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Mizpah (of Gilead)
Excerpt from the Lexham Bible Dictionary, the most advanced Bible dictionary.
A town in Benjamin that was a common gathering site for the Israelites. Also called Mizpeh (מִצְפֵּה‎, mitspeh).
Lexham Bible Dictionary
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The Lexham Bible Dictionary
Mizpah
Mizpah (מִצְפָּה‎, mitspah). A town in Benjamin that was a common gathering site for the Israelites. Also called Mizpeh (מִצְפֵּה‎, mitspeh).
Mizpah of Gilead
Mizpah of Gilead A place mentioned in both Genesis and Judges. When Laban overtook Jacob after he fled with Rachel and Leah, they made a covenant and set up stones as a witness. Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, “stones of witness” in Aramaic, while Jacob called it Galeed and Mizpah in Hebrew. The word
The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary
Mizpah (Place)
MIZPAH (PLACE) [Heb hamiṣpâ (הַמִצְפָּה)]. Var. MIZPEH. A place-name connected with several biblical sites in and around Palestine. The toponym, deriving from the root ṣph meaning “to guard,” or “to watch,” suggests the location at a site of a military outpost, observatory, or “watchtower” (see the
Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible
Mizpah
Mizpah. Name meaning “watch tower” in Hebrew (spelled alternately Mizpeh) used to designate a number of different locations mentioned in the OT and Apocrypha.1. Place in Gilead where Jacob and Laban made a covenant (Gn 31:49) and set up a heap of stones to mark the borders between their territories.
Mizpeh
Mizpeh. Alternate spelling for Mizpah (Jos 11:3, 8; 15:38; 18:26).See Mizpah.
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised
Mizpah (of Gilead)
2. Mizpah (AV, NEB, Mizpeh) of Gilead [Heb miṣpēh g̱ilʿāḏ]. In Jgs. 11:29 Jephthah is said to have passed Mizpahgilead on his way to battle with the Ammonites. This place is usually identified with the Mizpah discussed above, whose location seems almost certainly to be in northern Gilead. The LXX
Mizpah
Mizpah miz̀pä; MIZPEH mizʹpə. The Hebrew word in both these forms (fem and masc, respectively) means “lookout” or “watch tower” and is a place name or place-name element. It is appropriate for towns occupying high, commanding positions.
Tyndale Bible Dictionary
Mizpah
MIZPAH Name meaning “watchtower” in Hebrew (alternately spelled Mizpeh) used to designate a number of different locations mentioned in the OT and Apocrypha.1. Place in Gilead where Jacob and Laban made a covenant (Gn 31:49) and set up a heap of stones to mark the borders between their territories.2.
Mizpeh
MIZPEH Alternate spelling for Mizpah (Jos 11:3, 8; 15:38; 18:26). See Mizpah.
The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (Revised and Updated)
Mizpah, Mizpeh
Mizpah, Mizpeh (miz´puh; Heb., “watchtower,”). In addition to being the name of a territory and four cities, the Hebrew word mizpah occurs frequently with the definite article to mean “the watchtower.” Mizpeh is a variant spelling of Mizpah, occurring four times in the nrsv (Josh. 11:3, 8; 15:38; 18:26).
The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia
Mizpah, Mizpeh
MIZPAH, MIZPEH. Heb. miṣpā or miṣpeh means a watchtower or lofty place from which one can see far and wide whether men have built a tower there or not (Isa 21:8; 2 Chr 20:24). It is always used with the definite article except as Hos 5:1.1. A heap of stones which Jacob set up in Gilead as a marker
The New Bible Dictionary, Third Edition
Mizpah, Mizpeh
MIZPAH, MIZPEH. The basic meaning of the word is ‘watchtower’, ‘place for watching’. It is vocalized as miṣpâ and miṣpeh, and is found usually with the article. It is natural to look for places so named on high vantage-points. The following may be distinguished:1. The place where *Jacob and Laban
Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible
Mizpah, Mizpeh
Mizpah (Heb. miṣpâ), MIZPEH (miṣpeh)1. Mizpah of Gilead. The name given by Jacob as a sign of his covenant with Laban (Gen. 31:49). The so-called Mizpah benediction invokes Yahweh to monitor the parties’ compliance with the covenant stipulations. Later, Israel’s forces assembled here in preparation
Eerdmans Bible Dictionary
Mizpah, Mizpeh
MIZPAH [mĭzˊpä] (Heb. fem. miṣpâ “lookout, watchtower”), MIZPEH [mĭzˊpə ] (masc. miṣpeh).
The Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land
Mizpah
MIZPAH A town in Gilead where Jacob and Laban made a covenant (Gen. 31:48–9). It was the home of Jephthah (Judg. 11:11; Authorized Version: ‘Mizpeh’). Judas Maccabaeus conquered the town and set it on fire (1 Macc. 5:35; Authorized Version: ‘Maspha’). According to Eusebius it was situated 15 miles from
Mizpeh
MIZPEH A town on the main road from Jerusalem to Shechem, on the northern border of Benjamin. In the early Iron Age it was in the territory of Benjamin (Josh. 18:26). The Israelites gathered here to fight against the Philistines, and it was one of the cities in which Samuel judged the people (1 Sam.
Catholic Bible Dictionary
Mizpah
MIZPAH, MIZPEH (Hebrew, “watchtower”) The name of several locations in Scripture, so named because they were positioned to provide a place of observation or a vantage point.1. The location where Jacob sealed a covenant with Laban and set up a heap of stones as a perpetual witness to it (Gen 31:44–46).
See also
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Lahmam
Mareshah