Mizpah

4 definitions found

From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:

  Mizpah
     or Miz'peh, watch-tower; the look-out. (1.) A place in Gilead,
     so named by Laban, who overtook Jacob at this spot (Gen. 31:49)
     on his return to Palestine from Padan-aram. Here Jacob and Laban
     set up their memorial cairn of stones. It is the same as
     Ramath-mizpeh (Josh. 13:26).


     
       (2.) A town in Gilead, where Jephthah resided, and where he
     assumed the command of the Israelites in a time of national
     danger. Here he made his rash vow; and here his daughter
     submitted to her mysterious fate (Judg. 10:17; 11:11, 34). It
     may be the same as Ramoth-Gilead (Josh. 20:8), but it is more
     likely that it is identical with the foregoing, the Mizpeh of
     Gen. 31:23, 25, 48, 49.
     
       (3.) Another place in Gilead, at the foot of Mount Hermon,
     inhabited by Hivites (Josh. 11:3, 8). The name in Hebrew here
     has the article before it, "the Mizpeh," "the watch-tower." The
     modern village of Metullah, meaning also "the look-out,"
     probably occupies the site so called.
     
       (4.) A town of Moab to which David removed his parents for
     safety during his persecution by Saul (1 Sam. 22:3). This was
     probably the citadel known as Kir-Moab, now Kerak. While David
     resided here he was visited by the prophet Gad, here mentioned
     for the first time, who was probably sent by Samuel to bid him
     leave the land of Moab and betake himself to the land of Judah.
     He accordingly removed to the forest of Hareth (q.v.), on the
     edge of the mountain chain of Hebron.
     
       (5.) A city of Benjamin, "the watch-tower", where the people
     were accustomed to meet in great national emergencies (Josh.
     18:26; Judg. 20:1, 3; 21:1, 5; 1 Sam. 7:5-16). It has been
     supposed to be the same as Nob (1 Sam. 21:1; 22:9-19). It was
     some 4 miles north-west of Jerusalem, and was situated on the
     loftiest hill in the neighbourhood, some 600 feet above the
     plain of Gibeon. This village has the modern name of Neby
     Samwil, i.e., the prophet Samuel, from a tradition that Samuel's
     tomb is here. (See {NOB}.)
     
       Samuel inaugurated the reformation that characterized his time
     by convening a great assembly of all Israel at Mizpeh, now the
     politico-religious centre of the nation. There, in deep
     humiliation on account of their sins, they renewed their vows
     and entered again into covenant with the God of their fathers.
     It was a period of great religious awakening and of revived
     national life. The Philistines heard of this assembly, and came
     up against Israel. The Hebrews charged the Philistine host with
     great fury, and they were totally routed. Samuel commemorated
     this signal victory by erecting a memorial-stone, which he
     called "Ebenezer" (q.v.), saying, "Hitherto hath the Lord helped
     us" (1 Sam. 7:7-12).
     

From Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (late 1800's) [hitchcock]:

  Mizpah, Mizpeh, a watch-tower; speculation
  

From U.S. Gazetteer (1990) [gazetteer]:

  Mizpah, MN (city, FIPS 43540)
    Location: 47.92255 N, 94.21544 W
    Population (1990): 100 (41 housing units)
    Area: 7.8 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
    Zip code(s): 56660

From U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000) [gaz-place]:

  Mizpah, MN -- U.S. city in Minnesota
     Population (2000):    78
     Housing Units (2000): 51
     Land area (2000):     3.029863 sq. miles (7.847308 sq. km)
     Water area (2000):    0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
     Total area (2000):    3.029863 sq. miles (7.847308 sq. km)
     FIPS code:            43540
     Located within:       Minnesota (MN), FIPS 27
     Location:             47.925154 N, 94.206407 W
     ZIP Codes (1990):     56660
     Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
     Headwords:
      Mizpah, MN
      Mizpah