4675. mitstsabah
Lexical Summary
mitstsabah: Pillar, Monument, Memorial Stone

Original Word: מַצָּבָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: matstsabah
Pronunciation: mits-tsa-BAH
Phonetic Spelling: (mats-tsaw-baw')
KJV: army, garrison
NASB: army
Word Origin: [feminine of H4673 (מַצָּב - garrison)]

1. a military guard

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
army, garrison

Or mitstsabah {mits-tsaw-baw'}; feminine of matstsab; a military guard -- army, garrison.

see HEBREW matstsab

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
fem. of matstsab
Definition
perhaps a guard, watch
NASB Translation
army (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
מַצָּבָה noun feminine ׳אַנְשֵׁי מ 1 Samuel 14:12 see מַצָּב.

מִצָּבָה noun feminine guard, watch ? — only וְחָנִיתִי ׳לְבֵיתִי מ Zechariah 9:8 and I encamp as watch for my house (so We Now GASm, but dubious; Kue Sta MartiKau GASm read מַצָּבָה, but this probably non-existent, see above; ᵑ0 apparently intends because of a host = מִצָּבא).

Topical Lexicon
Concept Overview

“מַצָּבָה” portrays a fixed military position—an outpost or garrison—established to secure territory, control strategic routes, and serve as an early-warning station. The idea of standing firmly in place is inherent; the position is not transient but deliberately set to guard what has been gained.

Biblical Occurrences

1 Samuel 14:12 presents the Philistine “garrison” at Michmash. Its men taunt Jonathan, only to be routed when the LORD grants Israel victory.
Zechariah 9:8 shifts the term from human to divine defense: “I will camp around My house against an army … no oppressor will again overrun them, for now I Myself watch with My own eyes”. The Lord Himself becomes the protecting outpost for His people.

Historical Background

In Iron-Age warfare, sharply cut passes, narrow ridges, and crossroads demanded small but permanent detachments. Michmash overlooked the deep valley separating Benjamin from Ephraim, making a Philistine stronghold there a direct threat to Israelite mobility. Centuries later Zechariah addressed Judah after the Babylonian exile, when Persian and Hellenic powers controlled the same corridors. God’s promise to “camp around” His house assured the returned remnant that imperial overlays could never nullify covenant security.

Theological Insights

1. Human posts are limited; divine protection is limitless. Jonathan’s daring exploit exposes the vulnerability of any garrison when the LORD is against it (1 Samuel 14:6, 23).
2. God’s presence constitutes the safest stronghold. Zechariah’s oracle fuses the imagery of a military post with the LORD’s personal watchfulness, prefiguring “the LORD of hosts” as both Captain and Bulwark (compare Psalm 46:7,11).
3. Covenant faithfulness motivates divine guardianship. The watch encampment around “My house” is rooted in the unconditional promises to Abraham, David, and the remnant.

God as the Ultimate Garrison

Throughout Scripture the Lord undertakes to “stand guard” over His people:
Exodus 14:19—The Angel of God moves behind Israel as a rearguard.
Psalm 121:4—“He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.”
1 Peter 1:5—Believers are “shielded by God’s power through faith.”

In each case the protective stance is not merely spatial but relational, born of covenant love.

Ministerial Lessons

• Leadership rooted in faith acts decisively, as Jonathan shows; victory is not in numbers but in the Lord’s presence.
• Pastoral oversight mirrors God’s garrison: shepherds “keep watch over your souls” (Hebrews 13:17) just as the Lord watches over His house.
• Spiritual communities must reinforce strategic “passes” of doctrine and holiness, lest cultural Philistines occupy them.

Christological Reflection

Zechariah’s vision finds ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ: He “tabernacled among us” (John 1:14), setting a living post on earth. At the cross He disarmed powers (Colossians 2:15), and through the resurrection He now “stands” as High Priest ever living to intercede (Hebrews 7:25), guaranteeing that no oppressor will overrun His church.

Practical Application for the Church

1. Guard the gospel’s domain. Establish doctrinal outposts in teaching, discipleship, and mission.
2. Trust divine surveillance. Anxiety recedes when believers recall that their security rests in the One who stations Himself around His people.
3. Emulate Jonathan’s boldness by engaging spiritual strongholds with prayer and the word, confident that “the LORD has delivered them” into His kingdom’s advance.

In both its occurrences, מַצָּבָה underscores the contrast between fragile human defenses and the unassailable protection God provides to those who stand in covenant with Him.

Forms and Transliterations
הַמַּצָּבָ֜ה המצבה מִצָּבָה֙ מצבה ham·maṣ·ṣā·ḇāh hammaṣṣāḇāh hammatztzaVah miṣ·ṣā·ḇāh miṣṣāḇāh mitztzaVah
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
1 Samuel 14:12
HEB: וַיַּעֲנוּ֩ אַנְשֵׁ֨י הַמַּצָּבָ֜ה אֶת־ יוֹנָתָ֣ן ׀
KJV: And the men of the garrison answered
INT: hailed the men of the garrison Jonathan bearer

Zechariah 9:8
HEB: וְחָנִ֨יתִי לְבֵיתִ֤י מִצָּבָה֙ מֵעֹבֵ֣ר וּמִשָּׁ֔ב
NAS: because of an army, Because
KJV: about mine house because of the army, because of him that passeth by,
INT: will camp my house of an army passes and returns

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 4675
2 Occurrences


ham·maṣ·ṣā·ḇāh — 1 Occ.
miṣ·ṣā·ḇāh — 1 Occ.

4674
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