אוֹפִיר

n.pr. Ophir—א׳ 1 K 10:11 +; אוֹפִ֫ירָה 9:28 + אוֹפִר †Gn 10:29; אֹפִיר †1 K 10:11— n.pr.m. 11th son of Joktan Gn 10:29 (J) = 1 Ch 1:23; 𝔊 Οὐφειρ, Ὠφειρ, name of an Arabian tribe, vid. Gn 10:30 & Di. n.pr.loc. (land or city S. or SE. from Palestine, exact position unknown, cf. infr.; 𝔊 Σωφηρα, Σωφειρα, Σουφειρ, etc.; Jb 28:16 Ὠφειρ AC, cf. 1 K 22:49 A Ὠφειρδε, B om.) place whither Sol.’s ships went from Ezion Geber, bringing thence gold 1 K 9:28—cf. 22:49—2 Ch 8:18; gold, almug-(sandal-?) wood & gems 1 K 10:11(×2), cf. 2 Ch 9:10; prob. 1 K 10:22 ref. to same ships; they came once in 3 years with gold, silver, ivory, apes & peacocks (all from Ophir?); 2 Ch 9:21 makes these ships go to Tarshish (but on Tarshish-ships, i.e. large, sea-going vessels, merchantmen, v. 1 K 22:49 & sub תַּרְשִׁישׁ). characteristic of fine gold (poet. & late) זְהַב א׳ 1 Ch 29:4; כֶּחֶם א׳ Is 13:12; Jb 28:16 ψ 45:10. hence for fine gold itself Jb 22:24 (‖ בֶּצֶר).—(If 2 = 1, the southern, prob. south-eastern, Arabia (cf. Di Gn 10:29) furnished the gold; and other articles, which point farther E. (e.g. to India, toward which the words קוֹפִים apes & תֻּכִּיִּים peacockes seem to lead), were either brought to Ophir by traders, & so found there by Sol.’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 loc. 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 (cf. 𝔊 supr. 2, but also 1; form with Σ said on Copt. authority to denote India, v. JablonskiiOpusc. ed. te Water i. 337; cf. also JosAnt. 8:6, 4; in that case its use by 𝔊 may indicate a theory of the location of Ophir); (b) peninsula Malacca; (c) island Sumatra; (d) Sofâla, with city Zimbabye (SE. Africa); (e) west coast of Arabia (where gold & silver formerly found), etc. On these & other theories, v. Di Gn 10:29 RiHWB, Herzog, SmithDict. Bib.; cf. GlaserSkizze ii. 367 ff. WMMAs. u. Eur. 111 identifies with Egypt. Pvnt, on W. coast of Red Sea).