Bible Encyclopedia: Ophel

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

OPHEL

o'-fel (ha-`ophel (2 Chronicles 27:3; 2 Chronicles 33:14 Nehemiah 3:26; Nehemiah 11:21; and without article, Isaiah 32:14 and Micah 4:8; also 2 Kings 5:24)):

1. Meaning of Name:

There has been considerable divergence of opinion with regard to the meaning of this name. Thus, in all the references given above with the article, the Revised Version (British and American) has simply "Ophel," but the King James Version adds in margin "the tower"; in Isaiah 32:14, "the hill" with margin "Ophel," but the King James Version "the forts," margin "clifts"; Micah 4:8, "the hill," margin "Hebrew: Ophel," but the King James Version "the stronghold"; 2 Kings 5:24, "the hill," margin "Hebrew: Ophel," but the King James Version "the tower," margin "secret place." It is true that the other occurrences of the word in 1 Samuel 5:9, 12; 1 Samuel 6:5, where it is translated "tumors," and Habakkuk 2:4, where a verbal form is translated "puffed up," seem to imply that one meaning assigned to the root may be that of "swelling." Recently Dr. Burney (PEF, January, 1911) has produced strong arguments in favor of Ophel, when used as the name of a locality, meaning "fortress."

2. Three Ophels:

Three places are known to have received this name:

(1) A certain place on the east hill of Jerusalem, South of the temple; to this all the passages quoted above-except one-refer.

(2) The "Ophel," translated "hill," situated apparently in Samaria (compare 2 Kings 5:3), where Gehazi took his ill-gotten presents from the hands of the servants of Naaman the Syrian. The translation "tower" would suit the sense at least as well. It was some point probably in the wall of Samaria, perhaps the citadel itself.

(3) The third reference is not Biblical, but on the Moabite Stone, an inscription of Mesha, king of Moab, contemporary with Omri. He says: "I built Q-R-CH-H (? Karhah), the wall of ye`arim, and the wall of `Ophel and I built its gates and I built its towers."

In comparing the references to (1) and (3), it is evident that if Ophel means a "hill," it certainly was a fortified hill, and it seems highly probable that it meant some "artificial swelling in a fortification, e.g. a bulging or rounded keep or enceinte" (Burney, loc. cit.). Isaiah 32:14 reads, "The palace shall be forsaken; the populous city shall be deserted; the hill (Ophel) and the watch-tower shall be for dens for ever." Here we have palace, city and watch-tower, all the handiwork of the builder. Does it not seem probable that the Ophel belongs to the same category?

3. The Ophel of Jerusalem:

The situation of the Ophel of Jerusalem is very definitely described. It was clearly, from the references (Nehemiah 3:26, 27 2 Chronicles 27:3; 2 Chronicles 33:14), on the east hill South of the temple. Josephus states (Josephus, Jewish Wars, V, iv, 2) that the eastern wall of the city ran from Siloam "and reaches as far as a certain place which they called Ophlas when it was joined to the eastern cloister of the temple." In BJ, V, vi, 1, it states that "John held the temple and the parts thereto adjoining, for a great way, as also `Ophla,' and the Valley called the `Valley of the Cedron.' " It is noticeable that this is not identical with the "Acra" and "Lower City" which was held by Simon. There is not the slightest ground for applying the name Ophel, as has been so commonly done, to the whole southeastern hill. In the days of Josephus, it was a part of the hill immediately South of the temple walls, but the Old Testament references suit a locality nearer the middle of the southeastern hill. In the article ZION (which see) it is pointed out that that name does not occur (except in reference to the Jebusite city) in the works of the Chronicler, but that "the Ophel," which occurs almost alone in these works, is apparently used for it. Micah 4:8 margin seems to confirm this view: "O tower of the flock, the Ophel of the daughter of Zion." Here the "tower of the flock" may well refer to the shepherd David's stronghold, and the second name appears to be a synonym for the same place.

Ophel then was probably the fortified site which in earlier days had been known as "Zion" or "the City of David." King Jotham "built much" "on the wall of Ophel" (2 Chronicles 27:3). King Manasseh "built an outer wall to the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entrance at the fish gate; and he compassed Ophel about with it, and raised it up to a very great height" (2 Chronicles 33:14). It was clearly a fortified place of great importance, and its situation must have been so near that of the ancient "Zion" that scarcely any other theory is possible except that it occupied the site of that ancient fortress.

E. W. G. Masterman

Strong's Hebrew

6077. Ophel -- a fortified mound or hill in Jer.
... 6076b, 6077. Ophel. 6078 . a fortified mound or hill in Jer. Transliteration:
Ophel Phonetic Spelling: (o'-fel) Short Definition: Ophel. ...
/hebrew/6077.htm - 6k

6076. ophel -- a mound, hill
... 6075b, 6076. ophel. 6076a . a mound, hill. Transliteration: ophel Phonetic
Spelling: (o'-fel) Short Definition: emerod. ... 6075b, 6076. ophel. 6076a . ...
/hebrew/6076.htm - 5k

652. ophel -- darkness, gloom
... 651, 652. ophel. 653 . darkness, gloom. Transliteration: ophel Phonetic Spelling:
(o'fel) Short Definition: darkness. ... 651, 652. ophel. 653 . Strong's Numbers
/hebrew/652.htm - 6k

6076a. ophel -- a mound, hill
... 6076, 6076a. ophel. 6076b . a mound, hill. Transliteration: ophel Short Definition:
hill. ... 6076, 6076a. ophel. 6076b . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/6076a.htm - 5k

6076b. ophel -- a tumor
... 6076a, 6076b. ophel. 6077 . a tumor. Transliteration: ophel Short Definition:
tumors. ... 6076a, 6076b. ophel. 6077 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/6076b.htm - 5k

3991. maapheleyah -- deep darkness
... Word Origin from the same as ophel Definition deep darkness NASB Word Usage thick
darkness (1). opaqueness. Prol. Feminine of ma'aphel; opaqueness: ...
/hebrew/3991.htm - 6k

648. aphil -- late
... late. Transliteration: aphil Phonetic Spelling: (aw-feel') Short Definition: late.
Word Origin from the same as ophel Definition late NASB Word Usage late (1). ...
/hebrew/648.htm - 6k

651. aphel -- gloomy
... Word Origin from the same as ophel Definition gloomy NASB Word Usage gloom (1).
very dark. From an unused root meaning to set as the sun; dusky -- very dark. ...
/hebrew/651.htm - 5k

3990. maaphel -- darkness
... Word Origin from the same as ophel Definition darkness NASB Word Usage darkness
(1). something opaque. From the same as 'aphel; something opaque: ...
/hebrew/3990.htm - 6k

653. aphelah -- darkness, gloominess, calamity
... Word Origin from the same as ophel Definition darkness, gloominess, calamity
NASB Word Usage darkness (4), gloom (5), thick (1). ...
/hebrew/653.htm - 6k

Library

In Jerusalem when Herod Reigned
... The ancient Jebusite fort, the City of David, Mount Zion, [530] was now the priests'
quarter, Ophel, and the old royal palace and stables had been thrown into ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter i in jerusalem when.htm

Jesus is Arrested.
... At a very short distance from an entrance opposite to the south side of the Temple,
which leads through a little village called Ophel to Mount Sion, where the ...
/.../the dolorous passion of our lord jesus christ/chapter iii jesus is arrested.htm

The Girdle of the City. Nehemiah 3
... Kimchi reads, 'from Ophel'; more plain indeed,"but I ask, whether more true? This
Bird-gate perhaps was that which is called the Old-gate, Nehemiah 3:6. ...
/.../lightfoot/from the talmud and hebraica/chapter 26 the girdle of.htm

Jesus Before Annas.
... Sabbath-day. The inhabitants of Ophel assembled round him a short time ago,
and addressed him by the titles of Saviour and Prophet. He ...
/.../the dolorous passion of our lord jesus christ/chapter vi jesus before annas.htm

Jesus Led Back from the Court of Herod to that of Pilate.
... When the work was almost finished, and a number of bricklayers from Ophel were busily
employed in removing the scaffolding, the twenty-eight builders went on ...
/.../the dolorous passion of our lord jesus christ/chapter xxi jesus led back.htm

Judas and his Band.
... Three hundred men were to be stationed at the gates and in the streets of Ophel,
a part of the town situated to the south of the Temple, and along the valley ...
/.../the dolorous passion of our lord jesus christ/chapter ii judas and his.htm

A Glance at Jerusalem.
... The High Priests had sent a message to Pilate intimating their reasons for stationing
soldiers round Ophel and Sion; but he mistrusted their intentions, as ...
/.../the dolorous passion of our lord jesus christ/chapter v a glance at.htm

Jesus is Taken Before Pilate.
... The inhabitants of the town of Ophel were all gathered together in an open space
to meet Jesus, but far from administering comfort, they added a fresh ...
/.../the dolorous passion of our lord jesus christ/chapter xv jesus is taken.htm

Meditation iii. Arrangements for Eating the Paschal Lamb.
... They went with him to the eastern side of the Temple, through that part of Ophel
by which Jesus made his entry into Jerusalem on Palm-Sunday, and thence to the ...
/.../meditation iii arrangements for eating.htm

A Description of Some Parts of Ancient Jerusalem.
... The first gate which stood on the eastern side of Jerusalem, to the south of the
south-east angle of the Temple, was the one leading to the suburb of Ophel. ...
/.../the dolorous passion of our lord jesus christ/chapter xlix a description of.htm

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

Ophel

a tower; darkness; small white cloud

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Ophel

(hill), a part of ancient Jerusalem. Ophel was the swelling declivity by which the mount of the temple slopes on its southern side into the valley of Hinnom--a long, narrowish rounded spur or promontory, which intervenes between the mouth of the central valley of Jerusalem (the Tyropoeon) and the Kidron, or valley of Jehoshaphat. Halfway down it on its eastern face is the ("Fount of the Virgin," so called; and at its foot the lower outlet of the same spring--the Pool of Siloam. In (2 Chronicles 27:3) Jotham is said to have built much "on the wall of Ophel." Manasseh, among his other defensive works, "compassed about Ophel." Ibid. (2 Chronicles 33:14) It appears to have been near the "water-gate," (Nehemiah 3:26) and the "great tower that lieth out." ver. (Nehemiah 3:27) It was evidently the residence of the Levites. (Nehemiah 11:21)

ATS Bible Dictionary

Ophel

A quarter of Jerusalem adjacent to the temple, and therefore occupied by the Nethinim, Nehemiah 3:26,27 11:21. It appears to have been enclosed by a wall, and fortified by a strong tower, 2 Chronicles 27:3 33:14; and is thought to be meant by the Hebrew OPHEL, translated" strong-hold," in Micah 4:8. There can be little doubt that the name belongs to the lower ridge into which Mount Moriah sinks, south of the area of the mosque. It is one hundred yards wide, and extends six hundred yards to the south, terminating in a bluff forty or fifty feet high above the pool of Siloam. It is separated from Mount Zion on the west by the valley called Tyropoeon, and is now devoted to the culture of olives, figs, and other fruit.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Hill; mound, the long, narrow, rounded promontory on the southern slope of the temple hill, between the Tyropoeon and the Kedron valley (2 Chronicles 27:3; 33:14; Nehemiah 3:26, 27). It was surrounded by a separate wall, and was occupied by the Nethinim after the Captivity. This wall has been discovered by the engineers of the Palestine Exploration Fund at the south-eastern angle of the temple area. It is 4 feet below the present surface. In 2 Kings 5:24 this word is translated "tower" (R.V., "hill"), denoting probably some eminence near Elisha's house.

Thesaurus

Ophel (6 Occurrences)
... In 2 Kings 5:24 this word is translated "tower" (RV, "hill"), denoting probably
some eminence near Elisha's house. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. OPHEL. ...
/o/ophel.htm - 14k

Ahith'ophel (15 Occurrences)
Ahith'ophel. Ahithophel, Ahith'ophel. Ahithophel's . Multi-Version
Concordance Ahith'ophel (15 Occurrences). 2 Samuel ...
/a/ahith'ophel.htm - 10k

Nethinim (16 Occurrences)
... A part of the city in Ophel, opposite the Water-gate, was assigned them as an official
residence (Nehemiah 3:26, 31), and the situation is certainly ...
/n/nethinim.htm - 18k

Nethinims (15 Occurrences)
... (KJV WBS). Nehemiah 3:26 Moreover the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel, unto the place over
against the water gate toward the east, and the tower that lieth out. ...
/n/nethinims.htm - 11k

Rebuilt (47 Occurrences)
... Philistines. (See NIV). 2 Chronicles 27:3 He built the upper gate of the house
of Yahweh, and on the wall of Ophel he built much. (See NIV). ...
/r/rebuilt.htm - 20k

Projecting (17 Occurrences)
... Nehemiah 3:26 Moreover, the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel, to the place over against
the water-gate towards the east, and the projecting tower. (WBS NAS RSV NIV). ...
/p/projecting.htm - 11k

Country
... (3) `ophel, is translated by "hill" in 2 Kings 5:24 Isaiah 32:14 Micah 4:8, but
may possibly mean "tower" or "fort ... See OPHEL. EWG Masterman. NORTH; NORTH COUNTRY ...
/c/country.htm - 23k

Stone (290 Occurrences)
... Dibon. I built Qorchah, the Wall of the Forests and the Wall (22) of the
Ophel, and I built its gates and I built its towers. And ...
/s/stone.htm - 54k

Repaired (46 Occurrences)
... Nehemiah 3:26 (Now the Nethinim lived in Ophel, to the place over against the water
gate toward the east, and the tower that stands out.) (See RSV). ...
/r/repaired.htm - 21k

Gihon (6 Occurrences)
... of Jerusalem, the original source of attraction to the site of the early settlers;
it is situated in the Kidron valley on the East side of "Ophel," and due ...
/g/gihon.htm - 16k

Bible Concordance

Ophel (6 Occurrences)

2 Chronicles 27:3 He built the upper gate of the house of Yahweh, and on the wall of Ophel he built much.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

2 Chronicles 33:14 Now after this he built an outer wall to the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entrance at the fish gate; and he encircled Ophel with it, and raised it up to a very great height: and he put valiant captains in all the fortified cities of Judah.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

Nehemiah 3:26 (Now the Nethinim lived in Ophel, to the place over against the water gate toward the east, and the tower that stands out.)
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Nehemiah 3:27 After him the Tekoites repaired another portion, over against the great tower that stands out, and to the wall of Ophel.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Nehemiah 11:21 But the Nethinim lived in Ophel: and Ziha and Gishpa were over the Nethinim.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Micah 4:8 And you, O tower of the flock, Ophel of the daughter of Zion, to you it will come, even the earlier authority, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.
(BBE)

Subtopics

Ophel

Ophel: A Gate in the Wall of Jerusalem Near the Temple

Related Terms

Ahith'ophel (15 Occurrences)

Nethinim (16 Occurrences)

Nethinims (15 Occurrences)

Rebuilt (47 Occurrences)

Projecting (17 Occurrences)

Country

Stone (290 Occurrences)

Repaired (46 Occurrences)