Ophrah
“Fawn, young deer”
Summary
Ophrah was the name of two places in Israel, most notably the hometown of Gideon where the angel of the Lord appeared to him.
☩Ophrah of the Abiezrites
Ophrah in Manasseh was the home of Joash the Abiezrite, father of Gideon. Here the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon while he was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites. After receiving his commission to deliver Israel, Gideon built an altar there called "Jehovah-shalom" (The Lord is Peace). Later, after his victories, Gideon made an ephod from the gold earrings of the Midianites and set it up in Ophrah, where it became a snare to Israel as people began to worship it. Gideon was buried at Ophrah after his death.
☩Ophrah of Benjamin
A different Ophrah was located in the territory of Benjamin, mentioned in the lists of Benjamite cities. During Saul's war against the Philistines, one company of Philistine raiders turned toward Ophrah. The site is distinct from Gideon's Ophrah, which was in Manasseh.
Related Verses9 mentions
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Ophrah," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. VII (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).