Bible Dictionary
GEPHYRUN
Gephyrun was a stronghold captured by Judas Maccabeus east of the Jordan. The ancient accounts appear to connect or confuse its name with Gaspin and Ephron.
Definition
Gephyrun was a stronghold east of the Jordan captured by Judas Maccabeus. The account associates the place with the name Gaspin, though the relationship between the names is uncertain.
Biblical Usage
Gephyrun occurs in the Maccabean narrative describing Judas’s campaign against a fortified city.
Historical Background
The text appears confused: the King James Version gives a different rendering, and Josephus calls the city Ephron. The exact identity and relation of the names cannot be established from the account.
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>ge-fi'-run (Gephuroun): In 2 Macc 12:13, referring to the capture by Judas of a stronghold East of Jordan, the Revised Version (British and American) reads, "And he also fell upon a certain city Gephyrun, .... it was named Gaspin." There appears to be some confusion in the text. There is nothing to indicate the relation between the two names. the King James Version renders, "He went also about to make a bridge." The name of the city in Josephus (Ant., XII, viii, 5) is EPHRON (which see).</p>