my husband will love me."

Genesis 30:6–13 Rachel said, "God has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son." Therefore called she his name Dan.
Genesis 48:16–19 the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads, and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac. Let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."
Acts 7:10 and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He made him governor over Egypt and all his house.

Cross-references courtesy of OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0).

Hebrew and Greek witnesses Masoretic Hebrew ↔ Greek Septuagint

The same verse in the two great witnesses to the Old Testament, shown verse-for-verse.

These are two independent witnesses, not word-aligned to each other, and the Septuagint is shown in lemma (dictionary) form.

Hebrew Genesis 41:52 Masoretic · Westminster Leningrad Codex

וְאֵ֛ת שֵׁ֥ם הַשֵּׁנִ֖י קָרָ֣א אֶפְרָ֑יִם כִּֽי הִפְרַ֥נִי אֱלֹהִ֖ים בְּאֶ֥רֶץ עָנְיִֽי

The name of the second, he called Ephraim: "For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction."

World English Bible · Public Domain

Greek LXX Genesis 41:52 Septuagint · lemma form

ὁ δέ ὄνομα ὁ δεύτερος καλέω ἐφράιμ ὅτι αὐξάνω ἐγώ ὁ θεός ἐν γῆ ταπείνωσις ἐγώ

And he called the name of the second, Ephraim; for God, said he, has increased me in the land of my humiliation.

LXX2012 (modern English Septuagint) · Public Domain

Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (CC BY 4.0). Greek: Septuagint (public domain); English from LXX2012 (modern English Septuagint) (Public Domain). How the Septuagint differs from the Hebrew →

Targum (Aramaic paraphrase)

The Targum is the ancient Jewish Aramaic paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures — an interpretive translation, not the Hebrew text itself. Onkelos (literal) and Pseudo-Jonathan (expansive) render the Torah, and Jonathan the Prophets. Coverage is partial: where no permissively-licensed English translation exists for a verse, only the Aramaic is shown. This is verse-level text, not a word-by-word alignment to the Hebrew.

Targum Onkelos Torah (Genesis–Deuteronomy)

וְיָת שׁוּם תִּנְיָנָא קְרָא אֶפְרָיִם אֲרֵי אַפְשַׁנִּי יְיָ בְּאַרַע שִׁעְבּוּדִי

(no public-domain English translation for this verse)

Targum Onkelos — Aramaic: “Onkelos Genesis” (public domain); “Onkelos Exodus” (public domain); “Onkelos Leviticus” (public domain); “Onkelos Numbers” (public domain); “Onkelos Deuteronomy” (public domain). English: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “J.W. Etheridge. The Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan Ben Uzziel on the Pentateuch. London: Longmans, Green, 1862” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.
Targum Pseudo-Jonathan Torah (Genesis–Deuteronomy)

וְיַת שׁוּם תִּנְיַין קְרָא אֶפְרַיִם אֲרוּם אָמַר תַּקִיף יָתִי יְיָ בְּאַרַע סִיגוּפִי וְהֵיכְדֵין עָתִיד לְמִתְקוֹף בֵּית אַבָּא הָכָא בְּסִיגוּפֵיהוֹם

And the name of the second he called Ephraim; for he said, The Lord hath made me mighty in the land of my affliction, as he will make the house of my father mighty here in their afflictions.

Targum Pseudo-Jonathan — Aramaic: “Targum Jonathan on Genesis” (public domain); “Targum Jonathan on Exodus” (public domain); “Targum Jonathan on Leviticus” (public domain); “Targum Jonathan on Numbers” (public domain); “Targum Jonathan on Deuteronomy” (public domain). English: “The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel, trans. J. W. Etheridge, London, 1862” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.

Commentary

Notes on Genesis 41:52 from classic Christian and Jewish commentators (each source and its license shown beneath its notes). The classic Christian expositions comment on the surrounding passage and are grouped to its opening verse, so a note may address several verses; the Jewish commentaries on the Tanakh (Rashi and others) are per-verse, so they appear only where the commentator wrote on this verse.

Lemma curates 59 commentaries, every one of them public domain or Creative Commons licensed, each selected and text-cleaned for this edition rather than reprinted as found. About our sources →

Trapp's Complete Commentary

John Trapp

Gen 41:52 And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

Ver. 52. {See Trapp on "Gen 41:51"} This Ephraim was afterwards, by Jacob, set before his older brother.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(52) Ephraim.—That is, fruitfulness. The dual ending probably intensifies the meaning.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne

52. Ephraim] For the Hebrew word to be fruitful, cf. Gen_28:3, Gen_35:11, Gen_48:4. There is a play on the resemblance in the sound of the name to the Hebrew root (prh) meaning “fruitfulness.” The same play on the two words is found in Hos_13:15, “fruitful among his brethren,” referring to Ephraim.

made me fruitful] i.e. “hath given me sons.” But, as a title for the tribe of Ephraim, it is natural to connect it with the fertility of the territory which it occupied.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

John Gill's Exposition

And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn,.... All the neighbouring nations (Syria, Arabia, Palestine, Canaan, &c.), when they heard there was corn there for money, came from all parts for it, and were glad to get it at such expense and trouble:

because that the famine was so sore in all lands; that there was no bread to be got for money elsewhere. It is thought by many, that for this care of Joseph in laying up provision against this time of need, and which was the preservation of the Egyptians, he was worshipped by them under various names; as the Apis, which was an ox, a sign of fruitfulness; and Serapis, sometimes figured as a young man carrying a basket of bread on his head; and Osiris, who is sometimes represented with a bushel on his head. However, this is certain, that he was an eminent type of Christ in all this, both in his estate of humiliation and exaltation: as Joseph was wrongly charged by his mistress, so was Christ falsely accused by the Jews; as he was cast into prison and bound there, so Christ was taken and bound as a prisoner; as Joseph was raised to great honour and glory in Pharaoh's court, so Christ was exalted by his Father, and crowned with glory and honour; and if the new name given him, "Zaphnathpaaneah", signifies the Saviour of the world, as some interpret it, it agrees well with Christ, who was sent into the world for that purpose; and indeed, if it means a revealer of secrets, it suits with him, who hath declared his Father's mind and will, and revealed the mysteries of his grace to the sons of men: and as Joseph had all the stores of corn under his care, and the needy were bid to go to him for it, so Christ has all the treasures of grace in his hand, and all that are sensible of their need of it are directed to go to him for it; and it is from him that men of all nations and countries receive grace for grace, and have all their supplies, and spiritual sustenance and nourishment.

Next: Genesis Chapter 42

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

Ephraim. That is, fruitful, or growing. (Challoner) --- Being in the plural number, it means "productions." --- Poverty; where I have been poor and afflicted, though now advanced in honour. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Matthew Poole's English Annotations

1711

In the land which hitherto hath been to me a land of affliction.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The Pulpit Commentary

And the name of the second called he Ephraim: Fruitfulness" (Keil), "Double Land" (Gesenius), "Fruit." (Furst)For God (Elohim) hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. This language shows that Joseph had not quite forgotten all his toil."

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Keil & Delitzsch

C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch

The second son he named Ephraim, i.e., double-fruitfulness; "for God hath made me fruitful in the land of my affliction." Even after his elevation Egypt still continued the land of affliction, so that in this word we may see one trace of a longing for the promised land.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

Radak

Rabbi David Kimhi (Radak)

בארץ עניי, in the land which for me was first a land of poverty, oppression, mental anguish, and has now become the land in which my potential has come to fruition where G’d has granted me children, wealth and great honour.

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.

Lesson kit

Teaching starters — assembled from the data on this page, not authored interpretation. Every prompt links to the verse data it draws on. Edit before teaching.

Genesis, in the Pentateuch, opens this verse with 10 words (10 distinct Hebrew lemmas). Its most distinctive word is pârâh (“to bear fruit”). A historical commentator’s framing appears above. Read the whole chapter for the surrounding context.

Discussion questions

How does “to bear fruit” (pârâh) shape what this verse is saying?
The word “Ephraim” first appears here in Scripture. What is being introduced at this debut?
Genesis 1:22 shares the word «to bear fruit» with this verse. How do the two illuminate each other?
The translations on this page render this verse differently — a whole-verse word diff, not a word-by-word alignment. What might account for the different wordings?
The verb «קָרָ֣א» is Qal Perfect. How does its form color the action?
Reading how Trapp's Complete Commentary and Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers read this verse, where do the two commentators agree and where do they part?

Things to notice

1 word makes its first canonical appearance in Scripture here.
This verse counts 10 Hebrew ↔ 16 Greek words.
These translations choose different wording for 4 words in this verse.
10 distinct Hebrew lemmas span 10 words in this verse.