עׇפְרָה

עׇפְרָה

Ophrah, the name of an Israelite and of two places in Palestine

Definition

Ophrah is a proper name used in the Old Testament for both a person and two distinct locations in ancient Israel. As a place, it primarily refers to a town in the tribal territory of Benjamin (Joshua 18:23), which was later the hometown of the judge Gideon from the tribe of Manasseh (Judges 6:11). This Ophrah in Manasseh is the most significant, as it was where Gideon built an altar to the Lord (Judges 6:24) and later constructed an ephod that became a snare (Judges 8:27). A second, less prominent Ophrah is mentioned as belonging to the tribe of Judah (1 Chronicles 4:14). The name is also borne by a person, a son of Meonothai from Judah (1 Chronicles 4:14).

Biblical Usage

The name Ophrah appears eight times, predominantly in the book of Judges (six times) in connection with Gideon's life and legacy. It is used to identify his hometown, the site of his divine calling and altar construction (Judges 6:11, 6:24), and the place of his death and burial (Judges 8:32). Its usage in Joshua 18:23 simply lists it among Benjaminite towns, while 1 Samuel 13:17 references a geographic region associated with one of the Ophrahs. The single occurrence in 1 Chronicles 4:14 refers to both the Judahite location and the personal name.

Etymology

Ophrah (עׇפְרָה) is the feminine form of the Hebrew word ‘opher’ (עֹפֶר, H6082), meaning 'a young deer' or 'fawn.' As a place name, it likely carried a poetic sense, perhaps describing the location's grace, beauty, or swiftness, which was a common practice in Semitic toponymy. The name's connection to an animal reflects the ancient Hebrew practice of using natural imagery for naming.

Semantic Range

Ophrah is theologically significant as the setting for God's calling of Gideon, a 'mighty man of valor' who was initially fearful (Judges 6:11-12). It represents a place of divine encounter and commissioning, where God patiently addresses human doubt. However, Ophrah also becomes a site of spiritual compromise, where Gideon's well-intentioned but unauthorized ephod leads Israel into idolatry (Judges 8:27). This duality illustrates how a place of great faith can become a snare through human weakness, highlighting the tension between God's calling and human frailty. As a place name derived from 'fawn,' Ophrah likely evoked connotations of fertility, gentleness, or desirable land to the ancient Israelite listener. The existence of multiple towns with this name was not unusual, as names were often reused across tribes. For Gideon, Ophrah was not just a hometown but his familial estate, the center of his clan's identity and agricultural life, which makes his act of sacrificing a bull there (Judges 6:25-27) a profound personal and public statement. There are no direct synonyms for this proper name. Related conceptually are other Israelite town names derived from animals, such as Aijalon (H357) — 'place of deer' and Zorah (H6881) — possibly 'place of hornets.'

Word Details