1Sa 7:12.
Eben-ezer (Heb. ‘Eben h>-‘ezer, “help stone”). 1. A place about 3 km east of Aphek,* where the Israelites camped during their war against the Philistines in the days of High Priest Eli. There they were defeated and the ark was captured (1Sa 4:1-11; 5:1). The site has not been identified with certainty. Kochavi identifies it with ‘Izbet Tsartah, a small mound to the east of Afec, where he unearthed remains of houses from the 13th to 11th centuries BC Among the finds one can mention a piece of pottery with some 80 Hebrew characters, next to which is almost everything the Hebrew alphabet (minus one letter) in a 12th century BC script Bib.: M. Kochavi, Tel Aviv 4 (1977):1-13. 341 2. Stone monument erected by the prophet Samuel between Mizpah and Shen, in the region where the Lord gave Israel a great victory over the Philistines under the leadership of Samuel (1Sa 7:10, 12), some 20 years after the battle mentioned in Eben-ezer 1. It is possible that Samuel named that monument at the site of the victory so that it would not be remembered with a defeat, but rather with a victory.
Source: Evangelical Bible Dictionary
(Heb., †™even-†™ezer, stone of help).
1. A town in Ephraim near Aphek where the Israelites camped before losing a battle with the Philistines (1Sa 4:1). These enemies of Israel captured the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to his city Ashdod (1Sa 5:1).
2. Later, God gave Israel victory over the Philistines. Samuel then took a stone and set it up as a reminder of the occasion, calling it Eben-ezer, the stone of help (1Sa 7:12).
Source: Hispanic World Bible Dictionary
(Help stone). OT place names.
1. Locality near †¢Aphek where the Philistines defeated the Israelites in the time of †¢Elí, and took the ark that had been brought by them to the battlefield. Eli’s sons died there (1Sa 4:1-11).
. Name that Samuel used to designate a stone commemorating the defeat of the Philistines in his day. He had first encouraged the Israelites to repentance. these “put away Baals and Ashtaroth, and served Jehovah only,” so on the day of battle “Jehovah thundered that day with a great noise upon the Philistines,” and they fled. The Israelites pursued them “down to Beth-car. Samuel then took a stone and placed it between Mizpah and Sen, and named it E., saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us” (1Sa 7:1-12).
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
vet, A so-called stone, which means “help stone”, placed by Samuel, after obtaining victory over the Philistines, as a memorial of the help received from God (1 Sam. 4:1; 5:1; 7:12). It would appear from the texts as if the stone had had this name before Samuel so designated it; but this can have its explanation based on the fact that the whole story had been written after the stone was named like that. The word has come to be symbolic of the expression: “Thus far Jehovah has helped us.”
Source: New Illustrated Bible Dictionary
(heb. ˒eḇen ˓ēzer‘help stone’, °vrv3 “Eben-ha-Ezer”).
1. Site of Israel’s double defeat at the hands of the Philistines near Aphek N Sharon. Eli’s sons were killed, the ark captured (1 Samuel 4:1–22), and a period of Philistine rule began that continued until the days of national recovery under the monarchy.
2. The name of the stone that Samuel erected between Mizpah and Sen some years after this battle, to commemorate his victory over the Philistines (1 Sam. 7.12). The stone was probably given the same name as the site of Israel’s previous defeat in order to give the impression that this defeat had already been avenged. The exact site where the stone was placed is not known.
RJW
Douglas, J. (2000). New Biblical Dictionary: First Edition. Miami: United Bible Societies.
Source: New Bible Dictionary