Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

EBENEZER

(Heb. ʾeen hāʿezer)

The place of the battle in which the Philistines captured the ark (1 Sam. 4:1; 5:1). Ebenezer is also where the Israelites under Samuel defeated the Philistines, after which he erected a monument that he named “Ebenezer” (lit., “Stone of Help”) to commemorate God’s aid (1 Sam. 7:12). Scholars have debated whether this represents one place or two. Since Samuel erects and names his monument Ebenezer after the battle of 1 Sam. 4 has already occurred, two distinct locations may be inferred. Furthermore, the Ebenezer in 1 Sam. 4 is near Aphek on the road from the Philistine coast to Shiloh, while the Ebenezer in 1 Sam. 7 is near Mizpah (Tell en-Nabeh) just N of Jerusalem. However, there is a narrative symmetry between the two battles, and the two accounts reflect the importance of Israel’s faithfulness to Yahweh in determining its fate, suggesting that the name may simply be a literary device.

Archaeologists have suggested identifying Ebenezer with ʿIzbet Òarah (14675.16795), a 4-dunam Israelite site near Aphek, if only because it is the nearest Israelite site facing Philistine Aphek. However, there is nothing other than its geographic correspondence to 1 Sam. 4 which can confirm its identity as Ebenezer.

Bibliography. I. Finkelstein, Izbet Sartah (Oxford, 1986).

Robert D. Miller, II







Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)

Info Language Arrow Return to Top
Prayer Tents is a Christian mission organization that serves Christians around the world and their local bodies to make disciples ("evangelize") more effectively in their communities. Prayer Tents provides resources to enable Christians to form discipleship-focused small groups and make their gatherings known so that other "interested" people may participate and experience Christ in their midst. Our Vision is to make disciples in all nations through the local churches so that anyone seeking God can come to know Him through relationships with other Christians near them.

© Prayer Tents 2024.
Prayer Tents Facebook icon Prayer Tents Twitter icon Prayer Tents Youtube icon Prayer Tents Linkedin icon