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Friday, August 29th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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Read the Bible

Complete Jewish Bible

Joshua 18:26

Mitzpeh, K'firah, Motzah,

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Benjamin;   Chephirah;   Mizpah;   Mozah;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Benjamin, Tribe of;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Mizpah or Mizpeh;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Benjamin;   Kiriath-jearim;   Palestine;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Benjamin;   Mizpah;   Mozah;   Nob;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Avim;   Chephirah;   Mizpah;   Mozah;   Nob;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Chephirah;   Mizpah, Mizpeh;   Mozah;   Tribes of Israel, the;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Benjamin;   Chephirah;   Joshua;   Priests and Levites;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Emmaus ;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Chephirah ;   Mizpah, Mizpeh ;   Mozah ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chephirah;   Mizpah;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Miz'pah;   Mo'zah;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Chephirah;   Emmaus;   Joshua, Book of;   Mizpah;   Mozah;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Benjamin;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Chephirah;   Mizpah;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah,
Hebrew Names Version
and Mitzpeh, and Kefirah, and Motzah,
King James Version
And Mizpeh, and Chephirah, and Mozah,
Lexham English Bible
Mizpeh, Kephirah, Mozah,
English Standard Version
Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah,
New Century Version
Mizpah, Kephirah, Mozah,
New English Translation
Mizpah, Kephirah, Mozah,
Amplified Bible
and Mizpeh and Chephirah and Mozah,
New American Standard Bible
Mizpeh, Chephirah, and Mozah,
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Mizpeh, & Chephirah, and Mozah,
Legacy Standard Bible
and Mizpeh and Chephirah and Mozah,
Darby Translation
and Mizpeh, and Chephirah, and Mozah,
Easy-to-Read Version
Mizpah, Kephirah, Mozah,
George Lamsa Translation
Mizpah, Chepirah, Mozah,
Good News Translation
Mizpah, Chephirah, Mozah,
Literal Translation
and Mizpeh, and Chephirah, and Mozah,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Mispa, Caphira, Moza,
American Standard Version
and Mizpeh, and Chephirah, and Mozah,
Bible in Basic English
And Mizpeh and Chephirah and Mozah
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Mispeh, Chephirah, and Mosah,
JPS Old Testament (1917)
and Mizpeh, and Chephirah, and Mozah;
King James Version (1611)
And Mizpeh, and Chephirah, and Mozah,
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
and Massema, and Miron, and Amoke;
English Revised Version
and Mizpeh, and Chephirah, and Mozah;
Berean Standard Bible
Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and Beroth, and Mesphe, and Caphera, and Ammosa,
Young's Literal Translation
and Mizpeh, and Chephirah, and Mozah,
Update Bible Version
and Mizpeh, and Chephirah, and Mozah,
Webster's Bible Translation
And Mizpeh, and Chephirah, and Mozah,
World English Bible
and Mizpeh, and Chephirah, and Mozah,
New King James Version
Mizpah, Chephirah, Mozah,
New Living Translation
Mizpah, Kephirah, Mozah,
New Life Bible
Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah,
New Revised Standard
Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and Mizpeh and Chephirah, and Mozah,
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Mesphe, and Caphara, and Amosa,
Revised Standard Version
Mizpeh, Chephi'rah, Mozah,
New American Standard Bible (1995)
and Mizpeh and Chephirah and Mozah,

Contextual Overview

11 The lot for the tribe of the descendants of Binyamin came up according to their families. The border of their territory chosen by lot was between the descendants of Y'hudah and the descendants of Yosef. 12 On the north side, their border began at the Yarden, went up alongside Yericho on the north, continued up through the hills westward and arrived at the Beit-Aven Desert. 13 From there the border passed on to Luz, to the south side of Luz (that is, Beit-El); then the border went down to ‘Atrot-Adar, by the hill on the south side of Lower Beit-Horon. 14 The border was delineated as turning at the western corner and heading southward, from the hill located in front of Beit-Horon on the south; and it ended at Kiryat-Ba‘al (that is, Kiryat-Ye‘arim), a city belonging to the descendants of Y'hudah; this was the west side. 15 On the south the border extended westward from the most distant part of Kiryat-Ye‘arim, going out to the source of the Neftoach Spring. 16 Then the border went down to the farthest part of the hill located in front of the Ben-Hinnom Valley, north of the Refa'im Valley, south of the Y'vusi; and continued down to ‘Ein-Rogel, 17 where it was drawn to the north; then it went on to ‘Ein-Shemesh; continued to G'lilot, which is across from Ma‘alei-Adumim; went down to the Stone of Bohan the son of Re'uven; 18 passed alongside the ‘Aravah, heading north; and went down to the ‘Aravah. 19 Then the border passed alongside Beit-Hoglah, heading north; and the border ended at the north bay of the Dead Sea, at the south end of the Yarden; this was the south border. 20 The Yarden was to be its border on the east side. This was the inheritance of the descendants of Binyamin, defined by its surrounding borders, according to their families.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Mizpeh: Situated not far from Rama, forty stadia from Jerusalem. Judges 10:17

Chephirah: Joshua 9:17, Ezra 2:25

Reciprocal: Joshua 11:3 - land Judges 19:13 - Gibeah Judges 20:1 - in Mizpeh 1 Kings 15:22 - Mizpah 2 Chronicles 16:6 - Mizpah

Cross-References

Isaiah 6:13
If even a tenth [of the people] remain, it will again be devoured. "But like a pistachio tree or an oak, whose trunk remains alive after its leaves fall off, the holy seed will be its trunk."
Isaiah 10:22
For, although your people, Isra'el, are like the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. Destruction is decreed, overflowing with justice.
Isaiah 19:24
On that day Isra'el will be a third partner with Egypt and Ashur, a blessing here on earth;
Isaiah 65:8
Here is what Adonai says: "As when juice is found in a cluster of grapes, and people say, ‘Don't destroy it, there is still some good in it,' so I will do likewise for the sake of my servants, and not destroy them all.
Jeremiah 5:1
"Roam the streets of Yerushalayim look around, observe and ask in its open spaces: if you can find anyone (if there is anyone!) who acts with justice and seeks the truth, I will pardon her.
Ezekiel 22:30
"‘I sought for a man among them who could build a barricade or stand in the break to oppose me on behalf of the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.
Matthew 24:22
Indeed, if the length of this time had not been limited, no one would survive; but for the sake of those who have been chosen, its length will be limited.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Mizpeh,.... Frequent mention is made of Mizpeh in Scripture; according to Fuller t, it was about eight miles from Gibeah; it was near Ramathon, which Josephus says u was forty furlongs from Jerusalem;

and Chephirah was one of the cities subject to Gibeon, Joshua 9:17.

and Mozah; there was a place called Motza, near to Jerusalem, where they used to go to get willows at the feast of tabernacles w.

t Pisgah-Sight, B. 2. c. 12. p. 209. u Antiqu. l. 8. c. 12. sect. 3. w Misn. Succah, c. 4. sect. 5.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the marginal references. There are many indications found in this and the next chapter that the text is in great disorder, and many of the places are still unknown.

Joshua 18:14

And compassed the corner ... - Render “and turned on the west side southward.” The meaning is, that at lower Beth-horon the northern boundary-line of Benjamin curved round and ran southward - Beth-horon being its extreme westerly point.

Joshua 18:21

The “Valley of Keziz,” or “Emek-Keziz,” is perhaps the “Wady el Kaziz,” at no great distance east of Jerusalem.

Joshua 18:22

Zemaraim, i. e. “two wooded hills,” is supposed to be the ruins called “Es-Sumrah,” on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho.

Joshua 18:23

Ophrah (Joshua 15:9 note), to be distinguished here and in 1 Samuel 13:17 from the Ophrah of Judges 6:11, is probably the Ephrain of 2 Chronicles 13:19, and the Ephraim of John 11:54. It is conjecturally identified with “Et-Taiyibeh,” on the road from Jerusalem to Bethel.

Joshua 18:24

Gaba - This name, like Gibeah, Gibeon, etc. Joshua 9:3, indicates a town placed on a hill, and occurs repeatedly in various forms in the topography of Palestine. Gaba is the Gibeah (if 1 Samuel 13:15-16; 1 Samuel 14:5, where the Hebrew has גבע Geba‛, which is undoubtedly the correct reading throughout. The city was one of those assigned to the Levites Joshua 21:17, and lay on the northern border of Judah. It is identified with the modern “Jeba,” lying on the side of a deep ravine opposite to Michmash (“Mukhmas”). The famous “Gibeah of Saul,” or “Giheah of Benjamin” (the Gibeath of Joshua 18:28) lay at no great distance southwest of Geba, on the high road from Jerusalem to Bethel, and is probably to be looked for in the lofty and isolated “Tulcil-el-Ful.”

Joshua 18:25

Ramah - i. e. “lofty;” probably the native town and abode of Samuel 1Sa 1:19; 1 Samuel 25:1. Its exact site is uncertain.

Joshua 18:26

Mizpeh - See Joshua 11:3. Not the Mizpeh of Joshua 15:38, but the place where Samuel judged the people and called them together for the election of a king 1 Samuel 7:5-16; 1 Samuel 10:17. In the Chaldaean times it was the residence of Gedaliah 2 Kings 25:22; Jeremiah 40:14. Its site is identified with “Neby Samwil,” about five miles northwest of Jerusalem.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Joshua 18:26. And Mizpeh — This place is celebrated in the sacred writings. Here the people were accustomed to assemble often in the presence of the Lord, as in the deliberation concerning the punishment to be inflicted on the men of Gibeah, for the abuse of the Levite's wife. Judges 20:1-3. Samuel assembled the people here to exhort them to renounce their idolatry, 1 Samuel 7:5-6. In this same place Saul was chosen to be king, 1 Samuel 10:17. It was deemed a sacred place among the Israelites; for we find, from 1Mac 3:46, that the Jews assembled here to seek God, when their enemies were in possession of the temple.


 
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