SG Heritage Dictionary

Mizpah Encyclopedia Britannica

MIZPAH (∏Ξ20) and Mizpeh (∏2> ’ D) are Hebrew words for a “place of prospect,” or high commanding point. The cities of Palestine generally occupied such positions; and so in the Old Testament we find several places bearing the name of “The Mizpah” (Mizpeh). Sometimes a determining genitive is added; “The Mizpeh of Gilead” (Judg. xi. 29), “The Mizpeh of Moab” (1 Sam. xxii. 3)....

(1) The most famous of these places is that in Gilead, a noted sanctuary (Judg. xi. 11; Hosea v. 1), claiming consecration from the sacrifice of Jacob (Gen. xxxi. 54) and the masseba or sacred stone erected by him (ver. 45). The narrative of Gen. xxxi. 45 sq. is somewhat obscure, and not all from one hand. We gather, however, from it that another name of “The Mizpah” was Galeed, i.e., Gilead. Thus Mizpah, Mizpeh Gilead, Gilead (Hos. vi. 8), Ramath Mizpeh (i.e., the height of Mizpeh, Josh. xiii. 26), and Ramoth Gilead (the heights of Gilead), or simply The Ramah (2 Kings viii. 28, 29), are almost universally taken to be one place. With this it agrees that Ramoth Gilead was a city of refuge, which points to an early sanctity. The place is prominent throughout the history. It was the seat of Jephthah (Judg. xi. ), the mourning for whose daughter probably gives us a glimpse into the ancient rites of a provincial sanctuary, the residence of one of Solomon’s officers (1 Kings iv. 13), and a hotly disputed frontier city in the wars between Syria and the house of Omri, before which Ahab fell (1 Kings xxii.), and in which the military revolt of Jehu was organized (2 Kings ix. ). Maspha was still a strong place in the Greek period, and was taken by Judas Maccabaeus (1 Mac. v. 35). Eusebius knows Ramoth as a place 15 miles west of Philadelphia or Rabbah of Ammon. It is therefore commonly identified with El-Salt, the modern capital of the Belka; but this cannot be said to be made out. (2) The Benjamite Mizpah or Mizpeh, also a sanctuary, is often named in the history of Samuel. It was a border fortress of King Asa (1 Kings xv. 22), and the residence of Gedaliah as governor of Judaea after the fall of Jerusalem (Jer. xl.). Its old sanctity was still remembered in the Maccabee times, and from 1 Mac. iii. 46 we conclude that it commanded a view of Jerusalem. The most probable identification is with the prominent hill-top of Neby Samwil. There was (3) another Mizpeh in the low country of Judah (Josh. XV. 38), and (4) a land or valley of Mizpeh (Josh. xi. 3, 8) under Mount Hermon.

9th ed. Encyclopædia Britannica, vol. 16, p. 532
[449 words — estimated reading time: 3 minutes]

Mizpah Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary

or MIZPEH, a city of the tribe of Benjamin, situated in a plain, about eighteen miles west of Jerusalem. Here Samuel dwelt; and here he called Israel together, to observe a solemn fast for their sins, and to supplicate God for his assistance against the Philistines; after which they sallied out on their enemies, already discomfited by the thunders of heaven, and gave them a total defeat, 1 Sam. vii. Here, also, Saul was anointed king, 1 Sam. x, 17–25. It appears that between this and the time of Asa, king of Judah, Mizpah had suffered probably in some of the intervening wars, as we are told that Asa built it with the stones and timber of Ramah, 1 Kings xv, 22. There was another Mizpeh in Gilead; on the spot where Jacob set up the pillar or heap of stones, to commemorate the covenant there made between him and Laban, Gen. xxxi, 49. (See _Gilead_.) There was also a third Mizpeh, in the land of Moab, where David placed his father and mother, while he remained in his retreat at Adullam, 1 Sam. xxii, 3. It is to be observed, that Mizpeh implies a beacon or watch tower, a pillar or heap of commemoration; and at all the places bearing this name, it is probable that a single pillar, or a rude pile, was erected as the witness and the record of some particular event. These, subsequently, became altars and places of convocation on public occasions, religious and civil.

Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary
[250 words — estimated reading time: 2 minutes]

King James Bible KJV Bible

Berean Standard Bible BSB Bible

21 KJV and 38 BSB verses contain “Mizpah” — showing the first 20. Show all 38 verses (searchable)

Genesis 31:49

And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.

It was also called Mizpah, because Laban said, “May the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are absent from each other.

Joshua 11:3

And to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and to the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains, and to the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpeh.

to the Canaanites in the east and west; to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, and Jebusites in the hill country; and to the Hivites at the foot of Hermon in the land of Mizpah.

Judges 10:17

Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpeh.

Then the Ammonites were called to arms and camped in Gilead, and the Israelites assembled and camped at Mizpah.

Judges 11:11

Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all his words before the LORD in Mizpeh.

So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him their leader and commander. And Jephthah repeated all his terms in the presence of the LORD at Mizpah.

Judges 11:29

Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.

Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, then through Mizpah of Gilead. And from there he advanced against the Ammonites.

Judges 11:34

And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.

And when Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, there was his daughter coming out to meet him with tambourines and dancing! She was his only child; he had no son or daughter besides her.

Judges 20:1

Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh.

Then all the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba and from the land of Gilead came out, and the congregation assembled as one man before the LORD at Mizpah.

Judges 20:3

(Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was this wickedness?

(Meanwhile the Benjamites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah.) And the Israelites asked, “Tell us, how did this wicked thing happen?”

Judges 21:1

Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife.

Now the men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, saying, “Not one of us will give his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite.”

Judges 21:5

And the children of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the congregation unto the LORD? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to the LORD to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death.

The Israelites asked, “Who among all the tribes of Israel did not come to the assembly before the LORD?” For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah would surely be put to death.

Judges 21:8

And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpeh to the LORD? And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly.

So they asked, “Which one of the tribes of Israel failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah?” And, in fact, no one from Jabesh-gilead had come to the camp for the assembly.

1 Samuel 7:5

And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the LORD.

Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD on your behalf.”

1 Samuel 7:6

And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the LORD. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh.

When they had gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they fasted, and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the LORD.” And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah.

1 Samuel 7:7

And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpeh, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.

When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, their rulers marched up toward Israel. And when the Israelites learned of this, they feared the Philistines

1 Samuel 7:11

And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under Beth-car.

Then the men of Israel charged out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, striking them down all the way to an area below Beth-car.

1 Samuel 7:12

Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Eben-ezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.

Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”

1 Samuel 7:16

And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places.

Every year he would go on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all these places.

1 Samuel 10:17

And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpeh;

After this, Samuel summoned the people to the LORD at Mizpah

1 Kings 15:22

Then king Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah; none was exempted: and they took away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had builded; and king Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah.

Then King Asa summoned all the men of Judah, with no exceptions, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timbers Baasha had used for building. And with these materials King Asa built up Geba of Benjamin, as well as Mizpah.

2 Kings 25:23

And when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, there came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Careah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.

When all the commanders of the armies and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite, as well as their men.