Original Word: מִצְפָה
Part of Speech: Proper Name Feminine
Transliteration: Mitspah
Pronunciation: MITS-pah
Phonetic Spelling: (mits-paw')
KJV: Mitspah (This seems rather to be only an orthographic variation of H4708 when "in pause")
NASB: Mizpah, Mizpeh
Word Origin: [feminine of H4708 (מִצפֶּה - Mizpah)]

1. Mitspah, the name of two places in Israel

Mitspah

Feminine of Mitspeh; Mitspah, the name of two places in Palestine -- Mitspah. (This seems rather to be only an orthographic variation of Mitspeh when "in pause".)

see HEBREW Mitspeh

see HEBREW Mitspeh

Word Origin
from tsaphah
Definition
the name of several places in Isr.
NASB Translation
Mizpah (38), Mizpeh (1).

מִצְמָּה₃₈ proper name, of a location (properly outlook-point or #NAME?; with article (exceptHos Joshua 5:1)); —

1 in Gilead, explanation as name given to Laban's cairn, north of Jabbok Genesis 31:49 (on text see Ball Holz; ᵐ5 ἡ ὅρασις).

2 probably south of Jabbok, Judges 10:17 (ἡ σκοπιά), Judges 11:11,34 (Μασσηφα; so ᵐ5^L Judges 10:17), Hosea 5:1 (ἡ σκοπιά); apparently = II. מִצְמֶּה

3, Buhl^{Geogr. 262} (מֶּה-, מָּה-, seem to interchange); site unknown; see conjectures in Buhl^l.c., compare GASm^{Geogr. 586.}

3. near Hermon, ׳אֶרֶץ הַמּ Joshua 11:3, Μασευμαν, Μασσηφα(θ), = בִּקְעַתמִֿצְמֶּה Joshua 11:8, Μασσωχ, Μασσηφα; see Buhl^{Geogr. 240.}

4 old sacred place in Benjamin, Μασσηφα, etc.; — ׳הַמּ Judges 20:1 +, הַמִּצְמָּ֫תָה 1 Samuel 7:5 +; — Judges 20:1,3; Judges 21:1,5,8; 1 Samuel 7:5 7t. 1 Samuel 7; 1 Samuel 10; 1 Kings 15:22 2Chronicles 16:6; 2 Kings 25:23,25; Jeremiah 40:10 12t. 40, 41; Nehemiah 3:7,15,19; = הַמִּצְמֶּה Joshua 18:26; — modern Nabî Samwîl, 5 miles northwest of Jerusalem, see Buhl^{Geogr. 167 f.}.

Meaning and overview

מִצְפָה designates a “look-out” or “watchtower,” and by extension several strategic sites that served as rallying points, covenant centers, military staging grounds, and administrative capitals throughout Israel’s history. The term occurs about thirty-six times, referring to at least six distinct places: (1) in Gilead east of the Jordan; (2) in Benjamin north of Jerusalem; (3) in Moab; (4) in the territory of Judah’s lowlands; (5) near Mount Hermon; and (6) in the hill country of Naphtali. In every context the name underscores vigilance—whether God watching His people, leaders guarding the nation, or enemies being watched for impending attack.

Mizpah of Gilead: covenant and boundary marker

• Genesis 31:43-54 records Jacob and Laban setting up a heap and pillar. “It was also called Mizpah, because he said, ‘May the LORD watch between you and me when we are out of sight of each other’” (Genesis 31:49). The site became a perpetual witness that God Himself enforces covenant fidelity even in the absence of human oversight.
• In Judges 10:17 and 11:11, 29, 34, Mizpah of Gilead is Jephthah’s headquarters during the Ammonite crisis. The Spirit of the LORD comes upon Jephthah at Mizpah, and the fatal vow concerning his daughter is made there, illustrating the solemnity—and potential rashness—of vows uttered before God.

Mizpah of Benjamin: national assembly and revival center

• Judges 20–21 records eleven separate references to Mizpah in Benjamin when the tribes gather “as one man to the LORD” (Judges 20:1) to address the outrage at Gibeah. The location’s proximity to Gibeah and ease of access from all tribal regions made it the natural meeting place.
• Samuel employs the site for corporate repentance. “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD on your behalf” (1 Samuel 7:5). Israel’s fasting, confession, and the outpoured water (7:6) mark a national return to the LORD, directly followed by victory over the Philistines.
• Israel’s first king is chosen there: “Then Samuel summoned the people to the LORD at Mizpah” (1 Samuel 10:17). The lots fall on Saul, indicating that kingship itself is bestowed under divine scrutiny.
• Centuries later the Babylonians install Gedaliah as governor at the same site (2 Kings 25:23; Jeremiah 40–41). Mizpah thus functions as the last administrative capital of Judah after Jerusalem’s fall. Its tragic massacre by Ishmael son of Nethaniah (Jeremiah 41) underscores the chaos that follows rejection of the word spoken through Jeremiah.

Other regional Mizpahs: military vantage and fortified cities

• Joshua 11:3, 8; 13:26 mark a Mizpah in the northern heights below Hermon, associated with the Hivites.
• Joshua 15:38 lists a Mizpah in the Shephelah of Judah; Joshua 18:26 records one allotted to Benjamin beside Gibeon.
• Nehemiah’s wall-builders include men of Mizpah (Nehemiah 3:7, 15, 19, 25, 27), indicating a post-exilic reoccupation and ongoing strategic importance.
• Asa of Judah fortifies Mizpah with stones taken from Baasha’s abandoned Ramah (1 Kings 15:22; 2 Chronicles 16:6), creating a bulwark on Judah’s northern frontier.

Prophetic indictment

Hosea 5:1 employs Mizpah symbolically: “For judgment is against you, because you have been a snare at Mizpah.” Leaders who should have acted as vigilant watchmen ensnared the people instead, perverting the very purpose of the “watchtower.”

Theological and ministry themes

1. Divine surveillance. The foundational Genesis narrative sets the tone: the LORD Himself “keeps watch” over covenants and boundaries. No oath or deed escapes His notice.
2. Corporate repentance. National gatherings at Mizpah demonstrate that revival begins with unified confession, fasting, prayer, and the leadership of God-appointed judges and prophets.
3. Leadership selection and accountability. Saul’s selection shows that elevation to office occurs under God’s gaze; subsequent failures remind ministers that the One who installs also evaluates.
4. Strategic readiness. Whether Jephthah rallying troops or Asa building defenses, Mizpah calls believers to spiritual watchfulness and preparedness against external threats and internal decline.
5. Tragedy of unheeded warning. The murder of Gedaliah and Hosea’s rebuke teach that rejecting God’s protective structures leads to national and personal ruin.

Practical application

• Cultivate watchfulness in prayer, doctrine, and conduct, mindful that “the eyes of the LORD roam to and fro over all the earth” (paralleling the root idea).
• Treat vows, covenants, and leadership responsibilities with gravity, remembering Mizpah’s role as a witness.
• Encourage corporate gatherings for repentance and renewal, trusting that God still responds as He did at Mizpah when His people humble themselves.

בַּמִּצְפָּ֔ה בַּמִּצְפָּ֖ה בַּמִּצְפָּ֗ה בַּמִּצְפָּ֜ה בַּמִּצְפָּֽה׃ במצפה במצפה׃ הַ֠מִּצְפָּתָה הַמִּצְפָּ֑ה הַמִּצְפָּ֑תָה הַמִּצְפָּ֔ה הַמִּצְפָּ֔תָה הַמִּצְפָּ֖ה הַמִּצְפָּ֛ה הַמִּצְפָּֽה׃ הַמִּצְפָּה֒ הַמִּצְפָּה֙ הַמִּצְפָּה֮ המצפה המצפה׃ המצפתה וְהַמִּצְפָּ֑ה וְהַמִּצְפָּה֙ והמצפה לְמִצְפָּ֔ה למצפה bam·miṣ·pāh bammiṣpāh bammitzPah ham·miṣ·pā·ṯāh ham·miṣ·pāh hammiṣpāh hammiṣpāṯāh hammitzPah hammitzPatah lə·miṣ·pāh ləmiṣpāh lemitzPah vehammitzPah wə·ham·miṣ·pāh wəhammiṣpāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts