Parvaim
Parva'im (Heb. Parva'yim, פִּרוִיַם, a dual form from some unknown פִּרוִי; Sept. Φαρουίμ), a region producing gold used in adorning, Solomon's Temple (2Ch 3:6). There is very strong reason to conclude with Bochart (Song 1:17) that it is the same with Ophir. Castell, however (Lexic. Heptagl. col. 3062), identifies it with Barbatia on the Tigris, which is named by Pliny (Hist. Nat. 6:32); and Gesenius, seeking the root of the name in the Sanscrit puriva, "before," i.e. "eastern," concludes it to be a general term, corresponding to our Levant, meaning east country; so that "gold of Parvaim" means Eastern gold (Thesaur. 2:25; so Wilford in the Asiat. Research. 8:276). Knobel conjectures (Volkert. p. 191) that it is an abbreviated form of Sepharvaim, which stands in the Syriac version and the Targum of Jonathan for the Sephar of Ge 10:30. Hitzig maintains (on Da 10:5) that the name is derived from the Sanscrit
parna, "hill," and betokens the δίδυμα ὄρη in Arabia mentioned by Ptolemy (6:7, § 11).
