John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 5. And Samuel said, gather all Israel to Mizpeh , etc.] Not Mizpeh in Gilead, on the other side Jordan, but a city which lay on the borders of Judah and Benjamin, where the tribes met on the account of the Levite’s concubine, ( Judges 20:1). This order Samuel gave by messengers sent to the several tribes, or the heads of them, to meet him at this place: and I will pray for you unto the Lord ; no doubt he prayed for them privately, that the reformation begun might be carried on, and appear to be sincere, and hearty, and general, and universal; but he was desirous that they might appear in a body, and join with him in public prayer for their spiritual and temporal welfare; that they might have true repentance for their sins, reform from them, and have remission of them, and be delivered out of the hands of their enemies.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 5, 6 - Israel drew water and poured it out before the Lord; signifying their humiliation and sorrow for sin. They pour out their hearts in repentance before the Lord. They were free and full in their confession, and fixed in their resolution to cast away from them all their wrong doings. They made a public confession, We have sinne against the Lord; thus giving glory to God, and taking shame to themselves. And if we thus confess our sins, we shall find our God faithful and just to forgive us our sins.
Original Hebrew ויאמר559 שׁמואל8050 קבצו6908 את853 כל3605 ישׂראל3478 המצפתה4709 ואתפלל6419 בעדכם1157 אל413 יהוה׃3068
