The Meaning of 1 Samuel 7:6 Explained

1 Samuel 7:6

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.

YLT: And they are gathered to Mizpeh, and draw water, and pour out before Jehovah, and fast on that day, and say there, 'We have sinned against Jehovah;' and Samuel judgeth the sons of Israel in Mizpeh.

Darby: And they gathered together to Mizpah, and drew water, and poured it out before Jehovah, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against Jehovah. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpah.

ASV: And they gathered together to Mizpah, and drew water, and poured it out before Jehovah, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against Jehovah. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 1 Samuel 7:6 Mean?

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 7:6 mean?

So they gathered together at Mizpah and drew water and poured [it] out before Yahweh and they fasted day that and said there we have sinned against Yahweh And judged Samuel - the sons of Israel at Mizpah
וַיִּקָּבְצ֣וּ הַ֠מִּצְפָּתָה וַיִּֽשְׁאֲבוּ־ מַ֜יִם וַֽיִּשְׁפְּכ֣וּ ׀ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֗ה וַיָּצ֙וּמוּ֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּ שָׁ֔ם חָטָ֖אנוּ לַיהוָ֑ה וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֧ט שְׁמוּאֵ֛ל אֶת־ בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בַּמִּצְפָּֽה

וַיִּקָּבְצ֣וּ  So  they  gathered  together 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: קָבַץ  
Sense: to gather, assemble.
הַ֠מִּצְפָּתָה  at  Mizpah 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: מִצְפָּה  
Sense: a place in Gilead north of Jabbok and location of Laban’s cairn.
וַיִּֽשְׁאֲבוּ־  and  drew 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁאַב  
Sense: to draw (water).
מַ֜יִם  water 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
וַֽיִּשְׁפְּכ֣וּ ׀  and  poured  [it]  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שֶׂפֶק 
Sense: to pour, pour out, spill.
לִפְנֵ֣י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יְהוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וַיָּצ֙וּמוּ֙  and  they  fasted 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: צוּם  
Sense: (Qal) to abstain from food, fast.
בַּיּ֣וֹם  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַה֔וּא  that 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּ  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
חָטָ֖אנוּ  we  have  sinned 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: חָטָא 
Sense: to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness.
לַיהוָ֑ה  against  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֧ט  And  judged 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁפַט  
Sense: to judge, govern, vindicate, punish.
שְׁמוּאֵ֛ל  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.
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.
בְּנֵ֥י  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
בַּמִּצְפָּֽה  at  Mizpah 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְפָּה  
Sense: a place in Gilead north of Jabbok and location of Laban’s cairn.