H211. Ophir

אוֺפִיר‎ proper name Ophir — ׳א‎ 1 Kings 10:11 +; אוֺפִ֫ירָה‎ 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 9:28 — compare 22:49 — 2 Chronicles 8:18; gold, almug- (sandal-?) wood & gems 10:11 (twice in verse), compare 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) א ׳זְהַב‎ 1 Chronicles 29:4; א ׳כֶּתֶם‎ 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 Jablonskii^{Opusc. ed. te Water i. 337}; compare also Jos^{Ant. 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 10:29 Ri^{HWB, Herzog}, Smith^{Dict. Bib}.; compare Glas^{Skizze ii. 367 ff}.) **WMM^As.u.Eur.111 identifies with Egyptian Punt, on western coast of Red Sea.