A town in the territory of Manasseh.
About Ophrah (of Manasseh)
A city in Manasseh that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. He was the father of the judge Gideon. Gideon lived in this city (Judges 6:11). An angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon at Ophrah. The angel told Gideon to rescue Israel from the Midianites (verses 12–24).
After Gideon won the battle, the people wanted him to be king. But he refused. Instead, he made an ephod (a special garment used by priests) from the gold he had taken in the battle (Judges 8:22–28). Sadly, the people began to worship this object as an idol. It became a problem for Gideon and his family.
Gideon died in Ophrah as an old man (verses 29–32). Later, Gideon’s son Abimelech wanted to become king. He killed his 70 brothers at Ophrah so he could rule. Only one brother, Jotham, escaped (9:1–6).
Key References
He went to his father’s house in Ophrah, and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, survived, because he hid himself.
Then the angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites.
From all this Gideon made an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household.
All Scripture References (6)
Joshua (1)
Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath,
Judges (5)
Then the angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites.
So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
From all this Gideon made an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household.
Later, Gideon son of Joash died at a ripe old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
He went to his father’s house in Ophrah, and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, survived, because he hid himself.