Lexical Summary metsurah: Fortress, stronghold, siege, entrenchment Original Word: מְצוּרָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance fenced city, fort, munition, stronghold Or mtsurah {mets-oo-raw'}; feminine of matsowr; a hemming in, i.e. (objectively) a mound (of siege), or (subjectively) a rampart (of protection), (abstractly) fortification -- fenced (city, fort, munition, strong hold. see HEBREW matsowr NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom tsur Definition siegeworks, rampart NASB Translation battle towers (1), fortified (5), fortress (1), fortresses (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs מְצוּרָה noun feminine siege-works, rampart; — absolute ׳מ Nahum 2:2; 2Chron 14:5; plural מְצוּרוֺת2Chronicles 11:11 +, מְצֻרֹת Isaiah 29:3, etc.; — 1 siege-works Isaiah 29:3. 2 rampart ׳נָצוֺר מ Nahum 2:2 guard the rampart / ("" צַמֵּה דֶרֶךְ; We Now derive from נצר, i.e. keep watch !), 2 Chronicles 11:11, עָרֵי מְצוּרָה2Chron 14:5 fortified cities, so עָרַי (הַ)מְצוּרוֺת v.2 Chronicles 14:10; 2 Chronicles 14:23; 2Chronicles 12:4; 21:3. Topical Lexicon Transliteration and Sense מְצוּרָה (metsurah) describes a place of military strength—an embankment, fortress, or fortified city. The term appears eight times, each in a context where human rulers either construct, maintain, inherit, lose, or are commanded to defend such strongholds. Old Testament Distribution 2 Chronicles 11:10; 2 Chronicles 11:11; 2 Chronicles 11:23; 2 Chronicles 12:4; 2 Chronicles 14:6; 2 Chronicles 21:3; Isaiah 29:3; Nahum 2:1. Fortifications under Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 11) In the aftermath of the divided kingdom, Rehoboam sought to stabilize Judah by upgrading existing strongholds. “He strengthened their fortresses and put officers in them, with stores of food, oil, and wine” (2 Chronicles 11:11). The narrative links strategic precaution with God’s providence: even a defensive program must be sustained by loyal obedience (2 Chronicles 11:17). Rehoboam’s dispersal of sons among “all the fortified cities” (2 Chronicles 11:23) underscores the political function of such places—they were seats of local governance as well as military protection. Loss of Fortified Cities to Egypt (2 Chronicles 12:4) Only five years later, Pharaoh Shishak “captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem” (2 Chronicles 12:4). The swift fall of these strongholds highlights how human defenses cannot compensate for spiritual unfaithfulness (2 Chronicles 12:2). The text draws a clear line between covenant obedience and national security. Asa’s Years of Peace (2 Chronicles 14:6) King Asa reversed the decline by grounding reform in worship and law. “He built fortified cities in Judah, since the land had rest. No one was at war with him during those years, for the LORD had given him rest” (2 Chronicles 14:6). The verse explicitly attributes peace to the Lord, not to the walls themselves. Physical preparation coexisted with spiritual restoration; neither was viewed as dispensable. Inheritance for Jehoram’s Brothers (2 Chronicles 21:3) Jehoshaphat’s generous allotment of “fortified cities in Judah” to his younger sons illustrates the economic value of metsurah locations. These centers possessed resources and influence, yet the chronicler records that Jehoram, the heir, later murdered those brothers (2 Chronicles 21:4). Power concentrated in strongholds can become an occasion for sin when detached from divine accountability. Prophetic Use: Siege and Warning (Isaiah 29:3; Nahum 2:1) Isaiah employs metsurah for offensive siege-works: “I will camp in a circle against you… and set up siege works against you” (Isaiah 29:3). Jerusalem’s proud defenses would be turned against her, demonstrating that the Lord commands both attacker and defender. Nahum’s oracle reverses the image: “Guard the fortress; watch the road; brace yourselves; summon all your strength!” (Nahum 2:1). Nineveh’s walls, famed throughout the ancient Near East, would fail before God’s judgment. In both cases metsurah stands as a reminder that no structure outlasts divine decree. Historical Background Archaeology confirms an explosion of fortification activity in the tenth–ninth centuries B.C.—the very period of Rehoboam and Asa—marked by casemate walls, corner towers, and massive gates at sites such as Lachish and Beth-shemesh. These works required royal resources, skilled labor, and careful placement along trade routes and invasion corridors. The Chronicler’s focus on Judah’s metsurah system accurately reflects contemporary political realities. Theological Themes 1. Divine sovereignty over human security: Strongholds succeed or fall at the Lord’s command. Ministry and Discipleship Insights • Physical safeguards—whether walls in ancient Judah or modern institutions—are legitimate but secondary; spiritual fidelity is primary (Psalm 127:1). Summary מְצוּרָה functions as more than a military term; it is a theological signpost. Fortresses appear as gifts, responsibilities, objects of judgment, and symbols of human pride. Scripture consistently turns the reader’s gaze from walls of stone to the God who alone is “a fortress of salvation for His anointed” (Psalm 28:8). Forms and Transliterations הַמְּצֻר֑וֹת הַמְּצֻר֔וֹת הַמְּצֻר֖וֹת המצרות מְצֻר֖וֹת מְצֻרָ֑ה מְצֻרֹֽת׃ מְצֻרֽוֹת׃ מְצוּרָ֖ה מצורה מצרה מצרות מצרות׃ מצרת׃ ham·mə·ṣu·rō·wṯ hamməṣurōwṯ hammetzuRot mə·ṣu·rāh mə·ṣū·rāh mə·ṣu·rō·wṯ mə·ṣu·rōṯ məṣurāh məṣūrāh məṣurōṯ məṣurōwṯ metzuRah metzuRotLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Chronicles 11:10 HEB: וּבְבִנְיָמִ֑ן עָרֵ֖י מְצֻרֽוֹת׃ NAS: which are fortified cities KJV: and in Benjamin fenced cities. INT: Benjamin cities are fortified 2 Chronicles 11:11 2 Chronicles 11:23 2 Chronicles 12:4 2 Chronicles 14:6 2 Chronicles 21:3 Isaiah 29:3 Nahum 2:1 8 Occurrences |
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