Mivtsar מִבְצָר

Mivtsar (Hebrew מִבְצָר, Strong's H4013) is a Hebrew masculine noun meaning “fortification”. It occurs 37 times in 37 verses of the Old Testament.

Definition

From the STEPBible Brief Lexicon of Hebrew (based on the abridged Brown-Driver-Briggs), STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0.

Translated as

Verses

Every verse with Mivtsar, with the English words that translate it highlighted (KJV or BSB; other translations show the KJV here).

Numbers

• Numbers 13:19
  And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds;Is the land where they live good or bad? Are the cities where they dwell open camps or fortifications?
• Numbers 32:17
  But we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel, until we have brought them unto their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fenced cities because of the inhabitants of the land.But we will arm ourselves and be ready to go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them into their place. Meanwhile, our little ones will remain in the fortified cities for protection from the inhabitants of the land.
• Numbers 32:36
  And Beth–nimrah, and Beth–haran, fenced cities: and folds for sheep.Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran as fortified cities, and they built folds for their flocks.

Joshua

• Joshua 10:20
  And it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of Israel had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, till they were consumed, that the rest which remained of them entered into fenced cities.So Joshua and the Israelites continued to inflict a terrible slaughter until they had finished them off, and the remaining survivors retreated to the fortified cities.
• Joshua 19:29
  And then the coast turneth to Ramah, and to the strong city Tyre; and the coast turneth to Hosah; and the outgoings thereof are at the sea from the coast to Achzib:The border then turned back toward Ramah as far as the fortified city of Tyre, turned toward Hosah, and came out at the Sea in the region of Achzib,
• Joshua 19:35
  And the fenced cities are Ziddim, Zer, and Hammath, Rakkath, and Chinnereth,The fortified cities were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth,

1 Samuel

• 1 Samuel 6:18
  And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the Lord: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Beth–shemite.The number of gold rats also corresponded to the number of Philistine cities belonging to the five rulers—the fortified cities and their outlying villages. And the large rock on which they placed the ark of the LORD stands to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh.

2 Samuel

• 2 Samuel 24:7
  And came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beer–sheba.They went toward the fortress of Tyre and all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to the Negev of Judah, to Beersheba.

2 Kings

• 2 Kings 3:19
  And ye shall smite every fenced city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.And you shall attack every fortified city and every city of importance. You shall cut down every good tree, stop up every spring, and ruin every good field with stones.”
• 2 Kings 8:12
  And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child.“Why is my lord weeping?” asked Hazael. “Because I know the evil you will do to the Israelites,” Elisha replied. “You will set fire to their fortresses, kill their young men with the sword, dash their little ones to pieces, and rip open their pregnant women.”
• 2 Kings 10:2
  Now as soon as this letter cometh to you, seeing your master’s sons are with you, and there are with you chariots and horses, a fenced city also, and armour;“When this letter arrives, since your master’s sons are with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city and weaponry,
• 2 Kings 17:9
  And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the Lord their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city, they built high places in all their cities.
• 2 Kings 18:8
  He smote the Philistines, even unto Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its borders, from watchtower to fortified city.

2 Chronicles

• 2 Chronicles 17:19
  These waited on the king, beside those whom the king put in the fenced cities throughout all Judah.These were the men who served the king, besides those he stationed in the fortified cities throughout Judah.

Psalms

• Psalm 89:40
  Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strong holds to ruin.You have broken down all his walls; You have reduced his strongholds to rubble.
• Psalm 108:10
  Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?

Isaiah

• Isaiah 17:3
  The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria: they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the Lord of hosts.The fortress will disappear from Ephraim, and the sovereignty from Damascus. The remnant of Aram will be like the splendor of the Israelites,” declares the LORD of Hosts.
• Isaiah 25:12
  And the fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall he bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, even to the dust.The high-walled fortress will be brought down, cast to the ground, into the dust.
• Isaiah 34:13
  And thorns shall come up in her palaces, nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof: and it shall be an habitation of dragons, and a court for owls.Her towers will be overgrown with thorns, her fortresses with thistles and briers. She will become a haunt for jackals, an abode for ostriches.

Jeremiah

• Jeremiah 1:18
  For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.Now behold, this day I have made you like a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land.
• Jeremiah 4:5
  Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the defenced cities.Announce in Judah, proclaim in Jerusalem, and say: “Blow the ram’s horn throughout the land. Cry aloud and say, ‘Assemble yourselves and let us flee to the fortified cities.’
• Jeremiah 5:17
  And they shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat: they shall eat up thy flocks and thine herds: they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees: they shall impoverish thy fenced cities, wherein thou trustedst, with the sword.They will devour your harvest and food; they will consume your sons and daughters; they will eat up your flocks and herds; they will feed on your vines and fig trees. With the sword they will destroy the fortified cities in which you trust.”
• Jeremiah 6:27
  I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way.“I have appointed you to examine My people like ore, so you may know and try their ways.
• Jeremiah 8:14
  Why do we sit still? assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the defenced cities, and let us be silent there: for the Lord our God hath put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the Lord.Why are we just sitting here? Gather together, let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there, for the LORD our God has doomed us. He has given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.
• Jeremiah 34:7
  When the king of Babylon’s army fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish, and against Azekah: for these defenced cities remained of the cities of Judah.as the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and the remaining cities of Judah—against Lachish and Azekah. For these were the only fortified cities remaining in Judah.
• Jeremiah 48:18
  Thou daughter that dost inhabit Dibon, come down from thy glory, and sit in thirst; for the spoiler of Moab shall come upon thee, and he shall destroy thy strong holds.Come down from your glory; sit on parched ground, O daughter dwelling in Dibon, for the destroyer of Moab has come against you; he has destroyed your fortresses.

Lamentations

• Lamentations 2:2
  The Lord hath swallowed up all the habitations of Jacob, and hath not pitied: he hath thrown down in his wrath the strong holds of the daughter of Judah; he hath brought them down to the ground: he hath polluted the kingdom and the princes thereof.Without pity the Lord has swallowed up all the dwellings of Jacob. In His wrath He has demolished the fortified cities of the Daughter of Judah. He brought to the ground and defiled her kingdom and its princes.
• Lamentations 2:5
  The Lord was as an enemy: he hath swallowed up Israel, he hath swallowed up all her palaces: he hath destroyed his strong holds, and hath increased in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation.The Lord is like an enemy; He has swallowed up Israel. He has swallowed up all her palaces and destroyed her strongholds. He has multiplied mourning and lamentation for the Daughter of Judah.

Daniel

• Daniel 11:15
  So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities: and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand.Then the king of the North will come, build up a siege ramp, and capture a fortified city. The forces of the South will not stand; even their best troops will not be able to resist.
• Daniel 11:24
  He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers’ fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.In a time of peace, he will invade the richest provinces and do what his fathers and forefathers never did. He will lavish plunder, loot, and wealth on his followers, and he will plot against the strongholds—but only for a time.
• Daniel 11:39
  Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.He will attack the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him, making them rulers over many and distributing the land for a price.

Hosea

• Hosea 10:14
  Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be spoiled, as Shalman spoiled Beth–arbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children.the roar of battle will rise against your people, so that all your fortresses will be demolished as Shalman devastated Beth-arbel in the day of battle, when mothers were dashed to pieces along with their children.

Amos

• Amos 5:9
  That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress.He flashes destruction on the strong, so that fury comes upon the stronghold.

Micah

• Micah 5:11
  And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds:I will remove the cities of your land and tear down all your strongholds.

Nahum

• Nahum 3:12
  All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with the firstripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater.All your fortresses are fig trees with the first ripe figs; when shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater!
• Nahum 3:14
  Draw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strong holds: go into clay, and tread the morter, make strong the brickkiln.Draw your water for the siege; strengthen your fortresses. Work the clay and tread the mortar; repair the brick kiln!

Habakkuk

• Habakkuk 1:10
  And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride every strong hold; for they shall heap dust, and take it.They scoff at kings and make rulers an object of scorn. They laugh at every fortress and build up siege ramps to seize it.

Notes

1. Definition and verse list from STEPBible's tagged Hebrew Old Testament (TAHOT) and Greek New Testament (TAGNT) and Brief Lexicons, STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0.
2. English renderings from the public-domain KJV with Strong's numbers (eBible.org) and the Berean Standard Bible interlinear (public domain).