Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

OPHRAH

(Heb. ʿoprâ)

(PLACE)

1. A city in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin (Josh. 18:23), probably identical to the city of Ephraim (2 Sam. 13:23) near Baal-hazor, as well as the city of Ephron mentioned in 2 Chr. 13:19. Ophrah is situated at modern eṭ-Öaiyibeh (178151), 6.5 km. (4 mi.) NE of Bethel. Ophrah was the destination of one of the Philistine raiding parties during the reign of Saul. Departing from Michmash, one Philistine party moved toward Beth-horon in the west, one toward the valley of Zeboim in the east, and the third toward Ophrah, which was in a northerly direction (1 Sam. 13:17). Ephron is listed among the cities recaptured by King Abijah of Judah from Jeroboam I (2 Chr. 13:19). Ophrah was the capital of one of the three Samaritan districts given to Jonathan Maccabeus by Demetrius II (1 Macc. 11:34, Aphairema). On the basis of the early church father Jerome, the city is equated with Ephraim in John 11:54, as a site to which Jesus went to hide at the beginning of his persecution. Ophrah was the site of yet another confrontation when Vespasian conquered the city, along with Bethel, en route to Jerusalem (Josephus BJ 4.9.9).

2. Ophrah of Abiezer, associated with the judge Gideon (Judg. 6–8). The clan name Abiezer indicates the city was part of the territory of the tribe of Manasseh. Located in the valley of Jezreel, near Mt. Tabor, it was the home of Gideon and the place where he received a divine commission to deliver Israel from the oppressing Midianites. It is also the site where Gideon built an altar inscribed “the Lord is Peace” (Judg. 6:24) to commemorate the appearance of the angel of the Lord. Later Gideon made an ephod here, which became a source of apostasy for Gideon, his family, and his fellow Israelites (Judg. 8:22-28). Gideon died at Ophrah as an old man (Judg. 8:29-32), and his son Abimelech, ambitious for power and the kingship, murdered all but one of his 70 brothers there; Jotham was the only one to escape (9:1-6). The site may be modern el-ʿAffuleh/{Afula (177223).

Willard W. Winter

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

OPHRAH

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)