Person Old Testament
Ephrathah
Also known as Ephrathah =ESV, NIV; Ephratah =KJV, Ephrath, Ephrathite
Ephrathah (through her son Hur or grandon Salma) was the founder of Bethlehem. Mentioned in 5 verses across 3 books, first at Ruth 1:2.
Why it matters. A wife of Caleb and founder of Bethlehem.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Ephrathah
Ephrathah was first the wife of Hezron then of Caleb. Her descendents gave her name to the area around Bethlehem, the city in Judah where David and Jesus were born. In several passages, Bethlehem is referred to as "Bethlehem Ephrathah" (Rut.1.2; 1Sa.17.12">Rut.1.2; 1Sa.17.12), indicating that Ephrathah was either an alternate name for the city or a region encompassing it.
The name Ephrathah is also mentioned in the genealogies of Judah in connection with Caleb, a prominent figure in the tribe. Ephrathah is listed as the wife of Caleb (1Ch.2.19), and their descendants, including Hur and Salma, are associated with the founding or settlement of Bethlehem (1Ch.2.50; 4.4).
The dual usage of the name Ephrathah suggests a possible link between the person and the place, although the exact nature of this connection is not explicitly stated in the Bible. The association of Ephrathah with Bethlehem highlights the significance of this city in Israel's history, as it was the birthplace of key figures like David and Jesus.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
No reviewed connections yet.
Family
Family links from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0). Where the dataset marks an identification as uncertain, the mark is kept. Matthew and Luke give different genealogies for Jesus; see the Lineage page, which never merges them.
Appears in Scripture
Named in 5 verses across 3 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.