Uphaz
U'phaz (Heb. Uphaz', אוּפָז, signif. uncertain; Sept. Μωφάζ, ᾿Ωφάζ; Vulg. Ophaz, obryzuni), the name of a gold region (Jer 10:9; Da 10:5), like Tarshish and Ophir (comp. Ps 45:10; 1 Chronicles 39:4), and hence thought by most expositors to be a corruption of the latter name (so the Targum, Syriac, and Theodotion). Fürst, however, suggests (Heb. Lex. s.v.) that it may be compounded of אוּ, wash, and פָּז, pure gold; and that since it is interchanged with Sheba (Ps 72:15), it may be regarded as the name of a gold wash in Southern Arabia. Its resemblance to Muphaz (מוּפָז; A.V. "best") in 1Ki 10:18 is perhaps not accidental. SEE OPHIRA.
