4:4 Ephratah, the father of Beth-lehem. Contrast I Chronicles 2:54. According to I Chronicles 2:19, Ephrath was the second wife of Caleb (not the Caleb associated with Joshua, however—see note on I Chronicles 2:18), but the town Ephratah could hardly have been named after her, since it was known by that name in Moses time and probably even before Jacob’s time (see Genesis 35:16). It was also known as Bethlehem by the time of Moses (Genesis 35:19). Micah, (the prophet in the days of Jothan, Ahaz and Hezekiah) also was familiar with both names (Micah 5:2). It may be that the Ephraths, Ephratah, and Bethlehem, mentioned here in the Chronicles genealogical lists were people named after this town (or region), because of its importance in the history of Israel. Rachel died and was buried there, and she was the mother of the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin.