STRONGS H211:
Abbreviations
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; 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; 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 2 Chronicles 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 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 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.
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, Unabridged, Electronic Database.
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BLB Scripture Index of Brown-Driver-Briggs
Genesis
10:29; 10:29; 10:29; 10:29; 10:30
1 Kings
9:28; 9:28; 10:11; 10:11; 10:22; 22:49; 22:49; 22:49
1 Chronicles
1:23; 29:4
2 Chronicles
8:18; 9:10; 9:21; 10:11
Job
22:24; 28:16; 28:16
Psalms
45:10
Isaiah
13:12