Bible Encyclopedia: Ophrah

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

OPHRAH

of'-ra (`ophrah; Codex Vaticanus Aphra; Codex Alexandrinus Iephratha, etc.):

(1) A town in the territory allotted to Benjamin named between Parah and Chephar-ammoni (Joshua 18:23). It is mentioned again in 1 Samuel 13:17. The Philistines who were encamped at Michmash sent out marauding bands, one of which went westward, another eastward, down "the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness"; the third "turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual." This must have been northward, as Saul commanded the passage to the South. Eusebius, Onomasticon places it 5 Roman miles East of Bethel. A site which comes near to fulfilling these conditions is eT-Taiyebeh, which stands on a conical hill some 5 miles Northeast of Beitin. This is possibly identical with "Ephron" (2 Chronicles 13:19), and "Ephraim" (Jn. 11:54).

(2) A city in the tribal lot of Manasseh West of Jordan. It is mentioned only in connection with Gideon, whose native place it was, and with his son Abimelech (Judges 6:11, etc.). It was, indeed, family property, belonging to Joash the Abiezrite, the father of Gideon. It was apparently not far from the plain of Esdraelon (Judges 6:33 f), so that Gideon and his kinsmen smarted under the near presence of the oppressing Midianites. Manasseh, of course, as bordering on the southern edge of the plain, was in close touch with the invaders. At Ophrah, Gideon reared his altar to Yahweh, and made thorough cleansing of the instruments of idolatry. After his great victory, he set up here the golden ephod made from the spoils of the enemy, which proved a snare to himself and to his house (Judges 8:27). Here he was finally laid to rest. It was at Ophrah that Abimelech, aspiring to the kingdom, put to death upon one stone three score and ten of his brethren, as possible rivals, Jotham alone escaping alive (Judges 9:5). Apparently the mother of Abimelech belonged to Shechem; this established a relationship with that town, his connection with which does not therefore mean that Ophrah was near it.

No quite satisfactory identification has yet been suggested. Conder (PEFS, 1876, 1971) quotes the Samaritan Chronicle as identifying Ferata, which is 6 miles West of Nablus, with an ancient Ophra, "and the one that suggests itself as most probably identical is Ophrah of the Abiezerite." But this seems too far to the South.

(3) A man of the tribe of Judah, son of Meonothai (1 Chronicles 4:14).

W. Ewing

Strong's Hebrew

6084. Ophrah -- an Israelite, also two places in Isr.
... 6083, 6084. Ophrah. 6085 . an Israelite, also two places in Isr. Transliteration:
Ophrah Phonetic Spelling: (of-raw') Short Definition: Ophrah. ...
/hebrew/6084.htm - 6k

Library

Gideon's Brave Band
... Then the angel of Jehovah came and sat down under the oak which was in Ophrah that
belonged to Joash the Abiezerite; and his son, Gideon, was beating out wheat ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/gideons brave band.htm

The Crowning of Abimelech
... And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the
sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. ...
/.../select masterpieces of biblical literature/iii the crowning of abimelech.htm

How the Midianites and Other Nations Fought against the Israelites ...
... And when Gideon was come to his own country of Ophrah, he slew the kings of the
Midianites. ... And when he died, he was buried in his own country of Ophrah. ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 6 how the midianites.htm

The Story of Gideon and his Three Hundred Soldiers
... On the spot where the Lord appeared to Gideon, under an oak tree, near the village
of Ophrah, in the tribe-land of Manasseh, Gideon built an altar and called ...
/.../marshall/the wonder book of bible stories/the story of gideon and.htm

The Service Common to the Holy Angels and Other Bodiless Ones.
... And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that
pertained unto Joash the Abi-ezrite ; and his son Gideon threshed wheat by ...
/.../anonymous/the general menaion/chapter iv the service common.htm

Retiring Before the Sanhedrin's Decree.
... the disciples. [Ephraim is supposed to be the city called Ophrah at Joshua
18:23 and Ephraim at II. Chron. xiii.19. Dr. Robinson ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xciv retiring before the sanhedrins.htm

Jonathan's Brave Deed
... Then the Philistines came out of the camp in three divisions to steal whatever they
could find: one division turned toward Ophrah, in the land of Shual ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/jonathans brave deed.htm

May 18 Evening
... And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all
Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon ...
/.../anonymous/daily light on the daily path/may 18 evening.htm

The General Service to the Venerated and vivifying Cross.
... Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel. For Versicles, the Stichera, Tone 2. Similar
to: O house of Ophrah... With the deified water and Thy ...
/.../anonymous/the general menaion/chapter iii the general service.htm

The Sanhedrim in Session.
... Its location is not surely known, but it is supposed to be an Ophrah named in Joshua
18:23, called Ephraim in 2:Chron.13:19, and now a village called et ...
/.../johnson/the new testament commentary vol iii john/the sanhedrim in session.htm

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

Ophrah

dust; lead; a fawn

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Ophrah

(fawn).

A town in the tribe of Benjamin. (Joshua 18:23; 1 Samuel 13:17) Jerome places it five miles east of Bethel. It is perhaps et-Taiyibeh , a small village on the crown of a conspicuous hill, four miles east-northeast of Beitin (Bethel).
More fully, OPHRAH OF THE ABIEZRITES, the native place of Gideon (Judges 6:11) and the scene of his exploits against Baal, ver. (Judges 6:24) his residence after his accession to power ch. (Judges 9:5) and the place of his burial in the family sepulchre. ch. (Judges 8:32) It was probably In Manasseh, ch. (Judges 6:15) and not far distant from Shechem, (Judges 9:1,5)
The son of Meonothai. (1 Chronicles 4:14)

ATS Bible Dictionary

Ophrah

1. A town of the Benjamites, located by Eusebius five miles east of Bethel; near which site stands the modern village Taiyibeh, on a conical hill, Joshua 18:23; 1 Samuel 13:17.

2. A town of Manesseh where Gideon resided; and where after his death his ephod was superstitiously adored, Jud 6:11-24; 8:27.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

A fawn. 1 Chronicles 4:14.

(1.) A city of Benjamin (Joshua 18:23); probably identical with Ephron (2 Chronicles 13:19) and Ephraim (John 11:54).

(2.) "Of the Abi-ezrites." A city of Manasseh, 6 miles south-west of Shechem, the residence of Gideon (Judges 6:11; 8:27, 32). After his great victory over the Midianites, he slew at this place the captive kings (8:18-21). He then assumed the function of high priest, and sought to make Ophrah what Shiloh should have been. This thing "became a snare" to Gideon and his house. After Gideon's death his family resided here till they were put to death by Abimelech (Judges 9:5). It is identified with Ferata.

Thesaurus

Ophrah (9 Occurrences)
... He then assumed the function of high priest, and sought to make Ophrah what Shiloh
should have been. ... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. OPHRAH. ...
/o/ophrah.htm - 13k

Shual (6 Occurrences)
... The third party therefore went northward, turning "unto the way that leadeth to
Ophrah, unto the land of Shual" (1 Samuel 13:17 f). Ophrah is probably ...
/s/shual.htm - 9k

Gideon (45 Occurrences)
... He was of the family of Abiezer (Joshua 17:2; 1 Chronicles 7:18), and of the
little township of Ophrah (Judges 6:11). ... (see OPHRAH.). Int. ...
/g/gideon.htm - 36k

Jo'ash (44 Occurrences)
... Judges 6:11 Now the angel of the LORD came and sat under the oak at Ophrah, which
belonged to Jo'ash the Abiez'rite, as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in ...
/j/jo'ash.htm - 19k

Jehovah-shalom (1 Occurrence)
... Jehovah send peace, the name which Gideon gave to the altar he erected on the spot
at Ophrah where the angel appeared to him (Judges 6:24). Int. ...
/j/jehovah-shalom.htm - 7k

Jerubbaal (15 Occurrences)
... let Baal contend"): The name given to Gideon by his father, Joash, and the people
in recognition of his destruction of the altar of Baal at Ophrah (Judges 6:32 ...
/j/jerubbaal.htm - 12k

Jehovahshalom (1 Occurrence)
... Jehovah send peace, the name which Gideon gave to the altar he erected on the spot
at Ophrah where the angel appeared to him (Judges 6:24). Int. ...
/j/jehovahshalom.htm - 7k

Ephron (13 Occurrences)
... This is thought by many to be identical with Ophrah (`ophrah, Joshua 18:23) and
perhaps with Ephraim (`ephrayim, 2 Samuel 13:23) which both have been localized ...
/e/ephron.htm - 13k

Meonothai (2 Occurrences)
... 390-405 AD) and Complutensian Septuagint say, 1 Chronicles 4:13, 14 should read
"the sons of Othniel, Hathath and Meonothai; and Meonothai begat Ophrah," etc. ...
/m/meonothai.htm - 7k

Parah (5 Occurrences)
... pa'-ra, par'-a (ha-parah; Codex Vaticanus Phara; Codex Alexandrinus Aphar): A city
named as in the territory of Benjamin between Avvim and Ophrah (Joshua 18:23 ...
/p/parah.htm - 8k

Bible Concordance

Ophrah (9 Occurrences)

Joshua 18:23 Avvim, Parah, Ophrah,
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 6:11 The angel of Yahweh came, and sat under the oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained to Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 6:24 Then Gideon built an altar there to Yahweh, and called it " Yahweh is Peace." To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 8:27 Gideon made an ephod of it, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel played the prostitute after it there; and it became a snare to Gideon, and to his house.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 8:32 Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 9:5 He went to his father's house at Ophrah, and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, being seventy persons, on one stone: but Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

1 Samuel 13:17 The spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned to the way that leads to Ophrah, to the land of Shual;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

1 Chronicles 4:14 Meonothai became the father of Ophrah: and Seraiah became the father of Joab the father of Ge Harashim; for they were craftsmen.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Micah 1:10 Don't tell it in Gath. Don't weep at all. At Beth Ophrah I have rolled myself in the dust.
(WEB NIV)

Subtopics

Ophrah

Ophrah: A City in Territory of the Tribe of Benjamin

Ophrah: A City in Territory of the Tribe of Benjamin: And Ephraim

Ophrah: A City in Territory of the Tribe of Benjamin: Possibly Identical With Ephrain

Ophrah: A City in Territory of the Tribe of Manasseh; the Home of Gideon

Ophrah: Son of Meonothai

Related Terms

Shual (6 Occurrences)

Gideon (45 Occurrences)

Jo'ash (44 Occurrences)