Albert Barnes Commentary Judges 10:17

"Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpah." — Judges 10:17 (ASV)

The historian, having recounted the preliminary events, now comes to the culminating event that is the subject of his narrative. On one particular occasion, as on many previous ones, the Ammonites were encamped in Gilead, intending to dispossess the Israelites of the entire country—or at least as far as the Jabbok River (Judges 11:13)—and to invade the tribes west of the Jordan. The Israelites east of the Jordan gathered to resist them and pitched their camp in Mizpeh. The narrative then proceeds to detail what happened.

Mizpeh—as its name, “watchtower” or “lookout,” indicates—was situated on a height of Mount Gilead and was, consequently, a strong post. It is almost always written “THE Mizpeh,” or watchtower. Four or five places with this name appear in Scripture.