English · KJV
H4708

מִצְפֶּה

Mitspeh /mits-peh'/ Ask about this word
Rootthe same as מִצְפֶּה
MeaningMitspeh, the name of five places in Palestine
KJV usageMizpeh, watch tower. Compare מִצְפָּה.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of Mitspeh — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word Mitspeh, represented by H4708, is primarily a proper name for several locations in Palestine, meaning Mizpeh or watch tower. It appears 15 times across 14 unique verses in the Bible, often marking a site of significant assembly, judgment, or strategic importance.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical narratives, H4708 serves as the setting for pivotal events. It is famously the place where Samuel gathered all of Israel to repent, fast, and confess their sins before the Lord 1 Samuel 7:5-6. As a result of their repentance, Samuel judged the people there 1 Samuel 7:6. Later, after the destruction of Jerusalem, Mizpah became a temporary administrative center for the remnant of Judah under Gedaliah (Jeremiah 40:6, 40:8). The name is also used to identify specific strategic locations, such as "Mizpeh of Gilead" Judges 11:29 and "Mizpeh of Moab," where David sought refuge for his parents 1 Samuel 22:3.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words illuminate the events that took place at Mizpeh:

  • H6908 qâbats (to gather): This action is central to Mizpeh's significance. Samuel commanded the people to gather at Mizpeh 1 Samuel 7:5, and the remnant of the Jews later gathered there to Gedaliah Jeremiah 40:12.
  • H2398 châṭâʼ (to sin): The assembly at Mizpeh was defined by a national confession, where the people said H559 "We have sinned against the LORD" 1 Samuel 7:6. This act of acknowledging their offense was a turning point.
  • H8199 shâphaṭ (to judge): At Mizpeh, Samuel's leadership was exercised as he judged the children of Israel 1 Samuel 7:6, marking the location as a place of restored divine order and justice.
  • H6684 tsûwm (to fast): The Israelites' repentance at Mizpeh was demonstrated by a communal fast 1 Samuel 7:6, a physical act showing their sincerity and dependence on God.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H4708 is tied to its role as a place of divine encounter and national turning points.

  • National Repentance and Assembly: Mizpeh is the preeminent site of corporate repentance in the book of Samuel. The act of gathering, drawing water H4325 and pouring it out, and fasting demonstrated a collective turning back to God 1 Samuel 7:6.
  • Divine Governance: It functioned as a place of judgment and authority. Samuel judged H8199 Israel there, acting as God's representative. Later, it was the center for the remnant, showing God's continued governance even after catastrophe Jeremiah 40:6.
  • A Place of Watchfulness and Refuge: The name's meaning, "watch tower," is demonstrated when Judah came to the watch tower H4708 to see the Lord had delivered them from their enemies 2 Chronicles 20:24. It was also a place where God's people found safety and a new beginning Jeremiah 40:12.

Summary

In summary, H4708 is far more than a point on a map. It stands as a biblical symbol of assembly and accountability. As a "watch tower," it was a place where Israel looked out for its enemies, but more importantly, it was a location where the nation gathered to look up to God, confess its sin, seek judgment, and find deliverance.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 16 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • מִּצְפָּתָ
  • מִצְפֵּה
  • מִּצְפֶּה

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H6908 קָבַץ a primitive root; to grasp, i.e. collect; assemble (selves), gather (bring) (together, selves together, up), heap, resor H2398 חָטָא a primitive root; properly, to miss; hence (figuratively and generally) to sin; by inference, to forfeit, lack, expiate, H559 אָמַר a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, H8199 שָׁפַט a primitive root; to judge, i.e. pronounce sentence (for or against); by implication, to vindicate or punish; by extenss H6684 צוּם a primitive root; to cover over (the mouth), i.e. to fast; [idiom] at all, fast. H4325 מַיִם dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense); water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen; [phrase

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 14 verses across 5 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Jeremiah (5 verses); never once in the other 34.

3
Joshua
1
Judges
4
1 Samuel
1
2 Chronicles
5
Jeremiah

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.