English Standard Version
1 Samuel 7:6
6So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said there, "We have sinned against the Lord." And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah.
1 Samuel 7:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the Lord. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh.
- New International Version (NIV)When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.” Now Samuel was serving as leader of Israel at Mizpah.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So they gathered together at Mizpah, drew water, and poured it out before the Lord. And they fasted that day, and said there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpah.
- New Living Translation (NLT)So they gathered at Mizpah and, in a great ceremony, drew water from a well and poured it out before the Lord. They also went without food all day and confessed that they had sinned against the Lord. (It was at Mizpah that Samuel became Israel’s judge.)
Context of 1 Samuel 7:6
4So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the Lord only. 5Then Samuel said, "Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you." So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said there, "We have sinned against the Lord." And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah. 7Now when the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the people of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. 8And the people of Israel said to Samuel, "Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines."
Read all of 1 Samuel 71 Samuel 7:6 word by word
וַיִּקָּבְצ֣וּ הַ֠מִּצְפָּתָה וַיִּֽשְׁאֲבוּ־מַ֜יִם וַֽיִּשְׁפְּכ֣וּ׀ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֗ה וַיָּצ֙וּמוּ֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּ שָׁ֔ם חָטָ֖אנוּ לַיהוָ֑ה וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֧ט שְׁמוּאֵ֛ל אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בַּמִּצְפָּֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And they gathered togetherקָבַץqâbats · to gatherH6908
- to Mizpehמִצְפָּהmitspâh · MizpahH4709
- and drewשָׁאַבshâ'ab · to drawH7579
- waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
- outשָׁפַךְshâphak · to pour: pourH8210
- beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- and fastedצוּםtsûm · to fastH6684
- on that dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- there, We have sinnedחָטָאchâţâ' · to sinH2398
- And Samuelשְׁמוּאֵלshemû'êl · SamuelH8050
- judgedשָׁפַטshâphaţ · to judgeH8199
- the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- in Mizpehמִצְפֶּהmitspeh · MizpehH4708
Cross-references for 1 Samuel 7:6
- 1 Samuel 1:15But Hannah answered, "No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord.
- 2 Samuel 14:14We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God will not take away life, and he devises means so that the banished one will not remain an outcast.
- Job 16:20My friends scorn me; my eye pours out tears to God,
- Psalms 6:6I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping.
- Psalms 42:3My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, "Where is your God?"
- Psalms 119:136My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law.
- Jeremiah 9:1Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!
- Lamentations 2:11My eyes are spent with weeping; my stomach churns; my bile is poured out to the ground because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, because infants and babies faint in the streets of the city.
- Lamentations 3:49"My eyes will flow without ceasing, without respite,
- 2 Chronicles 20:3Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
- Ezra 8:21Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods.
- Nehemiah 9:1Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth on their heads.
- Daniel 9:3Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.
- Joel 2:12"Yet even now," declares the Lord, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
- Jonah 3:1Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying,
- Leviticus 26:40"But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers in their treachery that they committed against me, and also in walking contrary to me,
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 7:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Drew water, and poured it out - It is not easy to know what is meant by this; it is true that pouring out water, in the way of libation, was a religious ordinance among the Hebrews, ( Isaiah 12:3;), and among most other nations, particularly the Greeks and Romans, who used, not only water, but wine, milk, honey, and blood, as we find by Homer, Virgil, Euripides, Sophocles, Porphyry, and Lucian. Our Lord seems to allude to this ceremony, John 7:37-38…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6Two rites are brought together here which belong especially to the Feast of Tabernacles and the Day of Atonement, respectively, namely, drawing and pouring out water, and fasting. Hence, some think that Samuel chose the Feast of tabernacles, and the fast which preceded it, as the occasion for assembling the people. Others explain the pouring out water as the pouring out the heart in penitence as it were water; or, as a symbolic act expressing their ruin…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-6Verses 5-6 Israel drew water and poured it out before the Lord; signifying their humiliation and sorrow for sin. They pour out their hearts in repentance before the Lord. They were free and full in their confession, and fixed in their resolution to cast away from them all their wrong doings. They made a public confession, We have sinned against the Lord; thus giving glory to God, and taking shame to themselves. And if we thus confess our sins, we shall…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6drew water … poured it out: This ceremony is not mentioned elsewhere in the Old Testament. Sometimes, Israelites fasted (did not eat) to show grief or seek the Lord’s favor (2 Samuel 1:12; 12:22–23; 1 Kings 21:27; Ezra 8:21–23; Nehemiah 9:1; Esther 4:3, 16; Joel 2:12; compare Luke 2:37; Acts 13:2–3; 14:23). Having Samuel as Israel’s judge was refreshing compared to Eli’s poor leadership (see 1 Samuel 4:18 and 1 Samuel 4:18) and the leadership of some…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3-63-6. Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel--A great national reformation was effected through the influence of Samuel. Disgusted with their foreign servitude, and panting for the restoration of liberty and independence, they were open to salutary impressions; and convinced of their errors, they renounced idolatry. The re-establishment of the faith of their fathers was inaugurated at a great public meeting, held at Mizpeh in Judah, and hallowed by the…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Samuel 7:6
In the dictionaries
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries