Lexical Definition

‎אוֹפִיר‎ ʼÔwphîyr (o-feer') Ophir ^N:N-M-P
or (shortened) אֹפִיר ʼÔphîyr (ofeer'); and אוֹפִר ʼÔwphir (o-feer'); of uncertain derivation

Ophir.

• § Ophir = "reducing to ashes"
• Ophir, the name of a son of Joktan, and of a gold region in the East

1) eleventh son of Joktan
2) a land or city in southern Arabia in Solomon's trade route where gold evidently was traded for goods
3) characteristic of fine gold
4) fine gold

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎אוֺפִיר‎ proper name Ophir — ‎׳‎‎א‎ 1Kgs 10:11 +; ‎אוֺפִ֫ירָה‎ 1Kgs 9:28 + ‎אוֺפִר‎ Gen 10:29 ‎אֹפִיר‎ 1Kgs 10:11 —

1. proper name, masculine 11th son of Joktan Gen 10:29 (J) = 1Chr 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 1Kgs 22:49* A Ὠφειρδε, B omitted) place whither Solomon's ships went from Ezion Geber, bringing thence gold 1Kgs 9:28 — compare 1Kgs 22:49* — 2Chr 8:18 gold, almug- (sandal-?) wood & gems 2Chr 10:11 (twice in verse), compare 2Chr 9:10 probably 1Kgs 10:22 reference to same ships; they came once in three years with gold, silver, ivory, apes & peacocks (all from Ophir ?); 2Chr 9:21 makes these ships go to Tarshish (but on Tarshish-ships, i.e. large, sea-going vessels, merchantmen, see 1Kgs 22:49* & below ‎תַּרְשִׁישׁ‎).

3. characteristic of fine gold (in poetry & late) ‎׳‎‎זְהַב א‎ 1Chr 29:4 ‎׳‎‎כֶּתֶם א‎ Isa 13:12; Job 28:16; Ps 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 Jablonskii^{Opusc. ed. te Water i. 337}; compare also Jos^{Ant. «JOSEPHUS:Antiquities 8:6»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 Ri^{HWB, Herzog}, Smith^{Dict. Bib}.; compare Glas^{Skizze ii. 367 ff}.) **WMM^As.u.Eur.111 identifies with Egyptian Punt, on western coast of Red Sea.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References