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Judges 10:17 — Word Study

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WLCוַיִּצָּֽעֲקוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בַּגִּלְעָ֑ד וַיֵּאָֽסְפוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בַּמִּצְפָּֽה׃

BSAThen the Ammonitesbên [children of Ammon, descendants of Lot] were called to armstsâʻaq [gathered together, assembled] and campedchânâh [pitched their tents, encamped] in GileadGilʻâd [a mountainous region east of the Jordan River] and the Israelitesbên [sons of Israel, descendants of Jacob] assembledʼâçaph [gathered together, came together] and campedchânâh [pitched their tents, set up their army] at MizpahMitspâh [a place of watchfulness, a city in Gilead]

Word
Listen & take awayJudges 10
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 17 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (ba.mitz.Pah) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Judges 10:17quick helps
In a sentenceThe Ammonites gathered for battle while the Israelites assembled at Mizpah.
Who is speakingThe narrator describes the actions of both the Ammonites and the Israelites.
Where we areThe context is a military confrontation in the land of Gilead.
The hard wordיֵּאָֽסְפוּ
Take awayBoth groups are preparing for conflict, indicating a significant moment in Israel's history.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbצָעַק The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Judges 10:17

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Gathering for Battlegenerated

15“We have sinned,” the Israelites said to the LORD. “Deal with us as You see fit; but please deliver us today!”
16So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD, and He could no longer bear the misery of Israel.
17Then the Ammonites were called to arms and camped in Gilead, and the Israelites assembled and camped at Mizpah.
18And the rulers of Gilead said to one another, “Whoever will launch the attack against the Ammonites will be the head of all who live in Gilead.”

Judges 10:17 describes a critical moment when the Ammonites mobilized for war against Israel. The Israelites, recognizing their dire situation, gathered at Mizpah to prepare for the impending conflict. This assembly reflects their unity and resolve in the face of adversity, as they sought divine assistance after repenting of their sins, as seen in the preceding verses.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Judges 11:11–29So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him their leader and commander. And Jephthah repeated all his terms in the presence of the LORD at Mizpah.
2Genesis 31:49It was also called Mizpah, because Laban said, “May the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are absent from each other.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word יֵּאָֽסְפוּ, ye'ās'fugenerated

The verb יֵּאָֽסְפוּ (ye'ās'fu) is a Niphal form of אָסַף (acaph), meaning 'to gather' or 'to assemble.' It indicates an action taken by a collective group, emphasizing the communal effort of the Israelites to come together for a purpose, particularly in a military context.

This verb appears in various forms throughout the Hebrew Bible, often in contexts of gathering people for worship, war, or community. The parsing as a sequential imperfect third person masculine plural suggests an ongoing action, highlighting the urgency of their assembly in response to the threat posed by the Ammonites.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb governing the sentence is יִּצָּֽעֲקוּ, they were summoned, which introduces the actions of both the Ammonites and the Israelites. The structure reflects a sequence of events: the Ammonites are called to arms, followed by their encampment, and then the Israelites gather and camp.

The sentence is constructed with a series of clauses, each detailing the actions of the respective groups. The order emphasizes the mobilization of the Ammonites first, followed by the response of the Israelites, highlighting the tension of the situation.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the Hebrew verb יֵּאָֽסְפוּ is rendered as συνήξθησαν (sunechthēsan), which also means 'to gather.' This choice reflects a direct translation of the action of assembling, maintaining the sense of collective effort in the face of conflict.

The use of συνήξθησαν indicates a similar understanding of the gathering as a significant and urgent response to the threat posed by the Ammonites.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Judges 10:17 tells us that the Ammonites were called to arms and camped in Gilead, while the Israelites gathered together and camped at Mizpah. This shows both groups preparing for a significant confrontation.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the Ammonites were called to arms?

It means that the Ammonites were summoned to prepare for battle, indicating a mobilization of their forces against Israel.

Why did the Israelites gather at Mizpah?

The Israelites gathered at Mizpah to unite and prepare for the impending conflict with the Ammonites, seeking strength and guidance from God.

What is the significance of Mizpah?

Mizpah is significant as a place of watchfulness and assembly, where the Israelites could gather for protection and strategy against their enemies.

How does this passage reflect Israel's relationship with God?

This passage reflects Israel's dependence on God for deliverance, as they come together in a time of crisis, having repented for their sins.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What can we learn about the importance of gathering together in times of crisis?
  2. How does the assembly of the Israelites at Mizpah reflect their faith and reliance on God?
  3. In what ways can we apply the lessons from this passage to our own community gatherings?
  4. What does this story teach us about the consequences of turning away from God and the importance of repentance?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Judges 10:17 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Then the children of Ammon were gathered together,.... By a crier, as Jarchi; they had passed over Jordan, as in Jude 10:9 and had been distressing three of the tribes of Israel on that side; but now

Read John Gill on Judges 10 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpeh. The children of Ammon were gathered together.

Read Robert Jamieson on Judges 10 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

That Mizpeh which was beyond Jordan in Gad or Manasseh; of which see 11:11,29,34. There were other cities of that name in Scripture.

Read Matthew Poole on Judges 10 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Judges 10:17 Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpeh.Ver. 17. Then the children of Ammon were gathered together.] But, that they might be "broken in pieces" And the children of Israel assembled.] Now they have taken heart of grace, and can face their enemies; who before durst not mute or move against them. And although they had no answer or comfort from God, yet knowing his gracious disposition and dealing with the penitent, they take courage to encounter the Ammonites. "The righteous are bold as a lion," and "God hath not given to his the spirit of fear, but of power, of…

Read John Trapp on Judges 10 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(17) Then.—Rather, and, a general note of time. Were gathered together.—Literally, were cried together. Conclamati sunt.In Mizpeh.—A very common name, since it means “watch-tower.” This is doubtless the Mizpeh in Gilead (Judges 11:29; Joshua 11:3), also called Ramoth-Mizpeh, or Ramoth-Gilead (Joshua 13:26; Joshua 20:8). (Comp. Genesis 31:49).

Read Charles John Ellicott on Judges 10 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 17. The children of Ammon were gathered together] Literally, they cried against Israel-they sent out criers in different directions to stir up all the enemies of Israel; and when they had made a mighty collection, they encamped in Gilead.

Read AdamClarke on Judges 10 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

17. On this and the following verse see above. The Ammonites occupied the district which lay to the N.E. of Moab, bordered by the eastern desert. Their chief city was Rabbath-ammon, in Greek Philadelphia, now ‘Ammβn, near the source of the Jabbok; their other cities (Judges 11:33, 2 Samuel 12:31) were insignificant. Like the Moabites, the Ammonites were regarded as akin to Israel, but with feelings of repugnance, Genesis 19:36 ff.; probably also, like the Moabites, they spoke a language closely allied to that of Israel. In the days of Saul (1 Samuel 11) and David (2 Samuel 10-12) their hostility broke out afresh. The Bedouin on the edge of the Syrian desert have always been ready to plunder…

Read Cambridge on Judges 10 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The historian, having related the preliminary incidents, now comes to the final issue which forms the subject matter of his narrative.

Read Albert Barnes on Judges 10 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

Then the Ammonites were called to arms and camped in Gilead, and the Israelites assembled and camped at Mizpah.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Then the children of Ammon were gathered together and encamped in Gilead. The children of Israel assembled themselves together and encamped in Mizpah.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Then the Ammonites were called to arms and camped in Gilead, and the Israelites assembled and camped at Mizpah.

NETBNew English Translation2006

The Ammonites assembled and camped in Gilead; the Israelites gathered together and camped in Mizpah.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpeh.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpah.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpah.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Then the children of Ammon were assembled, and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves, and encamped in Mizpeh.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Then the children of Ammon gathered themselues together, and pitched in Gilead: and the children of Israel assembled themselues, and pitched in Mizpeh.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And the children of Ammon were called together and encamped in Gilead; and the children of Israel gathered together and encamped in Mizpeh.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And the Bene-Ammon are called together, and encamp in Gilead, and the sons of Israel are gathered together, and encamp in Mizpah.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And the sons of Ammon are called together, and encamp in Gilead, and the sons of Israel are gathered together, and encamp in Mizpah.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And the children of 'Ammon were called together, and they encamped in Gil'ad. And the children of Israel also assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpah.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Then Ammonites gathered together and set up camp in Gilead. The Israelites came together and set up their camp at Mizpah.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And the children of Ammon shouting together, pitched their tents in Galaad: against whom the children of Israel assembled themselves together and camped in Maspha.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

The Ammonite armies had been called up and were camped in Gilead. The Israelites assembled and camped at Mizpah.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Then the children of Ammon came together and put their army in position in Gilead. And the children of Israel came together and put their army in position in Mizpah.

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

וַandclauseverbיִּצָּֽעֲקוּ֙they.were.summonednoun phrase · subjectבְּנֵ֣יthe.peopleעַמּ֔וֹןof.Ammonוַֽandclauseverbיַּחֲנ֖וּthey.encampedprepositional phrase · prepositionalבַּinnoun phrase(the)גִּלְעָ֑דGileadוַandclauseverbיֵּאָֽסְפוּ֙they.gatherednoun phrase · subjectבְּנֵ֣יthe.peopleיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לof.Israelוַֽandclauseverbיַּחֲנ֖וּthey.encampedprepositional phrase · prepositionalבַּatnoun phrase(the)מִּצְפָּֽהMizpah

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree closely here, with the Septuagint matching ten of the ten words from the Hebrew text. This indicates a strong consistency in the translation and understanding of the events described.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

וַיִּצָּֽעֲקוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בַּגִּלְעָ֑ד וַיֵּאָֽסְפוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בַּמִּצְפָּֽה׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיִּצָּֽעֲקוּ֙ἀνέβησανבְּנֵ֣יυἱοὶעַמּ֔וֹןαμμωνוַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּπαρενέβαλονבַּגִּלְעָ֑דγαλααδוַיֵּאָֽסְפוּ֙συνήξθησανבְּנֵ֣יυἱοὶיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לισραηλוַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּπαρενέβαλονבַּמִּצְפָּֽה׃ἐν

10 of the 10 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Judges 10:17צָעַקand they weand they were sצָעַקבֵּן[the] peopl[the] people ofבֵּןעַמּוֹןAmmonAmmonעַמּוֹןחָנָהand they enand they encampחָנָהגִּלְעָדin Gileadin Gileadגִּלְעָדאָסַףand they gaand they gatherאָסַףבֵּן[the] peopl[the] people ofבֵּןיִשְׂרָאֵלIsraelIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלחָנָהand they enand they encampחָנָהמִצְפָּהat Mizpahat Mizpahמִצְפָּהבָּנָהto buildto buildבָּנָהעַםAmawAmawעַםחָנַןbe gracioube graciousחָנַןגַּלְעֵדGaleedGaleedגַּלְעֵדשָׂרָהto striveto striveשָׂרָהמִצְפֶּהMizpahMizpahמִצְפֶּהעַמּוֹןAmmonAmmonעַמּוֹןרְאוּבֵןReubenReubenרְאוּבֵןנָסַעto set outto set outנָסַעמִשְׁכָּןtabernacletabernacleמִשְׁכָּןחָגַרto girdto girdחָגַרפַּרְעֹהPharaohPharaohפַּרְעֹהחָנוּןHanunHanunחָנוּןרַבָּהRabbahRabbahרַבָּהרָRamothRamothרָיָבֵשׁJabeshJabeshיָבֵשׁזָקֵןoldoldזָקֵןקָבַץto gatherto gatherקָבַץ
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Judges 10:17

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and they were summoned [the] people of Ammon and they encamped in Gilead and they gathered [the] people of Israel and they encamped at Mizpah
וַיִּצָּֽעֲקוּ֙vai.yi.tza.'a.Ku and they were summoned H6817 Verb · Niphal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
55× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To cry or cry out is the meaning of this verb, often used to express distress or need, as seen in the Psalms where people cry out to God for help.
Amplified meaning
gathered together, assembled
Tyndale gloss
to cry
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

צָעַק (tsa`aq) is a Hebrew verb meaning to cry or call out, often in distress or need. It encompasses various forms, including crying for help, making an outcry, and calling an assembly. The verb can appear in different stems, indicating nuances such as grief or being summoned. Notably, the entries do not present any significant disagreements.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

צָעַק vb. cry, cry out, call

Qal

cry, cry out, for help

abs. cry, cry out, in distress, need

make outcry, clamour

Niph. be summoned (i.e. to arms)

Pi. cry aloud, in grief

Hiph. call together

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6817 צָעַק cry, cry out, call .. cry, cry out, for help

. abs. cry, cry out, in distress, need

. make outcry, clamour

. be summoned (i.e. to arms)

. cry aloud, in grief

. call together

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6817 tsa`aq tsaw-ak'

a primitive root; to shriek; (by implication) to proclaim (an

assembly):--X at all, call together, cry (out), gather

(selves) (together).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

צָעַק (tsa.aq) — to cry.

1) to cry, cry out, call, cry for help

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to cry, cry out (for help)

1a2) to cry, cry out (in distress or need)

1a3) to make outcry, clamour

1b) (Niphal) to be summoned

1c) (Piel) to cry aloud (in grief)

1d) (Hiphil) to call together

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Niphal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Niphal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/VNw3mp
and they were summoned [the] people of Ammon and they encamped in Gilead and they gathered [the] people of Israel and they encamped at Mizpah
בְּנֵ֣יbe.Nei [the] people of H1121 Noun common · masculine plural construct
4,943× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means a son or descendant, and can also refer to a grandson, nation, or quality. It appears in 1 Chronicles 24, describing a Levite named Beno. The word is used to show family relationships and inheritance.
Amplified meaning
children of Ammon, descendants of Lot
Tyndale gloss
son: child
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּן 4870 n.m. son

son, male child, born of a woman

children (male and female)

youth, young men

the young of animals

of plant shoots

fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

member of a guild, order or class

of animals son of (the) herd

ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

n. relat. of age

base

בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.

done

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman

. children (male and female)

. youth, young men

. the young of animals

. of plant shoots

. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

. . member of a guild, order or class

. of animals son of (the) herd

. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

. n. relat. of age

H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1121 ben bane

from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the

widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,

including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,

etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)

(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,

(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,

bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X

came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of

first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +

kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)

people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +

spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous

one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.

see HEBREW for 01129

see HEBREW for 01

see HEBREW for 0251

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּן (ben) — son: child.

: child/son

בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;

son of: Jaaziah (H3269);

brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)

§ Beno = "his son"

the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)

בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.

: descendant, people, tribe, nation

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : child/son

בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.

: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : descendant

בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.

: rebel/son(Belial)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : people/men/nation/tribe

בֵּן (ben) — son.

: [inheriting]son/heir

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.

: warrior/son(strong)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural construct
HNcmpc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and they were summoned [the] people of Ammon and they encamped in Gilead and they gathered [the] people of Israel and they encamped at Mizpah
עַמּ֔וֹןa.Mon Ammon H5983 Noun proper masculine
106× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Ammon refers to a son of Lot and his descendants, who lived in Transjordan. The Ammonites are mentioned in the Bible as a distinct people. They appear in the book of Genesis and are also referenced in the history of the Israelites.
Tyndale gloss
Ammon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עַמּוֹן (Ammon) refers to a people descended from Lot, specifically through his son Ben-ammi. The term is associated with the Ammonites and their territory in Transjordan. It is derived from a root meaning 'tribal' or 'inbred.' The entries consistently identify Ammon as both a person and a group.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עַמּוֹן 106 n.pr.gent. Ammon

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5983 עַמּוֹן Ammon

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5983 `Ammown am-mone'

from 5971; tribal, i.e. inbred; Ammon, a son of Lot; also his

posterity and their country:--Ammon, Ammonites.

see HEBREW for 05971

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַמּוֹן (am.mon) — Ammon.

§ Ammon = "tribal"

a people dwelling in Transjordan descended from Lot through Ben-ammi

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNpm — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Ammon

Another form of the name Ben-ammi, the son of Lot (Gen. 19:38). This name is also used for his posterity (Ps. 83:7).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(sons of renown, mountaineers), Am’monites, Children of Ammon, A people descended from Ben-ammi, the son of Lot by his younger daughter. (Genesis 19:38) comp Psal 83:7,8 The Ammonites are frequently mentioned with the Moabites (descendants of Ben-ammi’s half-brother), and sometimes under the same name. Comp. (Judges 10:6; 2 Chronicles 20:1; Zephaniah 2:8) etc. The precise position of the territory of the Ammonites is not ascertainable. In the earliest mention of them, (2:20) they are said to have dwelt in their place, Jabbok being their border. (Numbers 21:24; 2:37; 3:16) (i.e. Land or country is, however, but rarely…

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

a people; the son of my people

Nave's Topical Bible

→ See BEN-AMMI

and they were summoned [the] people of Ammon and they encamped in Gilead and they gathered [the] people of Israel and they encamped at Mizpah
וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּvai.ya.cha.Nu and they encamped H2583 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
143× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew verb means to set up camp or pitch a tent, like when the Israelites encamped in the wilderness. It can also mean to lay siege against a city.
Amplified meaning
pitched their tents, encamped
Tyndale gloss
to camp
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חָנָה (chanah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to decline, bend down, or encamp. It conveys the idea of inclining or settling, particularly in the context of pitching a tent or establishing a temporary dwelling. The word appears in various forms, including the act of encamping or laying siege. It is associated with the imagery of the evening's slanting rays and the conclusion of a day's journey.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חָנָה 143 vb. decline, bend down, encamp

Qal

decline, of day drawing to its close

encamp (prop. verge toward, incline to, settle at, of goal of day’s march)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2583 חָנָה decline, bend down, encamp

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2583 chanah khaw-naw'

a primitive root (compare 2603); properly, to incline; by

implication, to decline (of the slanting rays of evening);

specifically, to pitch a tent; gen. to encamp (for abode or

siege):--abide (in tents), camp, dwell, encamp, grow to an

end, lie, pitch (tent), rest in tent.

see HEBREW for 02603

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חָנָה (cha.nah) — to camp.

1) to decline, incline, encamp, bend down, lay siege against

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to decline

1a2) to encamp

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vqw3mp
and they were summoned [the] people of Ammon and they encamped in Gilead and they gathered [the] people of Israel and they encamped at Mizpah
בַּגִּלְעָ֑דba.gil.'Ad in Gilead H1568 Preposition · noun proper
134× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Gilead refers to a mountainous region east of the Jordan River, also the name of three Israelites. It means 'rocky region' and is sometimes called 'Mount Gilead'.
Amplified meaning
a mountainous region east of the Jordan River
Tyndale gloss
(Mount) Gilead
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

גִּלְעָד (Gil'ad) refers to a mountainous region east of the Jordan River, known as 'rocky region'. It encompasses both a land area and a city, often divided into northern and southern Gilead. The term also identifies several individuals from the tribe of Manasseh, including a notable figure, Jephthah. The lexicons agree on its geographical significance and historical references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

גִּלְעָד n.pr.loc. of mountain-range or hill-country, land & city, E. of Jordan territory S. of Jabboḳ

Northern Gilead

more generally, of all Gilead

name of a city

of Israelites living E. of Jordan (as a whole)

treated as n.pr.m.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1568 גִּלְעָד of mountain-range or hill-country, land & city, E. of Jordan

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1568 Gil`ad ghil-awd'

probably from 1567; Gilad, a region East of the Jordan; also

the name of three Israelites:--Gilead, Gileadite.

see HEBREW for 01567

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

גִּלְעָד (gil.ad) — Gilead.

Gilead = "rocky region"

a mountainous region bounded on the west by the Jordan, on the north by Bashan, on the east by the Arabian plateau, and on the south by Moab and Ammon; sometimes called 'Mount Gilead' or the 'land of Gilead' or just 'Gilead'. Divided into north and south Gilead

Also named: gil.a.di (גִּלְעָדִי "Gileadite" H1569)

גִּלְעָד (gil.ad) — Gilead.

A man of the tribe of Manasseh living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Num.26.29;

son of: Machir (H4353);

brother of: daughter_of_Machir (H4353I), Peresh (H6570), Sheresh (H8329) and Hammolecheth (H4447);

father of: Abiezer (H0044I), Helek (H2507), Asriel (H0844), Shechem (H7928), Shemida (H8061) and Hepher (H2660A)

§ Gilead = "rocky region"

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun proper
HRd/Npl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Gilead

Hill of testimony, (Gen. 31:21), a mountainous region east of Jordan. From its mountainous character it is called “the mount of Gilead” (Gen. 31:25). It is called also “the land of Gilead” (Num. 32:1), and sometimes simply “Gilead” (Ps. 60:7; Gen. 37:25). It comprised the possessions of the tribes of Gad and Reuben and the south part of Manasseh (Deut. 3:13; Num. 32:40). It was bounded on the north by Bashan, and on the south by Moab and Ammon (Gen.…

(rocky region). A mountainous region bounded on the west by the Jordan, on the north by Bashan, on the east by the Arabian plateau, and on the south by Moab and Ammon. (Genesis 31:21; 3:12-17) It is sometimes called "Mount Gilead," (Genesis 31:25) sometimes "the land of Gilead," (Numbers 32:1) and sometimes simply "Gilead." (Psalms 60:7; Genesis 37:25) The name Gilead, as is usual in Palestine, describes the physical aspect of the country: it signifies "a hard rocky region." The mountains of Gilead, including Pisgah, Abarim and Peor, have a real elevation of from 2000 to 3000 feet; but their apparent elevation on the…

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

the heap or mass of testimony

Nave's Topical Bible

1. A region east of the Jordan River allotted to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh Nu 32:1-30; De 3:13; 34:1; 2Ki 10:33

Reubenites expel the Hagarites from 1Ch 5:9,10,18-22

Ammonites make war against; defeated by Jephthah Jud 11

The prophet Elijah a native of 1Ki 17:1

David retreats to, at the time of Absalom's rebellion 2Sa 17:16,22,24

Pursued into, by Absalom 2Sa 17:26

Absalom defeated and slain in the forests of 2Sa 18:9

and they were summoned [the] people of Ammon and they encamped in Gilead and they gathered [the] people of Israel and they encamped at Mizpah
וַיֵּאָֽסְפוּ֙vai.ye.'a.se.Fu and they gathered H622 Verb · Niphal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
200× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To gather means to bring people or things together, often for a purpose like worship or community. It can also mean to take away or remove something, like gathering a harvest. This word appears in books like Genesis and Psalms.
Amplified meaning
gathered together, came together
Tyndale gloss
to gather
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָסַף (acaph) is a Hebrew verb meaning to gather or remove. It encompasses a range of actions including collecting, assembling, and withdrawing. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal, Niphal, Piel, and Hithpael, indicating different nuances like gathering individuals or being gathered. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָסַף 209 vb. gather, remove

Qal

gather, collect

gather an individual into company of others

bring up the rear of

gather and take away, remove, withdraw

Niph.

assemble, be gathered, reflex.

pass. of Qal 2

Pass. of Qal 4; be taken away, removed, perish

Pi.

gather harvest

take in, receive into

as subst. rearguard, rearward

Pu. be gathered, of men

Hithp. gather themselves

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H622 אָסַף gather, remove

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

622 'acaph aw-saf'

a primitive root; to gather for any purpose; hence, to

receive, take away, i.e. remove (destroy, leave behind, put

up, restore, etc.):--assemble, bring, consume, destroy,

felch, gather (in, together, up again), X generally, get

(him), lose, put all together, receive, recover (another from

leprosy), (be) rereward, X surely, take (away, into, up), X

utterly, withdraw.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָסַף (a.saph) — to gather.

1) to gather, receive, remove, gather in

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to gather, collect

1a2) to gather (an individual into company of others)

1a3) to bring up the rear

1a4) to gather and take away, remove, withdraw

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to assemble, be gathered

1b2) (pass of Qal 1a2)

1b2a) to be gathered to one's fathers

1b2b) to be brought in or into (association with others)

1b3) (pass of Qal 1a4)

1b3a) to be taken away, removed, perish

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to gather (harvest)

1c2) to take in, receive into

1c3) rearguard, rearward (subst)

1d) (Pual) to be gathered

1e) (Hithpael) to gather oneself or themselves

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Niphal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Niphal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/VNw3mp
and they were summoned [the] people of Ammon and they encamped in Gilead and they gathered [the] people of Israel and they encamped at Mizpah
בְּנֵ֣יbe.Nei [the] people of H1121 Noun common · masculine plural construct
4,943× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means a son or descendant, and can also refer to a grandson, nation, or quality. It appears in 1 Chronicles 24, describing a Levite named Beno. The word is used to show family relationships and inheritance.
Amplified meaning
sons of Israel, descendants of Jacob
Tyndale gloss
son: child
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּן 4870 n.m. son

son, male child, born of a woman

children (male and female)

youth, young men

the young of animals

of plant shoots

fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

member of a guild, order or class

of animals son of (the) herd

ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

n. relat. of age

base

בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.

done

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman

. children (male and female)

. youth, young men

. the young of animals

. of plant shoots

. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

. . member of a guild, order or class

. of animals son of (the) herd

. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

. n. relat. of age

H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1121 ben bane

from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the

widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,

including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,

etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)

(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,

(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,

bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X

came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of

first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +

kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)

people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +

spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous

one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.

see HEBREW for 01129

see HEBREW for 01

see HEBREW for 0251

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּן (ben) — son: child.

: child/son

בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;

son of: Jaaziah (H3269);

brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)

§ Beno = "his son"

the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)

בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.

: descendant, people, tribe, nation

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : child/son

בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.

: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : descendant

בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.

: rebel/son(Belial)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : people/men/nation/tribe

בֵּן (ben) — son.

: [inheriting]son/heir

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.

: warrior/son(strong)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural construct
HNcmpc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and they were summoned [the] people of Ammon and they encamped in Gilead and they gathered [the] people of Israel and they encamped at Mizpah
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'El Israel H3478 Noun proper
2,508× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Israel is the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants. Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebekah, had 12 sons who became the tribes of Israel, as told in Genesis 25:26. His story is crucial to the Bible's narrative.
Tyndale gloss
Israel
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisra'el) refers to both the second name of Jacob, meaning 'God prevails,' and the name of the Hebrew nation descended from him. It is derived from roots meaning 'to rule' and 'God.' The term encompasses Jacob's descendants and is used historically for the northern kingdom of Israel and the nation as a whole after the Babylonian exile.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יִשְׂרָאֵל 2507 n.pr.m. et gent. Israel (Ēl persisteth, persevereth)

n.pr.m. second name of Jacob

n.pr.gent. name of Hebrew nation

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3478 יִשְׂרָאֵל Israel (Ēl persisteth, persevereth) . n. pr. m. second name of Jacob

. n. pr. gent. name of Hebrew nation

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3478 Yisra'el yis-raw-ale'

from 8280 and 410; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical

name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity:

--Israel.

see HEBREW for 08280

see HEBREW for 0410

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יִשְׂרָאֵל (yis.ra.el) — Israel.

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.26;

son of: Isaac (H3327) and Rebekah (H7259);

brother of: Esau (H6215); married to Rachel (H7354), Leah (H3812), Zilpah (H2153) and Bilhah (H1090A);

father of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); also called Jacob frequently

§ Israel = "God prevails"

1) the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel

2) the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob

2a) the name of the nation until the death of Solomon and the split

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNpl — Noun proper
HNpl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

iz'-ra-el.

See JACOB.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Israel

The name conferred on Jacob after the great prayer-struggle at Peniel (Gen. 32:28), because “as a prince he had power with God and prevailed.” (See JACOB.) This is the common name given to Jacob’s descendants. The whole people of the twelve tribes are called “Israelites,” the “children of Israel” (Josh. 3:17; 7:25; Judg. 8:27; Jer. 3:21), and the “house of Israel” (Ex. 16:31; 40:38).

This name Israel is sometimes used emphatically for the true Israel (Ps. 73:1: Isa. 45:17; 49:3;

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(the prince that prevails with God). The name given, (Genesis 32:28) to Jacob after his wrestling with the angel, (Hosea 12:4) at Peniel. Gesenius interprets Israel "soldier of God." It became the national name of the twelve tribes collectively. They are so called in (Exodus 3:16) and afterward. It is used in a narrower sense, excluding Judah, in (1 Samuel 11:8; 2 Samuel 20:1; 1 Kings 12:16) Thenceforth it was assumed and accepted as the name of the northern kingdom. After the Babylonian captivity, the returned exiles resumed the name Israel as the designation of…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Who prevails with God, a name given to Jacob, after having wrestled with the Angel-Jehovah at Penuel. Ge 32:1,2,28,30 Ho 12:3. See JACOB. By the name Israel is sometimes understood all the posterity of Israel, the seed of Jacob, 1Co 10:18; sometimes all true believers, his spiritual seed, Ro 9:6; and sometimes the kingdom of Israel, or the ten tribes, as distinct from the kingdom of Judah.

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they were summoned [the] people of Ammon and they encamped in Gilead and they gathered [the] people of Israel and they encamped at Mizpah
וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּvai.ya.cha.Nu and they encamped H2583 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
143× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew verb means to set up camp or pitch a tent, like when the Israelites encamped in the wilderness. It can also mean to lay siege against a city.
Amplified meaning
pitched their tents, set up their army
Tyndale gloss
to camp
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חָנָה (chanah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to decline, bend down, or encamp. It conveys the idea of inclining or settling, particularly in the context of pitching a tent or establishing a temporary dwelling. The word appears in various forms, including the act of encamping or laying siege. It is associated with the imagery of the evening's slanting rays and the conclusion of a day's journey.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חָנָה 143 vb. decline, bend down, encamp

Qal

decline, of day drawing to its close

encamp (prop. verge toward, incline to, settle at, of goal of day’s march)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2583 חָנָה decline, bend down, encamp

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2583 chanah khaw-naw'

a primitive root (compare 2603); properly, to incline; by

implication, to decline (of the slanting rays of evening);

specifically, to pitch a tent; gen. to encamp (for abode or

siege):--abide (in tents), camp, dwell, encamp, grow to an

end, lie, pitch (tent), rest in tent.

see HEBREW for 02603

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חָנָה (cha.nah) — to camp.

1) to decline, incline, encamp, bend down, lay siege against

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to decline

1a2) to encamp

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vqw3mp
and they were summoned [the] people of Ammon and they encamped in Gilead and they gathered [the] people of Israel and they encamped at Mizpah
בַּמִּצְפָּֽה׃ba.mitz.Pah at Mizpah H4709 Preposition · noun proper
40× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Mitspah means watchtower, referring to a place in Palestine near Mount Hermon. It appears in the Bible as a location. The name is associated with a place of observation.
Amplified meaning
a place of watchfulness, a city in Gilead
Tyndale gloss
Mizpah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִצְפָּה (Mitspah) refers to a feminine noun meaning 'watchtower' or 'outlook-point.' It denotes two locations in Palestine, one in Gilead north of Jabbok associated with Laban's cairn, and another near Mount Hermon. There is some variation in spelling and interpretation, particularly regarding its connection to other locations like Ramoth.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִצְפָּה 38 n.pr.loc. (prop. outlook-point or -height)

in Gilead, expl. as name given to Laban’s cairn, N. of Jabbok

prob. S. of Jabbok

near Hermon

of sacred place in Benj.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4709 מִצְפָּה (prop. outlook-point or -height) . in Gilead, expl. as name given to Laban’s cairn, N. of Jabbok

. prob. S. of Jabbok

. near Hermon

. of sacred place in Benj.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4709 Mitspah mits-paw'

feminine of 4708; Mitspah, the name of two places in

Palestine:--Mitspah. (This seems rather to be only an

orthographic variation of 4708 when "in pause".)

see HEBREW for 04708

see HEBREW for 04708

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִצְפָּה (mits.pah) — Mizpah.

§ Mizpah = "watchtower"

a place in Gilead south of Jabbok

מִצְפָּה (mits.pah) — Mizpah.

Mizpah = "watchtower"

a place in Gilead north of Jabbok and location of Laban's cairn

Another spelling of ra.mot gi.l.ad (רָמֹת "Ramoth" H7433)

מִצְפָּה (mits.pah) — Mizpah.

§ Mizpah = "watchtower"

a place near Mount Hermon

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun proper
HRd/Npl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

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

and Miz’peh (a watch-tower), the name of several places in Palestine. The earliest of all, in order of the narrative, is the heap of stones piled up by Jacob and Laban, (Genesis 31:48) on Mount Gilead, ver. (Genesis 31:25) to serve both as a witness to the covenant then entered into and as a landmark of the boundary between them. ver. (Genesis 31:52) On this natural watch-tower did the children of Israel assemble for the choice of a leader to resist the children of Ammon. (Judges 10:17) There the fatal meeting took place between Jephthah and his daughter on his return from the war. ch. (Judges 11:34) It seems most…

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

Mizpeh, a watch-tower; speculation

Nave's Topical Bible

1. A city allotted to the tribe of Benjamin Jos 18:26

The Israelites assemble at Jud 20:1-3

And decree the penalty to be visited upon the Benjamites for their maltreatment of the Levite's concubine Jud 20:10

Assembled by Samuel so that he could reprove them for their idolatry 1Sa 7:5

They crown Saul king of Israel at 1Sa 10:17-25

A judgment seat of Samuel 1Sa 7:16

Walled up by Asa 1Ki 15:22; 2Ch 16:6

Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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