The BibleGospel Companion

Ophrah

עׇפְרָה · oph.rah · H6084Hחֲפָרַיִם · cha.pha.ra.yim · H2663“dust; lead; a fawn” Hitchcock's 18696 mentions in 2 books, most in Judges (5)

Where it is

ShunemKishionKishionChesullothChesullothHarodHarodAnaharathAnaharathBeth-hagganBeth-hagganOphrahabout 27 km across

32.61° N, 35.29° E

Coordinates and map: OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding · CC BY 4.0 · drawn without map tiles

Mentioned most in

Judges · 5Joshua · 1
Counted from 6 references · STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0

About this place

There are two places named Ophrah mentioned in the Bible:

Ophrah of Manasseh: This Ophrah was the hometown of Gideon, one of the judges of Israel (Judg. 6:11). It was here that the Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and commissioned him to deliver Israel from the Midianites (Judg. 6:11-24). Gideon built an altar to the Lord in Ophrah and destroyed the altar of Baal (Judg. 6:24-27). After his victory over the Midianites, Gideon made an ephod from the spoils of war and placed it in Ophrah, which became a snare to him and his family (Judg. 8:27). Gideon died and was buried in Ophrah (Judg. 8:32). Later, Gideon's son Abimelech killed his seventy brothers in Ophrah (Judg. 9:5). The exact location of this Ophrah is uncertain, but it was likely situated in the region of Manasseh, west of the Jordan River.

Ophrah of Issachar: This Ophrah was a town allotted to the tribe of Issachar during the division of the Promised Land (Josh. 19:19). It is listed along with other towns in the region, such as Jezreel, Chesulloth, and Shunem. Its location is unknown.

Article: STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0

Every mention

6 references, counted from STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0 · verse text: World English Bible (public domain)

Joshua 1 mention

Joshua 19:19Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath,

Judges 5 mentions

Judges 6:11Yahweh’s angel came and sat under the oak which was in Ophrah, that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press, to hide it from the Midianites.Judges 6:24Then Gideon built an altar there to Yahweh, and called it “Yahweh is Peace.” To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.Judges 8:27Gideon made an ephod out of it, and put it in Ophrah, his city. Then all Israel played the prostitute with it there; and it became a snare to Gideon and to his house.Judges 8:32Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.Judges 9:5He went to his father’s house at Ophrah, and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, being seventy persons, on one stone; but Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid…

What the dictionary says

A fawn. 1 Chr. 4:14.

Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
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Sources