(יער אפרים , ya‛ar 'ephrayim ): The word ya‛ar (Hebrew) probably agrees in meaning with the Arabic wa‛r , which indicates a rough country, abounding in rocks, stones and scrub, with occasional trees; not a "forest," as we understand the term. Here Absalom was defeated and slain (2 Samuel 18:6 , the King James Version "wood of Ephraim"). It must be sought, therefore, east of the Jordan, in the neighborhood of Mahanaim; but no identification is yet possible.
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) was edited by James Orr, John Nuelsen, Edgar Mullins, Morris Evans, and Melvin Grove Kyle and was published complete in 1939. This web site includes the complete text.
WikipediaThe ISBE is a classic Bible reference compiled from nearly 10,000 entries written by over 200 different Bible scholars and teachers. In addition to the encyclopedia articles, all of the major words of the Bible are represented and defined.
The historical, cultural, and linguistic information in the ISBE can be of great value in Bible study and research.
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