מִצְפָּה38 H4709
Mizpah ('watchtower'); a place name for several biblical sites, especially in Benjamin and Gilead
A proper noun meaning 'watchtower' or 'lookout point,' applied to several distinct locations in the biblical narrative. The most prominent is Mizpah in Benjamin, an old sacred site where Israel assembled repeatedly in times of crisis (Judg 20:1; 1 Sam 7:5-6) and which later served as Gedaliah's administrative center after the fall of Jerusalem (Jer 40:6). Another Mizpah in Gilead appears in the Jacob-Laban narrative (Gen 31:49) and in the Jephthah cycle (Judg 10:17, 11:11, 34). A third near Hermon is mentioned in Joshua 11:3. Hosea 5:1 invokes Mizpah as a symbol of failed watchfulness. Translations typically transliterate the name: Spanish 'Mizpa,' French 'Mitspa,' German 'Mizpa.'
Senses
1. Mizpah (place name) — A proper place name meaning 'watchtower,' referring to multiple biblical sites. Mizpah in Benjamin was a national assembly point (Judg 20:1, 1 Sam 7:5) and post-exile administrative center (2 Kgs 25:23, Jer 40:6-10). Mizpah in Gilead figures in the Laban covenant (Gen 31:49) and Jephthah's story (Judg 11:11, 34). A third site near Hermon appears in Josh 11:3. All translations transliterate rather than translate: Spanish 'Mizpa,' French 'Mitspa,' German 'Mizpa'—treating it as a recognized toponym. 36×
AR["الـ-مِصفاةَ","الـ-مِصْفَاةَ","الـ-مِصْفَاةِ","المِصْفَاةَ","الْ-مِصْفاةِ","الْ-مِصْفَاةَ","الْ-مِصْفَاةِ","الْمِصْفَاةِ","فِي-الْمِصْفَاةِ"]·ben["-মিসপাতে","-মিৎপার","মিস্পা","মিস্পাতে","মিস্পায়।","মিস্পার","মিৎপায়-","ল-মিৎসপায়","সেই-মিস্পায়","সেই-মিৎসপা"]·DE["Mizpa","[המצפה]","der-Mitspah","der-Mizpah","in-Mizpa","in-der-Mitspah"]·EN["at-Mitspah","at-the-Mitspah","in-the-Mitspah","the-Mitspah","the-Mizpah"]·FR["Mitspa","[המצפה]","dans-le-Mitspah","le-Mitspa","le-Mitspah","le-Mizpah","à-Mitspa"]·heb["ב-מצפה","ה-מצפה","הַ-מִּצְפָּה"]·HI["की-मिसपा","ब-मित्सपाह","मिस्पा","मिस्पा-के","मिस्पा-से","मिस्पाह","मिस्पाह-का","मिस्पाह-के","में-मिस्पा","में-मिस्पाह"]·ID["Mizpa","di-Mizpa","ke-Mizpa"]·IT["Mispa","Mitspa","il-Mitspa","il-Mitspah","in-il-Mitspah"]·jav["Mizpa","dhateng-Mizpa","ing-Mizpa","wonten-ing-Mizpa"]·KO["그-미스바","그-미스바-의","그-미스바로","그-미스바를","그-미스바와","그-미스바의","미스바","미스바로","미스바에","미스바에-있는","미스바에서","에서-그-미스바"]·PT["(a)-Mitzpah","(a)-Mitzpah?","(em)-Mitzpah","Mitspa","Mitspah","a-Mitspah","em-Mitspa","em-Mitspah","estava-em-Mitspa","o-Mitspah"]·RU["Мицпой","Мицпы","а-Мицпу","в-Мицпе","в-Мицпу"]·ES["Mitzpá","Mizpa","a-Mispá","a-Mitzpá","en-Mizpa","en-ha-Mitspah","en-la-Mizpa","la-Mitspah","la-Mizpa"]·SW["Mispa","Mizpa","ha-Mispa","huko-Mispa"]·TR["-Mitspa","Mispa'ya","Mitspa'da","Mitspa'dan","Mitspa'nın","Mitspa-ya","Mitspah'ı"]·urd["مصفاہ","مصفاہ-میں","مصفاہ-میں-تھے","مصفاہ-کو","مصفاہ-کی","میں-مصفہ"]
Gen 31:49, Josh 11:3, Judg 10:17, Judg 11:11, Judg 11:34, Judg 20:1, Judg 20:3, Judg 21:1, Judg 21:5, Judg 21:8, 1 Sam 7:5, 1 Sam 7:6 (+24 more)
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
מִצְפָּה38 n.pr.loc. (proposes outlook-point or -height; c. art. (except Ho 5:1));— †1. in Gilead, expl. as name given to Laban’s cairn, N. of Jabbok Gn 31:49 (on text v. Ball Holz; 𝔊 ἡ ὅρασις). †2. prob. S. of Jabbok, Ju 10:17 (ἡ σκοπιά), 11:11, 34 (Μασσηφα; so 𝔊L 10:17), Ho 5:1 (ἡ σκοπιά); appar. = ii. מִצְפֶּה 3, BuhlGeogr. 262 (-פֶּה, -פָּה, seem to interchange); site unknown; v. conj. in…