Psalm 60:7

Psalm 60:7

It's all in a name

It’s easy just to glance at the names in this verse and move on, but we must stop and consider them carefully. Firstly, Gilead. Before the Israelites moved into the Promised Land, two and a half of the twelve tribes chose to take up residence outside of the perceived boundaries. Reuben, Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh chose to occupy territory east of the River Jordan. Gilead was the name for the area that was occupied by the half tribe of Manasseh; it was between Galilee and the Dead Sea in what we call Jordan today. You may be aware that Ephraim and Manasseh were not sons of Jacob but were the sons of Joseph and were adopted by Jacob, and thus they became two of the tribes of Israel. Both occupied northern lands and the name of Ephraim was later used as a term for all of the ten northern tribes; Judah was the name for the southern territory that included Benjamin’s inheritance. Thus, Ephraim and Judah were the leading tribes of Israel. Jacob’s first wife, Leah, was seen as the mother of Judah and his second wife, Rachel, was regarded as the mother of the northern tribes and therefore, indirectly, the mother (grandmother) of Ephraim. So you see, there was a lot of history as well as family heritage and culture and also some politics involved in these particular names! 

Ephraim is referred to as the Lord’s helmet not least because it was the generic term for the upper head of the whole nation. But Ephraim also symbolised power and aggression and warfare. Judah, on the other hand was the regal state. King David came from Judah, as did all of the kings of the southern lands, when Israel split into two after the reign of Solomon. Judah later produced the King of Kings, the Lord’s royal Prince, the Lion of Judah. Hallelujah. 

 

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