1 Samuel 7:6

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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.
• 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.

Context of 1 Samuel 7:6

4So the Israelites got rid of their images of Baal and Ashtoreth and worshiped only the Lord. 5Then Samuel told them, “Gather all of Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.” 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.) 7When the Philistine rulers heard that Israel had gathered at Mizpah, they mobilized their army and advanced. The Israelites were badly frightened when they learned that the Philistines were approaching. 8“Don’t stop pleading with the Lord our God to save us from the Philistines!” they begged Samuel.

1 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 1:15“Oh no, sir!” she replied. “I haven’t been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the Lord.
• 2 Samuel 14:14All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him.
• Job 16:20My friends scorn me, but I pour out my tears to God.
• Psalms 6:6I am worn out from sobbing. All night I flood my bed with weeping, drenching it with my tears.
• Psalms 42:3Day and night I have only tears for food, while my enemies continually taunt me, saying, “Where is this God of yours?”
• Psalms 119:136Rivers of tears gush from my eyes because people disobey your instructions.
• Jeremiah 9:1If only my head were a pool of water and my eyes a fountain of tears, I would weep day and night for all my people who have been slaughtered.
• Lamentations 2:11I have cried until the tears no longer come; my heart is broken. My spirit is poured out in agony as I see the desperate plight of my people. Little children and tiny babies are fainting and dying in the streets.
• Lamentations 3:49My tears flow endlessly; they will not stop
• 2 Chronicles 20:3Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the Lord for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting.
• Ezra 8:21And there by the Ahava Canal, I gave orders for all of us to fast and humble ourselves before our God. We prayed that he would give us a safe journey and protect us, our children, and our goods as we traveled.
• Nehemiah 9:1On October 31 the people assembled again, and this time they fasted and dressed in burlap and sprinkled dust on their heads.
• Daniel 9:3So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting. I also wore rough burlap and sprinkled myself with ashes.
• Joel 2:12That is why the Lord says, “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
• Jonah 3:1Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time:
• Leviticus 26:40“But at last my people will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors for betraying me and being hostile toward 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

• Fasting
• Intercession
• Judge
• Repentance
• Revivals
• Samuel
• Water

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Samuel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Children of Israel
• That Day
• David
• Fast
• Judges, Book of
• Mizpah

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