H0803 H0803
wall, fortification; defensive structure of a city, particularly bulwarks or buttresses
This rare architectural term appears only in descriptions of Babylon's fortifications. The Hebrew preserves two variant readings (Ketiv/Qere) both pointing to defensive structures—either the foundational bulwarks or the supporting buttresses that reinforced city walls. The term is a loan-word from Aramaic, related to words meaning 'column' or 'support' across several ancient Near Eastern languages.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Both occurrences in Jeremiah 50:15 refer to Babylon's defensive architecture, used in parallel with 'her walls' (חוֹמוֹתֶיהָ). The multilingual evidence shows translators struggling with this rare term—some rendering it as 'foundations' (English, Spanish 'cimientos'), others preserving the transliteration. The Aramaic cognates and Talmudic usage confirm this refers to structural supports, whether foundational bulwarks or vertical buttresses that gave strength to fortification walls. 2×
AR["أُسُسُهَا"]·ben["(তার-ভিত্তিগুলো)", "[তার-ভিত্তিগুলো]"]·DE["[(אשיותיה)]", "[[אשויתיה]]"]·EN["(her-foundations)", "[ketiv:her-foundations]"]·FR["[(אשיותיה)]", "[[אשויתיה]]"]·heb["אשיותיה"]·HI["उसकी-नींवें"]·ID["[dasar-dasarnya]", "dasar-dasarnya"]·IT["[(אשיותיה)]", "[[אשויתיה]]"]·jav["[k]", "dhasar-dhasaripun"]·KO["(기초들이-그녀의)", "[기초들이-그녀의]"]·PT["(seus-alicerces)", "[seus-alicerces]"]·RU["[опоры-её]", "опоры-её"]·ES["[kethiv]", "sus-cimientos"]·SW["[nguzo-zake]", "nguzo-zake"]·TR["['svytyh]", "temelleri"]·urd["[بنیادیں]", "بنیادیں-اُس-کی"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [אָשְׁיָה] 1. n.f. wall, bulwark (Talm אָשִׁיתָא (levy Nö); Mand. אשיתא wall NöM 113; 𝔗 pl. sf. אֲשִׁיתָהָא (DalmWB אָשְׁיָתַהָא) Je 50:15, אשיתנא Ct 2:9; Arabic آسِيَة column, support is loan-word according to Frä 11);—only pl. sf. bulwarks of city of Babylon. 2. n.f. (support) buttress (Arabic آسِيَةُن column, support. AW NöM 113, Assyrian asîtu pillar) only pl. sf. buttresses of city of Babylon Je 50:15 אשׁויתיה Kt, אָשְׁיוֹתֶיהָ Qr (‖ חוֹמוֹתֶיהָ).