The Meaning of 1 Samuel 7:12 Explained

1 Samuel 7:12

KJV: Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.

YLT: And Samuel taketh a stone, and setteth it between Mizpeh and Shen, and calleth its name Eben-Ezer, saying, 'Hitherto hath Jehovah helped us.'

Darby: And Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and called the name of it Eben-ezer, and said, Hitherto Jehovah has helped us.

ASV: Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and called the name of it Eben-ezer, saying, Hitherto hath Jehovah helped us.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then Samuel  took  a  stone,  and set  [it] between Mizpeh  and Shen,  and called  the name  of it Ebenezer,  saying,  Hitherto hath the LORD  helped  us. 

What does 1 Samuel 7:12 Mean?

Study Notes

Ebenezer
i.e. The stone of help.

Context Summary

1 Samuel 7:5-17 - Leading The Nation In God's Ways
We are here taught the successive steps that must be taken if revival is to be granted to either Church or individual.
1.Unity. All Israel was gathered. The divisions and jealousies of preceding years were renounced.
2.Confession. The people poured out their hearts before the Lord.
3.The abandonment of false gods. "They put away the Baalim and Ashtaroth and served the Lord only."
4.Intercessory prayer. The one condition of revival is to get back to prayer. "Cease not to cry unto the Lord our God for us."
5.Full surrender, as set forth in Samuel's burned-offering. Yield thyself to God, and thy Philistine sins, stealing up the valleys, will fall back discomfited, and thou shalt raise thine Ebenezer.
So Israel proved. There was immediate evidence that God had accepted them. Natural phenomena fought on their side. The very spot which had been the scene of defeat became the scene of glorious victory. Compare 1 Samuel 4:1; 1 Samuel 7:12. Here is great encouragement for us, for at certain spots in our life-experience we have been defeated; but just in these same spots, when the barriers which have intercepted God's help are leveled, we shall become more than conquerors. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 7

1  They of Kiriath Jearim bring the ark to Abinadab, and sanctify Eleazar as guard
2  After twenty years,
3  the Israelites, by Samuel's means, solemnly repent at Mizpeh
7  While Samuel prays and sacrifices,
10  the Lord thwarts the Philistines by thunder at Ebenezer
13  The Philistines are subdued
15  Samuel judges Israel

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 7:12 mean?

And took Samuel stone a and set [it] up between Mizpah and Shen and called - its name - Ebenezer and saying thus far thus has helped us Yahweh
וַיִּקַּ֨ח שְׁמוּאֵ֜ל אֶ֣בֶן אַחַ֗ת וַיָּ֤שֶׂם בֵּֽין־ הַמִּצְפָּה֙ וּבֵ֣ין הַשֵּׁ֔ן וַיִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־ שְׁמָ֖הּ אֶ֣בֶן הָעָ֑זֶר וַיֹּאמַ֕ר עַד־ הֵ֖נָּה עֲזָרָ֥נוּ יְהוָֽה

וַיִּקַּ֨ח  And  took 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
שְׁמוּאֵ֜ל  Samuel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁמוּאֵל  
Sense: son of Elkanah by his wife Hannah and judge or prophet of Israel during the days of Saul and David.
אֶ֣בֶן  stone 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶבֶן  
Sense: stone (large or small).
וַיָּ֤שֶׂם  and  set  [it]  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
בֵּֽין־  between 
Parse: Preposition
Root: בַּיִן 
Sense: between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between.
הַמִּצְפָּה֙  Mizpah 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְפָּה  
Sense: a place in Gilead north of Jabbok and location of Laban’s cairn.
הַשֵּׁ֔ן  Shen 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שֵׁן  
Sense: a place in Palestine.
וַיִּקְרָ֥א  and  called 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
שְׁמָ֖הּ  its  name 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
אֶ֣בֶן  - 
Parse:
הָעָ֑זֶר  Ebenezer 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶבֶן הָעֵזֶר 
Sense: memorial stone erected by Samuel to mark where God helped Israel to defeat the Philistines—north of Jerusalem.
וַיֹּאמַ֕ר  and  saying 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
עַד־  thus  far 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
הֵ֖נָּה  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: הֵנָּה  
Sense: here, there, now, hither.
עֲזָרָ֥נוּ  has  helped  us 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular, first person common plural
Root: עָזַר  
Sense: to help, succour, support.
יְהוָֽה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.