HOPHRA (
):
King of Egypt at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. The name occurs but once in the Bible (Jer. xliv. 30); in the other passages where this king is referred to (Jer. xxxvii. 5, 7, 11; Ezek. xxix. 2 et seq.) he is called "Pharaoh." He is to be identified with the 'Οάφρης of Manetho and the 'Απρίης of Herodotus and Diodorus. Hophra was the fourth king of the twenty-sixth dynasty, the son of Psammetichus II. and grandson of Necho. When Jerusalem was besieged by Nebuchadnezzar, Hophra marched to the assistance of the Jews, and the siege was interrupted for a short time (Jer. xxxvii. 5, 7, 11). According to Herodotus (ii. 161), Hophra also helped the Tyrians against Nebuchadnezzar, and had a certain degree of success. It is very likely that the words of Ezekiel xxix. 18 refer to this event. Jeremiah (xliv. 30) and Ezekiel (xxix. 2-xxxii.) predicted the fall of Hophra and Egypt through the Babylonians; but according to historical statements these predictions were not fulfilled. Hophra was dethroned by Amasis and strangled by the mob (Herodotus, ii. 169).
