Meaning
Mizpah is a place name meaning watchtower or lookout, used for several locations in the Bible.
Biblical Usage
The name Mizpah is applied to more than one location. One important Mizpah was associated with Gilead, where Jacob and Laban established a boundary and called upon the LORD to watch between them.
Another prominent Mizpah was in the territory of Benjamin. It became a place of national assembly, judgment, worship, and military action during the period of the judges and the time of Samuel. A Mizpah also appears in the later history of Judah after Jerusalem’s destruction.
Key References
- Genesis 31:49
- Judges 10:17
- Judges 11:11
- Judges 20:1-3
- 1 Samuel 7:5-12
- 1 Samuel 10:17-24
- 2 Kings 25:22-25
- Jeremiah 40:6-16
- Jeremiah 41:1-16
Related Terms
- Gilead
- Benjamin
- Samuel
- Watchtower
- Assembly