אוֹפִיר

H211. Ophir
אוֺפִיר proper name Ophir — ׳א 1Ki 10:11 +; אוֺפִ֫ירָה 1Ki 9:28 + אוֺפִר Gen 10:29; אֹפִיר 1Ki 10:11 —
1. proper name, masculine 11th son of Joktan Gen 10:29 (J) = 1Ch 1:23; ᵐ5 Οὐφειρ, Ὠφειρ, name of an Arabian tribe, see Gen 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 1Ki 22:49 A Ὠφειρδε, B omitted) place whither Solomon's ships went from Ezion Geber, bringing thence gold 1Ki 9:28 — compare 1Ki 22:49 — 2Ch 8:18; gold, almug- (sandal-?) wood & gems 2Ch 10:11 (twice in verse), compare 2Ch 9:10; probably 1Ki 10:22 reference to same ships; they came once in three years with gold, silver, ivory, apes & peacocks (all from Ophir ?); 2Ch 9:21 makes these ships go to Tarshish (but on Tarshish-ships, i.e. large, sea-going vessels, merchantmen, see 1Ki 22:49 & below תַּרְשִׁישׁ). 3 characteristic of fine gold (in poetry & late) א ׳זְהַב 1Ch 29:4; א ׳כֶּתֶם Isa 13:12; Job 28:16; Psa 45:10. 4 hence for fine gold itself Job 22:24 (|| בֶּצֶר). — (If 2 = 1, then southern, probably south-eastern, Arabia (compare Di Gen 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 Gen 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.