מְצוּרָה
𐤌𐤑𐤅𐤓𐤄
mᵉtsûwrâh
H4694 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A fortified place, especially a stronghold, fortress, or fortification; refers both to physical defensive structures (such as walls, ramparts, or citadels) and, more abstractly, to the condition or quality of being fortified or besieged. Used for walled cities, fortified towns, citadels, or defensive positions.
Semantic Range
fortified city, stronghold, fortress, fortification, rampart, defensive enclosure, fortified place, besieged place
Root / Etymology
From the root צוּר, which primarily means 'to bind, enclose, press, lay siege.' מְצוּרָה is the feminine form derived from מָצוֹר ('siege, siegework'), and refers to something made impregnable or enclosed for defense.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, מְצוּרָה designates fortified cities, towns, or structures, particularly in narratives of military activity (e.g., cities of the Canaanites or cities under siege by the Neo-Assyrian or Babylonian empires). The term commonly appears in accounts of conquest, defense, and descriptions of Israelite or Judahite urban centers. It can refer both to the fortification itself and to the place fortified. English translations variously render the term as 'fortress,' 'stronghold,' 'fortified city,' or 'rampart,' sometimes obscuring distinctions among related terms. For example, עִיר (city/town) becomes מְצוּרָה when fortified, whereas מִבְצָר (another term for fortress) often designates a particularly strong defensive city or structure, sometimes interchangeably. The term is used in all main periods of the Hebrew Bible but is especially common in monarchic narratives concerning city defense or siege. In later Hebrew and post-biblical usage, the term persisted and broadened contextually. Where English translations use 'fenced city' or 'munition,' these sometimes reflect older translation traditions and may miss the emphasis on fortification or defense. Modern scholarship recognizes that the term encompasses both man-made defensive structures and, in poetic or metaphorical contexts, the sense of protection or security provided by such structures.
Translation Consistency
"Stronghold" is a natural, common English noun that covers physical fortified places (fortress, walled city, citadel) and the extended/figurative sense of a defended or besieged position. It is broad enough to match the typical Hebrew range while sounding natural across contexts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or מְצֻרָה; feminine of מָצוֹר; a hemming in, i.e. (objectively) a mound (of siege), or (subjectively) a rampart (of protection), (abstractly) fortification; fenced (city, fort, munition, strong hold.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
צור (Matsor) — to bind, to press in, to enclose, to besiege
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4693 | מָצוֹר | besieged stronghold |
| H6676 | צַוַּאר | her nape |
| H6677 | צַוָּאר | in the binding-neck |
| H6696 | צוּר | the ones besieging |
| H6697 | צוּר | in a rock-cliff |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4694-01 |
הַ/מְּצֻר֑וֹת | hametsurot | HTd/Ncfpa |
the fortified | the fortified places | the fortified places | 3 |
H4694-03 |
מְצֻרֽוֹת | metsurot | HNcfpa |
fortified | fortified strongholds | fortified strongholds | 3 |
H4694-02 |
מְצוּרָ֖ה | metsurah | HNcfsa |
fortified | fortified stronghold | stronghold | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
8 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4694-03 |
Isaiah 29:3 | מְצֻרֹֽת | metsurot | HNcfpa |
siege-walls | fortified strongholds | fortified strongholds |
H4694-02 |
Nahum 2:2 | מְצֻרָ֑ה | metsurah | HNcfsa |
the rampart | fortified stronghold | stronghold |
H4694-03 |
2 Chronicles 11:10 | מְצֻרֽוֹת | metsurot | HNcfpa |
fortified | fortified strongholds | fortified strongholds |
H4694-01 |
2 Chronicles 11:11 | הַ/מְּצֻר֑וֹת | hametsurot | HTd/Ncfpa |
fortresses | the fortified places | the fortified places |
H4694-01 |
2 Chronicles 11:23 | הַ/מְּצֻר֔וֹת | hametsurot | HTd/Ncfpa |
the fortified | the fortified places | the fortified places |
H4694-01 |
2 Chronicles 12:4 | הַ/מְּצֻר֖וֹת | hametsurot | HTd/Ncfpa |
the fortified | the fortified places | the fortified places |
H4694-02 |
2 Chronicles 14:5 | מְצוּרָ֖ה | metsurah | HNcfsa |
fortified | fortified stronghold | stronghold |
H4694-03 |
2 Chronicles 21:3 | מְצֻר֖וֹת | metsurot | HNcfpa |
fortified | fortified strongholds | fortified strongholds |