Lexical Definition

‎מִצְפָּה‎ Mitspâh (mits-paw') Mizpah ^N:N--L
feminine of ‎מִצְפֶּה‎

Mitspah. (This seems rather to be only an orthographic variation of ‎מִצְפֶּה‎ when 'in pause'.)

• § Mizpah = "watchtower"
• Mitspah, the name of two places in Palestine

1) a place in Gilead north of Jabbok and location of Laban's cairn
2) a place in Gilead south of Jabbok; site unknown
3) a place near Mount Hermon
4) an old sacred place in Benjamin

Extended Information

spelling of: רָמֹת גִּלעָד

• Mizpah = "watchtower"
• Another spelling of ra.mot gi.l.ad (‎ר‎ָ‎מ‎ֹ‎ת‎ "Ramoth" רָמֹת גִּלעָד)

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎מִצְפָּה‎₃₈ proper name, of a location (properly outlook-point or -height; with article (exceptHos Josh 5:1)); —

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

2. probably south of Jabbok, Judg 10:17 (ἡ σκοπιά), Judg 11:11; Judg 11:34 (Μασσηφα; so ᵐ5^L Judg 10:17), Hos 5:1 (ἡ σκοπιά); apparently = II. ‎מִצְפֶּה‎ 3, Buhl^{Geogr. 262} (‎פֶּה‎-, ‎פָּה‎-, seem to interchange); site unknown; see conjectures in Buhl^l.c., compare GASm^{Geogr. 586.} 3. near Hermon, ‎׳‎‎אֶרֶץ הַמּ‎ Josh 11:3, Μασευμαν, Μασσηφα(θ), = ‎בִּקְעַתמִֿצְפֶּה‎ vJosh 11:8, Μασσωχ, Μασσηφα; see Buhl^{Geogr. 240.}

4. old sacred place in Benjamin, Μασσηφα, etc.; — ‎׳‎‎הַמּ‎ Judg 20:1 +, ‎הַמִּצְפָּ֫תָה‎ 1Sam 7:5 +; — Judg 20:1; Judg 20:3; Judg 21:1; Judg 21:5; Judg 21:8; 1Sam 7:5 + 7 t. 1Sam 7; 1Sam 10; 1Kgs 15:22 = 2Chr 16:6; 2Kgs 25:23; 2Kgs 25:25; Jer 40:10 + 12 t. 40, 41; Neh 3:7; Neh 3:15; Neh 3:19 = ‎הַמִּצְפֶּה‎ Josh 18:26 — modern Nabî Samwîl, 5 miles northwest of Jerusalem, see Buhl^{Geogr. 167 f.}.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References