hebrew #211 - אוֹפִיר Ophir (a son of Joktan)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Ophir Or (shortened) pophiyr {o-feer'}; and fowphir {o- feer'}; of uncertain derivation; Ophir, the name of a son of Joktan, and of a gold region in the East -- Ophir. Englishman's Concordance Ophir=“reducing to ashes” 1) eleventh son of Joktan 2) a land or city in southern Arabia in Solomon’s trade route where gold evidently was traded for goods 3) characteristic of fine gold 4) fine gold Part of Speech: noun proper masculine and locative A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: of uncertain derivation Same Word by TWOT Number: 50 Brown-Driver-Briggsאוֺפִירproper nameOphir — ׳א1 Kings 10:11 +; אוֺפִ֫ירָה1 Kings 9:28 + אוֺפִרGenesis 10:29; אֹפִיר1 Kings 10:11 — 1. proper name, masculine11th son of JoktanGenesis 10:29 (J)=1 Chronicles 1:23; ᵐ5Οὐφειρ, Ὠφειρ, name of an Arabian tribe, see Genesis 10:30 & Di. 2. proper name, of a location (land or city south or southeast from Palestine, exact position unknown, compare below; ᵐ5Σωφηρα, Σωφειρα, Σουφειρ, etc.; Job 28:16Ὠφειρ AC, compare 1 Kings 22:49 A Ὠφειρδε, B omitted) place whither Solomon's ships went from Ezion Geber, bringing thence gold 1 Kings 9:28 — compare 1 Kings 22:49 — 2 Chronicles 8:18; gold, almug- (sandal-?) wood & gems 2 Chronicles 10:11 (twice in verse), compare 2Chronicles 9:10; probably 1 Kings 10:22 reference to same ships; they came once in three years with gold, silver, ivory, apes & peacocks (all from Ophir ?); 2 Chronicles 9:21 makes these ships go to Tarshish (but on Tarshish-ships, i.e. large, sea-going vessels, merchantmen, see 1 Kings 22:49 & below תַּרְשִׁישׁ). 3characteristic of fine gold (in poetry & late) ׳זְהַב א1 Chronicles 29:4; ׳כֶּתֶם אIsaiah 13:12; Job 28:16; Psalm 45:10. 4hence for fine gold itselfJob 22:24 ("" בֶּצֶר). — (If 2=1, then southern, probably south-eastern, Arabia (compare Di Genesis 10:29) furnished the gold; and other articles, which point farther east (e.g. to India, toward which the words קוֺפִיםapes & תֻּכִּיִּיםpeacocks seem to lead), were either brought to Ophir by traders, & so found there by Solomon's men, or were found elsewhere by the latter, whose cruise may have taken them beyond Ophir, the name of Ophir alone, as source of gold-supply, being preserved. If (less likely) 1 & 2 are not the same, the only data for determining location of 2 are the articles brought, & one may look toward India, Ceylon or other islands, or even lower Africa. Particular theories have as yet no adequate support; e.g. (a) old city Supara, or Uppara, in the region of Goa, Malabar coast (compare ᵐ5 above 2, but also 1; form with Σ said on Coptic authority to denote India, see JablonskiiOpusc. ed. te Water i. 337; compare also JosAnt. viii. 6. 4; in that case its use by ᵐ5 may indicate a theory of the location of Ophir); (b) peninsula Malacca; (c) island Sumatra; (d) Sofâla, with city Zimbabye (southeast Africa); (e) west coast of Arabia (where gold & silver formerly found), etc. On these & other theories, see Di Genesis 10:29 RiHWB, Herzog, SmithDict. Bib.; compare GlasSkizze ii. 367 ff.) **WMMAs.u.Eur.111 identifies with Egyptian Punt, on western coast of Red Sea. Englishman's Concordance (References)Strong's Hebrew: 211. אוֹפִיר (Ophir) — 13 OccurrencesGenesis 10:29 1 Kings 9:28 1 Kings 10:11 1 Kings 10:11 1 Kings 22:48 1 Chronicles 1:23 1 Chronicles 29:4 2 Chronicles 8:18 2 Chronicles 9:10 Job 22:24 Job 28:16 Psalm 45:9 Isaiah 13:12 |