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Ophni

biblical_place theological_term standard

Ophni is a biblical town listed among the towns in Benjamin’s territory in Joshua 18:24. Its exact location is uncertain.

At a Glance

A town in Benjamin’s territory named in Joshua 18:24; no further biblical details are given.

Key Points

Description

Ophni is a biblical place-name mentioned in the allotment of Benjamin’s territory in Joshua 18:24. The Old Testament provides no narrative setting, historical incident, or later reference that would further identify the site, and its precise location remains uncertain. The entry is therefore best understood as a minor but genuine geographical item in Israel’s tribal inheritance records rather than as a theological term.

Biblical Context

Joshua records the distribution of the land among the tribes of Israel, and Ophni is included in the list of Benjamin’s towns. The Bible does not expand on the town’s history or significance beyond that territorial reference.

Historical Context

Ophni belongs to the land-allotment context of Joshua, when Israel’s inheritance was being described by tribe and town. As with many listed sites, the name preserves a real geographical memory even though the exact archaeological identification is unknown.

Jewish and Ancient Context

In ancient Israel, town lists served to record tribal inheritance and covenant possession of the land. Ophni appears only as one of Benjamin’s towns, with no further ancient Jewish tradition preserved in Scripture.

Primary Key Texts

Secondary Key Texts

Original Language Note

Hebrew place-name of uncertain meaning; the biblical text preserves the name without explanation.

Theological Significance

Ophni has no direct doctrinal teaching of its own, but it contributes to the biblical testimony that God’s covenant people received real territory within the land promised to them.

Philosophical Explanation

As a place-name, Ophni is not a concept to be analyzed philosophically. Its value is historical and textual, showing Scripture’s concern for concrete persons and locations.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not confuse Ophni with a theological term. The Bible gives only a brief territorial mention, so the exact site and later history should not be stated more confidently than the text allows.

Major Views

The main point of agreement is that Ophni is a town named in Benjamin’s allotment; interpreters differ only in attempts to locate it geographically.

Doctrinal Boundaries

This entry should remain within biblical geography and avoid speculative claims about history, archaeology, or theology beyond what Joshua 18:24 states.

Practical Significance

Ophni reminds readers that Scripture is grounded in real geography and records the concrete outworking of Israel’s inheritance in the land.

Related Entries

See Also

Data

Machine-readable JSON for Ophni

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