עׇפְרָה
𐤏𐤐𐤓𐤄
Ferah
H6084 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper noun designating (1) a personal name in Israelite genealogies and (2) names of places associated with early Israelite settlement; also an independent feminine noun meaning 'female fawn' or 'doe' in poetic or metaphorical usage.
Semantic Range
female fawn, doe; feminine proper name; town name in tribal territories of Manasseh and Benjamin; personal name in genealogies
Root / Etymology
Root is עפר (ʿ-p-r), principally meaning 'to cover with dirt, to be dusty, dust.' The specific form עׇפְרָה (Ophrah) is a feminine noun or name, perhaps originally 'doe, fawn,' derived from עֹפֶר (ʿōfer, 'young deer, fawn'). In most occurrences, the term is used as a proper name rather than as a common noun.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, עׇפְרָה (Ophrah) appears most significantly as the hometown of Gideon in the territory of the tribe of Manasseh (Judges 6–8), suggesting an Israelite community of the early monarchic or pre-monarchic period. It is also mentioned as a town in Benjaminite territory (Joshua 18:23; 1 Samuel 13:17), possibly representing distinct sites. As a personal name, it appears in a genealogical list (1 Chronicles 4:14). As a common noun, the term's usage as 'doe' or 'female fawn' is poetic and rare. English translations typically preserve the place name as 'Ophrah,' sometimes interpreting the appellative meaning only in poetic contexts. Later traditions or translations may render 'Ophrah' or its root with secondary associations (e.g., parallels with dust), but the ancient sense as a place name or personal name has no connotation of later religious or ethnic identities attached to the sites or individuals. There is no direct connection to the later use of the English word 'Jew' or the region of Judea.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine of עֹפֶר; female fawn; Ophrah, the name of an Israelite and of two places in Palestine; Ophrah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
עפר (ʿ-p-r) — dust, to cover with dust, to be dusty
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H5777 | עוֹפֶרֶת | the dusty-metal (lead) |
| H6080 | עָפַר | and he dusted |
| H6081 | עֵפֶר | Epher |
| H6082 | עֹפֶר | fawn of |
| H6083 | עָפָר | dust |
Word Forms
5 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6084-03 |
בְּ/עָפְרָ֔ה | beaferah | HR/Np |
in Ophrah | in Dust-Fawn | 3 |
H6084-01 |
עָפְרָ֖ה | aferah | HNp |
Ophrah | Doe | 2 |
H6084-05 |
וְ/עָפְרָֽה | veaferah | HC/Np |
and Ophrah | Dust-Fawn | 1 |
H6084-04 |
בְּ/עָפְרָ֖ת | beaferat | HR/Np |
in Ophrah | in Ophrah | 1 |
H6084-02 |
עָפְרָ֔תָ/ה | aferatah | HNp/Sd |
Ophrah | Doe | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
8 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6084-05 |
Joshua 18:23 | וְ/עָפְרָֽה | veaferah | HC/Np |
and Ophrah | Dust-Fawn |
H6084-03 |
Judges 6:11 | בְּ/עָפְרָ֔ה | beaferah | HR/Np |
in Ophrah | in Dust-Fawn |
H6084-04 |
Judges 6:24 | בְּ/עָפְרָ֖ת | beaferat | HR/Np |
in Ophrah | in Ophrah |
H6084-03 |
Judges 8:27 | בְּ/עָפְרָ֔ה | beaferah | HR/Np |
in Ophrah | in Dust-Fawn |
H6084-03 |
Judges 8:32 | בְּ/עָפְרָ֖ה | beaferah | HR/Np |
in Ophrah | in Dust-Fawn |
H6084-02 |
Judges 9:5 | עָפְרָ֔תָ/ה | aferatah | HNp/Sd |
Ophrah | Doe |
H6084-01 |
1 Samuel 13:17 | עָפְרָ֖ה | aferah | HNp |
Ophrah | Doe |
H6084-01 |
1 Chronicles 4:14 | עָפְרָ֑ה | aferah | HNp |
Ophrah | Doe |