211. Ophir
Lexicon
Ophir: Ophir

Original Word: אוֹפִיר
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Owphiyr
Pronunciation: oh-FEER
Phonetic Spelling: (o-feer')
Definition: Ophir
Meaning: Ophir

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.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
a son of Joktan, also his desc., also a region from which gold comes
NASB Translation
Ophir (13).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
אוֺפִיר proper name Ophir׳א 1 Kings 10:11 +; אוֺפִ֫ירָה 1 Kings 9:28 + אוֺפִר Genesis 10:29; אֹפִיר 1 Kings 10:11

1. proper name, masculine 11th son of Joktan Genesis 10:29 (J) = 1 Chronicles 1:23; ᵐ5 Οὐφειρ, 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; ᵐ5 Σωφηρα, Σωφειρα, Σουφειρ, etc.; Job 28:16 Ὠφειρ 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). 3 characteristic of fine gold (in poetry & late) ׳זְהַב א 1 Chronicles 29:4; ׳כֶּתֶם א Isaiah 13:12; Job 28:16; Psalm 45:10. 4 hence for fine gold itself Job 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 קוֺפִים apes & תֻּכִּיִּים peacocks 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.

Topical Lexicon
Word Origin: The origin of the word אוֹפִיר (Ophir) is uncertain, but it is used as a proper noun in the Hebrew Bible.

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: There are no direct corresponding Strong's Greek entries for אוֹפִיר (Ophir) as it is a proper noun specific to the Hebrew Bible and does not have a direct Greek equivalent in the Septuagint or New Testament texts.

Usage: The term אוֹפִיר (Ophir) is used in the Hebrew Bible to denote a place famous for its gold and other precious resources. It is mentioned in various contexts, often associated with wealth and trade.

Context: Ophir is a significant location mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, renowned for its abundant resources, particularly gold. The exact geographical location of Ophir remains a subject of debate among scholars, with suggestions ranging from regions in Africa, Arabia, to the Indian subcontinent. The biblical narrative highlights Ophir as a destination for King Solomon's fleet, which brought back gold, almug wood, and precious stones (1 Kings 10:11, 2 Chronicles 9:10). The wealth of Ophir is further emphasized in Job 28:16, where its gold is compared to wisdom, and in Isaiah 13:12, where it is used metaphorically to describe something exceedingly rare and valuable.

Ophir is also mentioned in the genealogies of Genesis 10:29 and 1 Chronicles 1:23, where it is listed as a descendant of Joktan, suggesting a possible eponymous ancestor of the region. The Berean Standard Bible (BSB) provides these references, illustrating the historical and economic significance of Ophir in the biblical context.

Forms and Transliterations
אוֹפִ֑יר אוֹפִ֔ירָה אוֹפִ֛ירָה אוֹפִ֥יר אוֹפִ֥ר אוֹפִֽיר׃ אופיר אופיר׃ אופירה אופר מֵאֹפִ֜יר מֵאוֹפִ֑יר מאופיר מאפיר ’ō·w·p̄î·rāh ’ō·w·p̄ir ’ō·w·p̄îr ’ōwp̄ir ’ōwp̄îr ’ōwp̄îrāh mê’ōp̄îr mê’ōwp̄îr mê·’ō·p̄îr mê·’ō·w·p̄îr meoFir oFir oFirah
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Genesis 10:29
HEB: וְאֶת־ אוֹפִ֥ר וְאֶת־ חֲוִילָ֖ה
NAS: and Ophir and Havilah and Jobab;
KJV: And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab:
INT: and Ophir and Havilah and Jobab

1 Kings 9:28
HEB: וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ אוֹפִ֔ירָה וַיִּקְח֤וּ מִשָּׁם֙
NAS: They went to Ophir and took four
KJV: And they came to Ophir, and fetched
INT: went to Ophir and took there

1 Kings 10:11
HEB: נָשָׂ֥א זָהָ֖ב מֵאוֹפִ֑יר הֵבִ֨יא מֵאֹפִ֜יר
NAS: gold from Ophir, brought
KJV: gold from Ophir, brought in
INT: brought gold Ophir brought Ophir

1 Kings 10:11
HEB: מֵאוֹפִ֑יר הֵבִ֨יא מֵאֹפִ֜יר עֲצֵ֧י אַלְמֻגִּ֛ים
NAS: brought in from Ophir a very
KJV: brought in from Ophir great
INT: Ophir brought Ophir trees almug

1 Kings 22:48
HEB: תַּרְשִׁ֜ישׁ לָלֶ֧כֶת אוֹפִ֛ירָה לַזָּהָ֖ב וְלֹ֣א
NAS: to go to Ophir for gold,
KJV: to go to Ophir for gold:
INT: of Tarshish to go to Ophir gold did not

1 Chronicles 1:23
HEB: וְאֶת־ אוֹפִ֥יר וְאֶת־ חֲוִילָ֖ה
NAS: Ophir, Havilah and Jobab;
KJV: And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab.
INT: Ophir Havilah and Jobab

1 Chronicles 29:4
HEB: זָהָ֖ב מִזְּהַ֣ב אוֹפִ֑יר וְשִׁבְעַ֨ת אֲלָפִ֤ים
NAS: of the gold of Ophir, and 7,000
KJV: of the gold of Ophir, and seven
INT: of gold of the gold of Ophir and seven thousand

2 Chronicles 8:18
HEB: עַבְדֵ֤י שְׁלֹמֹה֙ אוֹפִ֔ירָה וַיִּקְח֣וּ מִשָּׁ֔ם
NAS: servants to Ophir, and took
KJV: of Solomon to Ophir, and took
INT: servants Solomon's to Ophir and took there

2 Chronicles 9:10
HEB: הֵבִ֥יאוּ זָהָ֖ב מֵאוֹפִ֑יר הֵבִ֛יאוּ עֲצֵ֥י
NAS: brought gold from Ophir, also brought
KJV: gold from Ophir, brought
INT: brought gold Ophir brought trees

Job 22:24
HEB: וּבְצ֖וּר נְחָלִ֣ים אוֹפִֽיר׃
NAS: in the dust, And [the gold of] Ophir among the stones
KJV: dust, and the [gold] of Ophir as the stones
INT: the stones of the brooks Ophir

Job 28:16
HEB: תְ֭סֻלֶּה בְּכֶ֣תֶם אוֹפִ֑יר בְּשֹׁ֖הַם יָקָ֣ר
NAS: in the gold of Ophir, In precious
KJV: with the gold of Ophir, with the precious
INT: be valued the gold of Ophir onyx precious

Psalm 45:9
HEB: לִֽ֝ימִינְךָ֗ בְּכֶ֣תֶם אוֹפִֽיר׃
NAS: the queen in gold from Ophir.
KJV: the queen in gold of Ophir.
INT: your right gold Ophir

Isaiah 13:12
HEB: וְאָדָ֖ם מִכֶּ֥תֶם אוֹפִֽיר׃
NAS: than the gold of Ophir.
KJV: than the golden wedge of Ophir.
INT: and mankind the gold of Ophir

13 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 211
13 Occurrences


mê·’ō·w·p̄îr — 3 Occ.
’ō·w·p̄ir — 7 Occ.
’ō·w·p̄î·rāh — 3 Occ.















210
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