5887. En Tappuach
Lexical Summary
En Tappuach: En Tappuach

Original Word: עֵין תַּפּוּחַ
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: `Eyn Tappuwach
Pronunciation: ān tap-POO-akh
Phonetic Spelling: (ane tap-poo'-akh)
KJV: En-tappuah
NASB: En-tappuah
Word Origin: [from H5869 (עַיִן - eyes) and H8598 (תַּפּוַּח - apple tree)]

1. fountain of an apple-tree
2. En-Tappuach, a place in Israel

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
En-tappuah

From ayin and tappuwach; fountain of an apple-tree; En-Tappuach, a place in Palestine -- En-tappuah.

see HEBREW ayin

see HEBREW tappuwach

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from ayin and tappuach
Definition
"place of an apple tree," a city in Ephraim
NASB Translation
En-tappuah (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
עָבוֺת adjective having interwoven foliage, leafy; — עֵץ עָבוֺת leafy trees Ezekiel 20:28; Nehemiah 8:15; עֵץ עָבֹת Leviticus 23:40 (H); feminine אֵלָה עֲבֻתָּה Ezekiel 6:13 a leafy terebinth. — עָבוֺת 2 Samuel 23:4; Psalm 77:18 see II. עָב below עוּב.

עֵין תַּמּוּחַ proper name, of a location see III. תַּמּוּחַ below נפח.

Topical Lexicon
Biblical Setting

En Tappuah appears once in Scripture, Joshua 17:7, within the description of the southern border of the half-tribe of Manasseh: “The border of Manasseh went from Asher to Michmethath, which lies east of Shechem, and continued southward to the settlements of En Tappuah” (Berean Standard Bible). The single mention links the site to the division of the Promised Land, when Joshua delineated tribal inheritances west of the Jordan.

Geographical Location

The spring was adjacent to the city of Tappuah. The verse distinguishes the water source (“En” meaning spring) from the neighboring town, indicating a strategic oasis on the hill-country slope that faces the central watershed route. Modern scholarship places it near present-day Yasuf or the environs of modern Tappuah (Kifl Hares), roughly eight miles south of ancient Shechem. Its location on the boundary line underscores the importance of water sources in defining territorial limits and sustaining agricultural life in the rugged highlands of Ephraim and Manasseh.

Historical Context

1. Period of Conquest and Settlement: En Tappuah enters the record as Israel transitions from wilderness wanderers to a land-holding nation. The careful catalog of boundaries in Joshua validates that the promises made to Abraham were concretely fulfilled under Joshua’s leadership.
2. Ephraim–Manasseh Relations: Although Manasseh and Ephraim were Joseph’s sons and thus fraternal tribes, their borders often became points of friction (Joshua 17:14-18; Judges 12:1-6). En Tappuah served as a recognized landmark that mitigated dispute by offering a fixed, natural feature.
3. Water Rights in Ancient Israel: Springs constituted lifelines. Control of En Tappuah meant year-round access to fresh water in an area otherwise dependent on cisterns and rainfall. The allocation to Manasseh acknowledged God’s provision while protecting Ephraim’s adjacent cropland.

Theological Significance

• Covenant Faithfulness: Listing a single spring in the allotment underscores the meticulous faithfulness of God. Every promise down to minor geographic particulars was honored (Joshua 21:45).
• Stewardship and Boundary Ethics: Clear borders prevented covetous expansion, teaching Israel to respect God-appointed limits. Believers today learn contentment within divine assignments (Philippians 4:11-13).
• Living Water Motif: Springs prefigure later revelation in which God is portrayed as “the fountain of living water” (Jeremiah 2:13). En Tappuah, as a literal spring within promised territory, anticipates the Messiah’s invitation, “Whoever believes in Me… rivers of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:38).

Lessons for Today

1. Trust in Specific Promises: Just as God secured an obscure spring for Manasseh, He keeps the smallest detail of His Word.
2. Accountability for Resources: Water rights carried responsibilities; modern disciples likewise manage resources for the common good (1 Corinthians 4:2).
3. Unity Among Brethren: Ephraim and Manasseh’s shared border reminds the church to honor one another’s callings without jealousy (Romans 12:10).

Related Scriptures

Joshua 17:14-18 – Manasseh requests additional land, revealing ongoing tension over territory.

Jeremiah 2:13 – God rebukes Judah for forsaking “the fountain of living water.”

John 4:14 – Jesus promises water that becomes “a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

Hebrews 4:8 – Joshua’s rest foreshadows the fuller rest in Christ.

Summary

Though mentioned only once, En Tappuah functions as a tangible witness to God’s exacting fulfillment of covenant promises, a practical safeguard for tribal peace, and a symbol of divine provision that finds ultimate expression in the living water offered by Jesus Christ.

Forms and Transliterations
תַּפּֽוּחַ׃ תפוח׃ tap·pū·aḥ tapPuach tappūaḥ
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Joshua 17:7
HEB: יֹשְׁבֵ֖י עֵ֥ין תַּפּֽוּחַ׃
NAS: to the inhabitants of En-tappuah.
KJV: unto the inhabitants of Entappuah.
INT: to the inhabitants of En-tappuah

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 5887
1 Occurrence


tap·pū·aḥ — 1 Occ.

5886
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