1 Samuel 7:12

1 Samuel 7:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Eben–ezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.
• New International Version (NIV)Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, "Till now the Lord has helped us."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

Context of 1 Samuel 7:12

10While Samuel was giving the burnt offerings to the Lord, the Philistines moved nearer to attack the Israelites. But the Lord caused a very loud noise of thunder to frighten the Philistines. They became very confused and they started to run away from the Israelites. 11Then the Israelite men came out from Mizpah. They chased the Philistines as far as a place near Beth-Kar. They killed the Philistines as they chased them. After that, Samuel took a stone. He fixed it in the ground between Mizpah and Shen. He called the stone Ebenezer. He said, ‘The Lord has helped us all this way.’ 13That is how the Israelites won the fight against the Philistines. The Philistines did not attack Israel land again. All the time that Samuel was alive, the Lord stopped the Philistines from attacking Israel. 14The Israelites took back the towns and the land that the Philistines had taken from them. These towns were between Ekron and Gath. Also, the Israelites and the Amorites did not fight against each other.

1 Samuel 7:12 word by word

וַיִּקַּ֨ח שְׁמוּאֵ֜ל אֶ֣בֶן אַחַ֗ת וַיָּ֤שֶׂם בֵּֽין־הַמִּצְפָּה֙ וּבֵ֣ין הַשֵּׁ֔ן וַיִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמָ֖הּ אֶ֣בֶן הָעָ֑זֶר וַיֹּאמַ֕ר עַד־הֵ֖נָּה עֲזָרָ֥נוּ יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then Samuelשְׁמוּאֵלshemû'êl · SamuelH8050
• tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• aאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• stoneאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH68
• and setשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
• between Mizpehמִצְפָּהmitspâh · MizpahH4709
• and Shenשֵׁןshên · ShenH8129
• and calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call byH7121
• the nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
• of it Eben–ezerאֶבֶן הָעֵזֶר'eben hâ‛êzer · EbenezerH72
• sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Hitherto hath the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• helpedעָזַר‛âzar · to helpH5826

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 7:12

• Genesis 28:18Early in the morning Jacob got up. He took the stone that he had put under his head. He made it stand up straight in the ground. He poured oil on top of it.
• Genesis 31:45So Jacob took a large stone and made it stand up in the ground.
• Genesis 35:14Jacob set up a special stone on the ground. It showed the place where God had spoken to him. He poured a drink offering on the stone. He also poured olive oil on it.
• Joshua 4:9Joshua also made a heap of 12 stones in the middle of the Jordan River. He put them in the place where the priests with the Covenant Box had stood. Those stones are still there today.
• Joshua 24:26Joshua wrote these things in the Book of God's Law. Then he took a big stone. He stood it there under the oak tree that was near the Lord's holy place.
• Isaiah 19:19At that time, there will be an altar in the middle of Egypt's land, where people will worship the Lord. There will also be a tall stone for the Lord at Egypt's border.
• 1 Samuel 4:1Samuel spoke the Lord's messages to all the Israelites. The Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. The Israelite army put up their tents near the place called Ebenezer. The Philistine army put up their tents at Aphek.
• 1 Samuel 5:1When the Philistines took God's Covenant Box, they took it from Ebenezer to the town of Ashdod.
• Genesis 22:14Abraham called that place ‘The Lord will give me what I need.’ People still say today, ‘On the mountain of the Lord, he will give us what we need.’
• Exodus 17:15Then Moses used big stones to build an altar. He called it ‘The Lord is my flag in war’.
• Psalms 71:6Since I was born, you have been there to help me. You have taken care of me since my mother gave birth to me. So I will always praise you!
• Isaiah 46:3The Lord says, ‘Listen to me, you family of Jacob. Yes, listen to me, all you Israelites who are still alive. I have taken care of you since you first became a nation. I have carried you since you were born.
• Acts 26:22But God has helped me every day, even until today. So now I stand here and I can tell you what is true. I say the same thing to people who are very important and to people who are not important. I am telling you the same things that Moses and God's other prophets wrote about. They also said that these things would happen.
• 2 Corinthians 1:10We nearly died, but God saved us from that great danger. We know that we can continue to trust him. He will save us from any future danger.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 7:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Called the name of it Eben-ezer - העזר אבן Eben haezer, "The Stone of Help;" perhaps a pillar is meant by the word stone.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Shen was a tooth-pointed or sharp-pointed rock (see 1 Samuel 14:4), nowhere else mentioned and not identified.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-12Verses 7-12 The Philistines invaded Israel. When sinners begin to repent and reform, they must expect that Satan will muster all his force against them, and set his instruments at work to the utmost, to oppose and discourage them. The Israelites earnestly beg Samuel to pray for them. Oh what a comfort it is to all believers, that our great Intercessor above never ceases, is never silent! for he always appears in the presence of God for us. Samuel's…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12Ebenezer: We do not know where this stone memorial is located. The Philistines had defeated Israel and taken the ark at a place with the same name (1 Samuel 4:1; 5:1). Samuel set up this memorial to honor God's help in reversing the Philistine attacks.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen--on an open spot between the town and "the crag" (some well-known rock in the neighborhood). A huge stone pillar was erected as a monument of their victory (Le 26:1). The name--Eben-ezer--is thought to have been written on the face of it.Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 7:12

• Ebenezer
• Intercession
• Pillar
• Samuel
• Shen
• Stones
• Thankfulness

In the dictionaries

• Samuel
• Eben-Ezer
• David
• Ebenezer
• Idol
• Mizpah
• Prayer
• Samuel, Books of
• Shen
• Stone

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings