OPHRAH
(Ophʹrah) [perhaps, young one].
1. A descendant of Judah through Meonothai.—1 Chron. 4:1, 14.
2. A city of Benjamin. (Josh. 18:21, 23) Its relative location may be inferred from the narrative about Israel’s encounters with the Philistines during Saul’s reign. From their camp at Michmash bands of Philistine pillagers sallied forth in three different directions. One band went westward on the road to Beth-horon, while another traveled eastward on “the road to the boundary that looks toward the valley of Zeboim.” Since at least part of the Israelite army was encamped at Geba to the S of Michmash, apparently the Philistine band taking the road to Ophrah went northward. Accordingly, this would place Ophrah to the N of Michmash.—1 Sam. 13:16-18.
Geographers often equate Ophrah with the city called Ephraim (2 Sam. 13:23; John 11:54) and Ephrain (2 Chron. 13:19), thought to be represented by et-Taiyibeh (about 4 miles [6.4 kilometers] E-NE of Bethel). But this identification is open to question, because it would seemingly locate Ophrah outside Benjamite territory.
3. The home of Gideon and the place where Jehovah’s angel commissioned him to save Israel out of Midian’s palm. (Judg. 6:11-32) After his victory over the enemy forces, Gideon made an ephod from the contributed spoils and exhibited it at Ophrah. Subsequently this ephod became an object of idolatrous veneration. (Judg. 8:24-27) Later, after Gideon’s death and burial at Ophrah, his ambitious son Abimelech “killed his brothers . . . seventy men, upon one stone, but Jotham the youngest . . . was left over.” (Judg. 8:32; 9:5) Not counting Abimelech, Gideon had seventy sons. (Judg. 8:30, 31) Therefore, since Jotham escaped the slaughter, apparently Abimelech killed only sixty-nine sons at Ophrah. Jotham’s later words concerning the incident merely appear to point to Abimelech’s intention to kill all seventy sons. (Judg. 9:18) However, as a Jewish commentary fittingly observes: “It is still correct to speak in round numbers of ‘seventy’ slain.”—The Soncino Books of the Bible, Joshua and Judges, edited by A. Cohen, p. 234.
This Ophrah apparently lay in Manasseh’s territory W of the Jordan and may also have been in the vicinity of Shechem (Josh. 17:7), as that city was the home of Gideon’s concubine by whom he fathered Abimelech. (Judg. 8:31) Another et-Taiyibeh is often suggested as a possible identification, but this site lies about sixteen miles (26 kilometers) E-NE of Shechem.