Shen was the place where Samuel set up the Ebenezer stone to commemorate the Israelites' victory over the Philistines (1Sam. 7:12).
Shen is mentioned briefly in the account of Samuel's leadership over Israel (1Sam. 7:12). After the Israelites repented of their idolatry and turned back to the Lord, Samuel led them in a decisive victory over the Philistines. To commemorate this victory and God's help, Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, naming it Ebenezer, which means "stone of help." The exact location of Shen is not specified in the biblical text, but it was likely a place near Mizpah, in the territory of Benjamin. The setting up of the Ebenezer stone at Shen served as a reminder of God's deliverance and the importance of relying on His strength in the face of enemy threats. This event marked a significant moment in Israel's history, as it demonstrated the nation's renewed commitment to the Lord and His faithfulness in granting them victory over their oppressors.
Approximate location: 31.833, 35.180 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
A tooth, probably some conspicuous tooth-shaped rock or crag (1 Sam. 7:12), a place between which and Mizpeh Samuel set up his “Ebenezer.” In the Hebrew the word has the article prefixed, “the Shen.” The site is unknown.
(tooth), a place mentioned only in (1 Samuel 7:12) Nothing is known of it.
SHEN (the tooth). Samuel erected the stone Ebenezer between Mizpah and Shen. 1 Sam 7:12. It was probably so named from a tooth-shaped rock.
SHEN (the tooth). Samuel erected the stone Ebenezer between Mizpah and Shen. 1 Sam 7:12. It was probably so named from a tooth-shaped rock.
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.
1 verse in 1 book · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H8129
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.”
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.