Meaning & use
Mizpah
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountablereligion
A Hebrew word meaning 'watchtower', used as a blessing or token of affection between people who are parting.
Grammar: Often used before 'ring' or 'pendant': a Mizpah pendant; usually capitalized.
Patterns
- a Mizpah pendant
- the Mizpah blessing
She wore a Mizpah pendant, a gift from her brother before he went overseas.
The soldier left his wife half of a Mizpah coin.
They spoke the Mizpah blessing at the station.
proper nounproperreligion
A place name in the Bible, where people gathered and made agreements before God.
Grammar: A proper noun; no article: they met at Mizpah.
Patterns
- at Mizpah
In the story, the tribes assembled at Mizpah.
Mizpah is named in several books of the Old Testament.
The sermon explored the covenant made at Mizpah.
Common combinations
- Mizpah pendant
- The Mizpah pendant came in two matching halves.
- Mizpah coin
- A Mizpah coin was a common keepsake in the First World War.
- Mizpah blessing
- The pastor ended with the Mizpah blessing.
- Mizpah ring
- She kept her grandmother's Mizpah ring in a drawer.
Synonyms and how they differ
- keepsake
- A keepsake is any small gift kept to remember someone, but Mizpah names a particular blessing.
- farewell
- Farewell is a general parting word, while Mizpah carries a religious wish for God's watching over the pair.
- token
- A token is a small object standing for affection, whereas Mizpah is also the words that go with it.
Word family
- Mizpeh proper noun
- a variant spelling of the biblical place name
- watchtower noun
- the English meaning of the Hebrew word
Practice
A Mizpah pendant is traditionally given to ______.
Choose one answer.
Mizpah tokens express a bond between people who are separated. The other occasions are unrelated to the blessing.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Mizpah”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.