Mizpah is a biblical place name whose exact location is unknown. However, it is presumed to be in the plains north of Jerusalem. It is also the place where Jacob, after escaping from Laban and returning to his homeland, was pursued by Laban, who was blinded by greed, trying to capture Jacob. After Jacob's protest and God's grace, Laban changed his mind and made a covenant of peace. Laban called this place Jegar-sahadutha, and Jacob also called it Galeed.
Genesis 31:44Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.Genesis 31:45Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” They took stones, and made a heap. They ate there by the heap.Genesis 31:46Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.Genesis 31:47Laban said, “This heap is witness between me and you today.” Therefore it was named GaleedGenesis 31:48and Mizpah, for he said, “Yahweh watch between me and you, when we are absent one from another.Genesis 31:49If you afflict my daughters, or if you take wives in addition to my daughters, no man is with us; behold, God is witness between me and you.”
Judges 20:1The chiefs of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen who drew sword.Judges 20:2(Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel) had gone up to Mizpah.) The children of Israel said, “Tell us, how did this wickedness happen?”Judges 20:3The Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered, “I came into Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night.
특히 유명한 것은 사무엘이 이스라엘 백성을 모으고 회개기도를 시킨 것으로 현대 한국에서도 '미스바 회개운동'과 같은 이름으로 사용되는 기원이 된다.
1 Samuel 7:5They gathered together to Mizpah), and drew water, and poured it out before Yahweh, and fasted on that day, and said there, “We have sinned against Yahweh.” Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpah.1 Samuel 7:6When the Philistines) heard that the children of Israel)) were gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. When the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.1 Samuel 7:7The children of Israel said to Samuel, “Don’t stop crying to Yahweh our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.”1 Samuel 7:8Samuel took a suckling lamb, and offered it for a whole burnt offering to Yahweh. Samuel cried to Yahweh for Israel; and Yahweh answered him.1 Samuel 7:9As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines) came near to battle against Israel); but Yahweh thundered with a great thunder on that day on the Philistines, and confused them; and they were struck down before Israel.1 Samuel 7:10The men of Israel went out of Mizpah, and pursued the Philistines, and struck them, until they came under Beth Kar.1 Samuel 7:11Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, “Yahweh helped us until now.”1 Samuel 7:12So the Philistines) were subdued, and they stopped coming within the border of Israel. Yahweh’s hand was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.1 Samuel 7:13The cities which the Philistines) had taken from Israel))) were restored to Israel, from Ekron even to Gath; and Israel recovered its border out of the hand of the Philistines. There was peace between Israel and the Amorites.1 Samuel 7:14Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.1 Samuel 7:15He went from year to year in a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah; and he judged Israel in all those places.1 Samuel 7:16His return was to Ramah, for his house was there; and he judged Israel there; and he built an altar to Yahweh there.
또한 사울을 왕으로 뽑기 위해 회중을 모았을 때도 이곳에서 모였다.
1 Samuel 10:17and he said to the children of Israel)), “Yahweh, the God of Israel, says ‘I brought Israel up out of Egypt), and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all the kingdoms that oppressed you.’
유다 왕국이 바벨론에게 멸망당한 뒤에 유다 지방의 총독으로 그다랴를 세웠는데, 이 지역에서 터를 잡고 지배를 했던 것으로 보인다.
Jeremiah 41:1Then Ishmael the son of Nethaniah arose, and the ten men who were with him, and struck Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword and killed him, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land.Jeremiah 41:2Ishmael also killed all the Jews who were with him, with Gedaliah, at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans who were found there, the men of war.Jeremiah 41:3The second day after he had killed Gedaliah, and no man knew it,Jeremiah 41:4men came from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, even eighty men, having their beards shaved and their clothes torn, and having cut themselves, with meal offerings and frankincense in their hand, to bring them to Yahweh’s house.Jeremiah 41:5Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping all along as he went: and as he met them, he said to them, “Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam.”Jeremiah 41:6It was so, when they came into the middle of the city, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah killed them, and cast them into the middle of the pit, he, and the men who were with him.Jeremiah 41:7But ten men were found among those who said to Ishmael, “Don’t kill us; for we have stores hidden in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey.” So he stopped, and didn’t kill them among their brothers.Jeremiah 41:8Now the pit in which Ishmael cast all the dead bodies of the men whom he had killed, by the side of Gedaliah (this was that which Asa the king had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel), Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with those who were killed.Jeremiah 41:9Then Ishmael carried away captive all of the people who were left in Mizpah), even the king’s daughters, and all the people who remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam. Ishmael the son of Nethaniah carried them away captive, and departed to go over to the children of Ammon.Jeremiah 41:10But when Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces who were with him, heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done,Jeremiah 41:11then they took all the men, and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and found him by the great waters that are in Gibeon.Jeremiah 41:12Now when all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces who were with him, then they were glad.Jeremiah 41:13So all the people who Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah turned about and came back, and went to Johanan the son of Kareah.Jeremiah 41:14But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men, and went to the children of Ammon.Jeremiah 41:15Then Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces who were with him took all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, from Mizpah, after he had killed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the men of war, with the women, the children, and the eunuchs, whom he had brought back from Gibeon.Jeremiah 41:16They departed and lived in Geruth Chimham, which is by Bethlehem, to go to enter into EgyptJeremiah 41:17because of the Chaldeans; for they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon made governor over the land.Jeremiah 41:18because of the Chaldeans; for they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon made governor over the land.
Nehemiah 3:7Next to him, Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, goldsmiths, made repairs. Next to him, Hananiah, one of the perfumers, made repairs, and they fortified Jerusalem even to the wide wall.