Mizpah
מִצְפָּה · mits.pah · H4709GἈριμαθαία · Arimathaia · G07073 other spellings“Mizpeh, a watch-tower; speculation” Hitchcock's 186950 mentions in 12 books, most in 1 Samuel (21)
Where it is
31.83° N, 35.18° E
Coordinates and map: OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding · CC BY 4.0 · drawn without map tiles
Mentioned most in
Counted from 50 references · STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0
About this place
Mizpah, also known as Mizpeh, Ramah, Ramathaim-zophim, or Arimathea, was a city located in the tribal territory of Benjamin, near the border with Ephraim. It was an important religious and political center during the period of the judges and the early monarchy.
During the time of the judges, the Israelites gathered at Mizpah to address the crisis involving the tribe of Benjamin and the concubine at Gibeah (Judges 20:1, 3; 21:1, 5, 8). Later, the prophet Samuel summoned the people to Mizpah for prayer, repentance, and deliverance from the Philistines (1Sa.7.5-7, 11-12, 16). Samuel also gathered the Israelites at Mizpah to appoint Saul as their first king (1Sa.10.17).
Mizpah was the hometown and burial place of Samuel (1Sa.1.19; 2:11; 7:17; 8:4; 15:34; 16:13; 19:18-23; 20:1; 25:1; 28:3). It was also the city of Joseph of Arimathea, the wealthy disciple who provided the tomb for Jesus' burial (Matthew 27:57; Mrk.15.43; Luke 23:50-51; Jhn.19.38).
During the divided monarchy, King Asa of Judah fortified Mizpah using materials from the dismantled fortifications of Ramah (1Ki.15.22; 2Ch.16.6). After the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem, Mizpah served as the administrative center for the remnant of Judah under Gedaliah (2Ki.25.23, 25; Jeremiah 40:6, 8, 10, 12-13, 15; 41:1, 3, 6, 10, 14, 16).
Article: STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0
Every mention
50 references, counted from STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0 · verse text: World English Bible (public domain)
Joshua1 mention
Judges5 mentions
Judges 20:1Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was assembled as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, to Yahweh at Mizpah.Judges 20:3(Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) The children of Israel said, “Tell us, how did this wickedness happen?”Judges 21:1Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, “None of us will give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.”Judges 21:5The children of Israel said, “Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up in the assembly to Yahweh?” For they had made a great oath concerning him who didn’t come up to…Judges 21:8They said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel who didn’t come up to Yahweh to Mizpah?” Behold, no one came from Jabesh Gilead to the camp to the assembly.
1 Samuel21 mentions
1 Samuel 1:1Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an…1 Samuel 1:19They rose up in the morning early and worshiped Yahweh, then returned and came to their house to Ramah. Then Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and Yahweh remembered her.1 Samuel 2:11Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. The child served Yahweh before Eli the priest.1 Samuel 7:5Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to Yahweh for you.”1 Samuel 7:6They gathered together to Mizpah, and drew water, and poured it out before Yahweh, and fasted on that day, and said there, “We have sinned against Yahweh.” Samuel judged the children of…1 Samuel 7:7When the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. When the children of Israel heard it, they…1 Samuel 7:11The men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and struck them until they came under Beth Kar.1 Samuel 7:12Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, “Yahweh helped us until now.”1 Samuel 7:16He went from year to year in a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah; and he judged Israel in all those places.1 Samuel 7:17His return was to Ramah, for his house was there, and he judged Israel there; and he built an altar to Yahweh there.1 Samuel 8:4Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel to Ramah.1 Samuel 10:17Samuel called the people together to Yahweh to Mizpah;1 Samuel 15:34Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.1 Samuel 16:13Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the middle of his brothers. Then Yahweh’s Spirit came mightily on David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.1 Samuel 19:18Now David fled and escaped, and came to Samuel at Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. He and Samuel went and lived in Naioth.1 Samuel 19:19Saul was told, saying, “Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.”1 Samuel 19:22Then he also went to Ramah, and came to the great well that is in Secu: and he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” One said, “Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah.”1 Samuel 19:23He went there to Naioth in Ramah. Then God’s Spirit came on him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.1 Samuel 20:1David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said to Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my iniquity? What is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?”1 Samuel 25:1Samuel died; and all Israel gathered themselves together and mourned for him, and buried him at his house at Ramah. Then David arose and went down to the wilderness of Paran.1 Samuel 28:3Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. Saul had sent away those who had familiar spirits and the wizards out of the land.
2 Kings2 mentions
2 Kings 25:23Now when all the captains of the forces, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah…2 Kings 25:25But in the seventh month, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal offspring came, and ten men with him, and struck Gedaliah so that he died, with the Jews and the…
2 Chronicles1 mention
Nehemiah3 mentions
Nehemiah 3:7Next to them, Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, repaired the residence of the governor beyond the River.Nehemiah 3:15Shallun the son of Colhozeh, the ruler of the district of Mizpah, repaired the spring gate. He built it, covered it, and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars; and he repaired the wall…Nehemiah 3:19Next to him, Ezer the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, repaired another portion across from the ascent to the armory at the turning of the wall.
Jeremiah12 mentions
Jeremiah 40:6Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah, and lived with him among the people who were left in the land.Jeremiah 40:8then Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of the…Jeremiah 40:10As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mizpah, to stand before the Chaldeans who will come to us; but you, gather wine and summer fruits and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in…Jeremiah 40:12then all the Jews returned out of all places where they were driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, to Mizpah, and gathered very much wine and summer fruits.Jeremiah 40:13Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces who were in the fields, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah,Jeremiah 40:15Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying, “Please let me go, and I will kill Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man will know it. Why should he take…Jeremiah 41:1Now in the seventh month, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal offspring and one of the chief officers of the king, and ten men with him, came to Gedaliah the…Jeremiah 41:3Ishmael also killed all the Jews who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and the Chaldean men of war who were found there.Jeremiah 41:6Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping all along as he went, and as he met them, he said to them, “Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam.”Jeremiah 41:10Then Ishmael carried away captive all of the people who were left in Mizpah, even the king’s daughters, and all the people who remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard…Jeremiah 41:14So all the people who Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah turned about and came back, and went to Johanan the son of Kareah.Jeremiah 41:16Then Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces who were with him took all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, from Mizpah…
Matthew1 mention
What the dictionary says
Or Miz’peh, watch-tower; the look-out.
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
Read the article →Sources
- STEPBible TIPNR · Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References · CC BY 4.0 · github.com/STEPBible/STEPBible-Data
- OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding · CC BY 4.0 · www.openbible.info/geo/
- Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (1869) · Public domain