Bible Dictionaries
Hophra

Holman Bible Dictionary

(hahf' ruh) Egyptian divine name meaning, “the heart of Re endures.” Egyptian pharaoh (589-569 B.C.). At the beginning of his reign he tried to drive the Babylonian army away from its siege of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 37:5 ). Apparently at that time Jeremiah mocked the Pharaoh, making a pun on his name, calling him a loud-voiced boaster (“King Bombast, the man who missed his opportunity” Jeremiah 46:17 REB). Jeremiah warned that the pharaoh would be handed over to his enemies, at the same time warning Jews living in Egypt that salvation history was reversed and they would be destroyed ( Jeremiah 44:26-30 ). Hophra's death would be a sign to the Jews that Jeremiah's words were true. Hophra eventually lost his power in a revolt by his general Amasis in 569 B.C. Condemnation of Hophra showed Jeremiah's consistency in opposing any opposition to Babylon, whom God had chosen to punish His disobedient people. See Egypt .