Each year he traveled around, setting up his court first at Bethel, then at Gilgal, and then at Mizpah. He judged the people of Israel at each of these places.
Parallel translations
- WEB He went from year to year in a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah; and he judged Israel in all those places.
- KJV And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places.
- BSB Every year he would go on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all these places.
- NKJV He went from year to year on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and judged Israel in all those places.
- NASB And he used to go annually on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and he judged Israel in all these places.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Samuel travels a yearly circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah to judge Israel.
Overview
Samuel's regular circuit shows diligent, accessible administration of justice across the land. By bringing leadership to the people, he models pastoral care and even-handed governance. These sites were significant centers of worship and assembly in Israel.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Judg 5:10“Speak, you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit on rich carpets, and you who walk by the way.
- Ps 75:2When I choose the appointed time, I will judge blamelessly.
- Judg 12:14He had forty sons and thirty sons’ sons, who rode on seventy donkey colts. He judged Israel eight years.
- Judg 10:4He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkey colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havvoth Jair to this day, which are in the land of Gilead.
- Ps 82:3–4“Defend the weak, the poor, and the fatherless. Maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The rise of the anointed king after Israel's failed first choice points to the true Anointed One (Messiah means 'anointed'), the shepherd-king after God's own heart from Bethlehem.
How 1 Samuel 7:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.