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Mizpah

Mizpah (Mizpeh, Ramah, Ramathaim-zophim, Arimathea), a city in Benjamin where the Israelites gathered for judgment and prayer (Judges 20:1, 3; 21:1, 5, 8; 1Sa.7.5-7, 11-12, 16; 10:17), and the hometown of Samuel (1Sa.1.19; 2:11; 7:17; 8:4; 15:34; 16:13; 19:18-23; 20:1; 25:1; 28:3) and Joseph of Arimathea (Matthew 27:57; Mrk.15.43; Luke 23:50-51; Jhn.19.38).

Also known as Mizpeh · Ramah · Ramathaim-zophim · Ramathaim a Zuphite · Arimathea

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).

Approximate location: 31.833, 35.180 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas

Bible dictionary

Mizpah Easton Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897)

Or Miz’peh, watch-tower; the look-out. (1.) A place in Gilead, so named by Laban, who overtook Jacob at this spot (Gen. 31:49) on his return to Palestine from Padan-aram. Here Jacob and Laban set up their memorial cairn of stones. It is the same as Ramath-mizpeh (Josh. 13:26). (2.) A town in Gilead, where Jephthah resided, and where he assumed the command of the Israelites in a time of national danger. Here he made his rash vow; and here his daughter submitted to her mysterious fate (Judg. 10:17; 11:11, 34). It may be the same as Ramoth-Gilead (Josh. 20:8), but it is more likely that it is identical with the foregoing, the Mizpeh of Gen. 31:23, 25, 48, 49. (3.) Another place in Gilead, at the foot of Mount Hermon, inhabited by Hivites (Josh. 11:3, 8). The name in Hebrew here has the article before it, “the Mizpeh,” “the watch-tower.” The modern village of Metullah, meaning also “the look-out,” probably occupies the site so called. (4.) A town of Moab to which David removed his parents for safety during his persecution by Saul (1 Sam. 22:3). This was probably the citadel known as Kir-Moab, now Kerak. While David resided here he was visited by the prophet Gad, here mentioned for the first time, who was probably sent by Samuel to bid him leave the land of Moab and betake himself to the land of Judah. He accordingly removed to the forest of Hareth (q.v.), on the edge of the mountain chain of Hebron. (5.) A city of Benjamin, “the watch-tower”, where the people were accustomed to meet in great national emergencies (Josh. 18:26; Judg. 20:1, 3; 21:1, 5; 1 Sam. 7:5-16). It has been supposed to be the same as Nob (1 Sam. 21:1; 22:9-19). It was some 4 miles north-west of Jerusalem, and was situated on the loftiest hill in the neighbourhood, some 600 feet above the plain of…

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Mizpah Smith Smith’s Bible Dictionary (1863)

and Miz’peh (a watch-tower), the name of several places in Palestine.

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Mizpah Hitchcock Hitchcock’s Bible Names Dictionary (1869)

Mizpeh, a watch-tower; speculation

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Mizpah Hastings Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible (1898)

MIZ'PAH, and MIZ'PEH (watch-tower), the name of several places in Palestine. On Mount Gilead, also called Mizpeh of Gilead, Jud 11:29, and elsewhere probably Ramoth-mizpeh, Josh 13:26, and Ramoth-gilead, 1 Kgs 4:13 and elsewhere, the place where Laban and Jacob set up a heap of stones as a witness and landmark between them. Gen 31:23,Deut 23:25, Gen 24:48, 2 Kgs 5:52. Here also the Israelites assembled to fight against the Ammonites, Jud 10:17: and here Jephthah was met by his daughter. Jud 11:29. Some suppose that this was the place also where the tribes assembled to avenge the great sin committed in Benjamin, Jud 20:1, Num 1:3; Jud 21:1, Jud 21:5, Acts 21:8, but this is more usually applied to the Mizpah in Benjamin. See No. 6. This Mizpah has been identified with a high peak east of the Jordan, 3 miles north-west of Ramoth-gilead, called Jebel Osh'a, or "the Mount of Hosea." Conder suggests Remtheh, 25 miles west of Bozrah, but Merrill, with greater probability, locates it at Kulat er Rubad on the Wady 'Ajlun, about 10 miles east of the Jordan. This summit commands a wide view, and is in harmony with the name Mizpeh, or "watch-tower." Mizpeh of Moab, where the king of that nation was living when David committed his parents to his care, 1 Sam 22:3; possibly now Kerak. The land of Mizpeh, in the North of Palestine, the residence of the Hivites, Josh 11:3; possibly identical with - The valley of Mizpeh, Josh 11:3, 1 Kgs 15:8, whither the confederate hosts were pursued by Joshua; perhaps the modern Buka'a, the great country of Coele-Syria, between Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon. A city in Judah, Josh 15:38:possibly identical with the modern Tell es-Safiyeh, or, as Conder has suggested, at Kirhbet el-Musheirifeh, near Gaza. The position fits and the name is the Arabic…

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Mizpah Schaff Schaff’s Dictionary of the Bible

MIZ'PAH, and MIZ'PEH (watch-tower), the name of several places in Palestine. On Mount Gilead, also called Mizpeh of Gilead, Jud 11:29, and elsewhere probably Ramoth-mizpeh, Josh 13:26, and Ramoth-gilead, 1 Kgs 4:13 and elsewhere, the place where Laban and Jacob set up a heap of stones as a witness and landmark between them. Gen 31:23,Deut 23:25, Gen 24:48, 2 Kgs 5:52. Here also the Israelites assembled to fight against the Ammonites, Jud 10:17: and here Jephthah was met by his daughter. Jud 11:29. Some suppose that this was the place also where the tribes assembled to avenge the great sin committed in Benjamin, Jud 20:1, Num 1:3; Jud 21:1, Jud 21:5, Acts 21:8, but this is more usually applied to the Mizpah in Benjamin. See No. 6. This Mizpah has been identified with a high peak east of the Jordan, 3 miles north-west of Ramoth-gilead, called Jebel Osh'a, or "the Mount of Hosea." Conder suggests Remtheh, 25 miles west of Bozrah, but Merrill, with greater probability, locates it at Kulat er Rubad on the Wady 'Ajlun, about 10 miles east of the Jordan. This summit commands a wide view, and is in harmony with the name Mizpeh, or "watch-tower." Mizpeh of Moab, where the king of that nation was living when David committed his parents to his care, 1 Sam 22:3; possibly now Kerak. The land of Mizpeh, in the North of Palestine, the residence of the Hivites, Josh 11:3; possibly identical with - The valley of Mizpeh, Josh 11:3, 1 Kgs 15:8, whither the confederate hosts were pursued by Joshua; perhaps the modern Buka'a, the great country of Coele-Syria, between Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon. A city in Judah, Josh 15:38:possibly identical with the modern Tell es-Safiyeh, or, as Conder has suggested, at Kirhbet el-Musheirifeh, near Gaza. The position fits and the name is the Arabic…

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Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.

Where Mizpah appears

50 verses in 12 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H4709

Joshua1
Judges5
1 Samuel21
1 Kings1
2 Kings2
2 Chronicles1
Nehemiah3
Jeremiah12
Matthew1
Mark1
Luke1
John1

Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.