H4708 H4708
Mizpeh, a place name meaning 'watchtower'; several Israelite towns including sites in Judah, Gilead, Moab, and Benjamin.
A proper place name derived from the root tsapah ('to watch, look out'), literally meaning 'watchtower' or 'lookout point.' Multiple locations bore this name in ancient Israel, reflecting the common practice of naming elevated vantage points. The most notable include a town in the Shephelah of Judah (Josh 15:38), a site in Gilead associated with Jephthah's campaign (Judg 11:29), Mizpeh of Moab where David brought his parents for safety (1 Sam 22:3), and a Benjaminite town (Josh 18:26). The name's recurrence across regions testifies to how frequently hilltop settlements served as watchtowers throughout the land.
Senses
1. Mizpeh (place name) — A proper place name applied to several distinct Israelite and Transjordanian towns, all sharing the etymological sense of 'watchtower' from the root tsapah. Key locations include Mizpeh in the Shephelah of Judah (Josh 15:38), Mizpeh of Gilead where Jephthah passed through on his campaign (Judg 11:29), and a Benjaminite Mizpeh (Josh 18:26). Spanish 'Mizpa' and French 'Mitspa' reflect variant transliterations of the same toponym. The Septuagint rendering Massepha and the Greek he skopia ('the lookout') for the Gilead site preserve the original semantic force of the name. 10×
AR["إِلَى-الْمِصْفَاةِ","مِصفاةَ","مِصْفةَ","مِصْفَاةَ","وَ-المِصْفاةُ","وَ-المِصْفى","وَ-مِن-مِصفاةِ"]·ben["এবং-মিস্পা","এবং-মিস্পা-থেকে","মিসপেহ","মিস্পা-","মিৎপায়","মিৎসপে"]·DE["Mizpeh","Mizpeh-von","nach-Mizpa","und-der-Mizpeh","und-ha-Mitspeh","und-von-Mizpeh-von"]·EN["Mizpeh","Mizpeh-of","and-from-Mizpeh-of","and-ha-Mitspeh","and-the-Mizpeh","at-Mitspah"]·FR["Mitspa","Mizpeh","Mizpeh-de","et-de-Mizpeh-de","et-ha-Mitspeh","et-le-Mizpeh"]·heb["ה-מצפתה","ו-ה-מצפה","ו-מ-מצפה","מצפה"]·HI["और-मिसपे","और-मिस्पासे","और-मिस्पे","मितस्पेह","मिस्पा","मिस्पे"]·ID["Mizpa","dan-Mizpa","dan-dari-Mizpa","ke-Mizpa"]·IT["Mispa","Mitspa","Mitspa-di","Mizpeh-di","e-da-Mitspa-di","e-ha-Mitspeh","e-il-Mitspa"]·jav["Mispah","Mizpa","ing-Mizpa","lan-Mizpè","lan-saking-Mizpa"]·KO["그리고-미스바","그리고-미스베","그리고-에서-미스바","미스뮠","미스바","미스바로","미스베의"]·PT["Mitspeh","Mitspeh-de","e-HaMitspeh","e-de-Mitspeh-de","em-Mitspah"]·RU["Мицпу","Мицпы","в-Мицпу","и-Мицпа","и-от-Мицпы"]·ES["Mispá-de","Mizpa","Mizpa-de","a-ha-Mitspah","y-Mizpa","y-de-Mispá-de"]·SW["Mispa","Mispa-ya","Mispe","na-Mispe","na-kutoka-Mispa-ya"]·TR["Mitspa'ya","Mitspe","Mitspe'nin","Mitspe-yi","ve-Mitspe","ve-Mitspe-den"]·urd["اور-مصفاہ-سے","اور-مصفہ","مصفاہ","مصفاہ-سے","مصفاہ-میں","مصفاہ-کی"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† II. מִצְפֶּה n.pr.loc. 1. הַמּ׳ in Shephelah of Judah Jos 15:38, Μασ(σ)ηφα. 2. מִצְפֵּה־מוֹאָב 1 S 22:3, Μασσηφα. 3. מִצְפֵּה גִלְעָד Ju 11:29(×2) (ἡ σκοπιά) prob. = רָמַת הַמּ׳ Jos 13:26 Μασ(ση)φα and perhaps מִצְפָּה 2.—Jos 11:8; 18:26 v. מִצְפָּה" dir="rtl" >מִצְפָּה 3, 4.