H4686b H4686b
Stronghold, fortress; also (homonymous) a net or snare — a place of defensive refuge, or a hunting implement
The noun מְצוּדָה (II) primarily means a stronghold or fortified refuge — a naturally defensible position used as a place of safety. It is the word for David's famous wilderness hideouts (1 Sam 22:4-5) and for the fortress of Zion that he captured (2 Sam 5:7). Beyond literal fortifications, the Psalms repeatedly apply it to God as a personal stronghold: 'the LORD is my rock and my fortress' (Ps 18:2). A single homonymous occurrence in Job 19:6 means 'net' or 'snare,' entirely unrelated in sense — where Job laments that God has 'closed His net' around him.
Senses
1. stronghold, fortress (place of refuge) — A stronghold, fortress, or fortified place of refuge — the dominant sense appearing 18 times. It covers David's wilderness strongholds (1 Sam 22:4-5; 24:22; 2 Sam 5:17; 23:14), the captured citadel of Zion (2 Sam 5:7, 9), the eagle's lofty crag-nest (Job 39:28), and the frequent figurative application to God as protector in the Psalms (Ps 18:2; 31:3; 71:3; 91:2; 144:2). Arabic consistently renders it with al-hisn ('the fortress'), Spanish uses 'fortaleza,' and the German glosses confirm fortification vocabulary. The pairing with 'my rock' (sal'i) in the Psalms is a distinctive collocational marker for this sense. 18×
AR["الحِصنِ", "الْحِصْنِ", "حِصُونٍ", "حِصْن", "حِصْنَ", "فِي-الحِصْن", "فِي-الْحِصْنِ", "فِي-ٱلْحُصُونِ", "وَ-حِصْني", "وَالْمَعْقِلِ.", "وَحِصْنِي"]·ben["-দুর্গে", "আর-দুর্গে", "এবং-আমার-দুর্গ", "এবং-দুর্গ-আমার,", "ও-আমার-দুর্গ", "গড়", "দুর্গ", "দুর্গে", "দুর্গের", "সেই-দুর্গে", "সেই-দুর্গের"]·DE["[במצדות]", "[במצודה]", "[ומצודה]", "[מצדת]", "der-stronghold", "fortresses", "in-der-stronghold", "stronghold-von", "und-mein-Festung", "und-mein-fortress"]·EN["and-my-fortress", "and-the-stronghold", "fortress-of", "fortresses", "in-the-stronghold", "in-the-strongholds", "stronghold-of", "the-stronghold"]·FR["[במצודה]", "[מצדת]", "dans-le-forteresse", "de-forteresse", "et-de-forteresse", "et-mon-forteresse", "et-ומצודה", "forteresse-de", "le-forteresse", "piège"]·heb["ב-ה-מצודה", "ב-מצדות", "ב-מצודה", "ה-מצודה", "ו-מצודה", "ו-מצודת-י", "ו-מצודתי", "מצדת", "מצודות", "מצודת"]·HI["और-किले", "और-गढ़-मेरा", "और-मेरा-गढ़", "क़िले-मेइन", "गढ़", "गढ़-में", "गढ़ों-का", "मैं"]·ID["dan-benteng", "dan-benteng-ku", "dan-bentengku", "di-benteng", "di-kubu", "di-kubu-pertahanan", "kubu", "kubu-pertahanan"]·IT["[במצדות]", "[במצודה]", "[מצדת]", "e-e-il-stronghold", "e-fortezza", "e-mio-fortezza", "fortezza", "fortezza-di", "il-fortezza", "in-il-fortezza"]·jav["betèng", "bèteng", "bètèng", "ing-betèng", "ing-bètèng", "ing-bètèng-bètèng", "lan-bentheng", "lan-beteng-kula", "lan-bètèng-kula", "lan-béténg-kula", "saha-beteng-kula", "saha-beting-kawula", "wonten-ing-benteng", "wonten-ing-bèteng"]·KO["그-요새", "그리고-나-의-요새", "그리고-나의-요새", "그리고-나의-요새시라", "그리고-요새의", "그리고-요새이시고", "나-의-요새", "에-그-요새", "에-그-요새들에서", "에-요새-에서", "요새", "요새-를", "요새로", "요새에", "요새에서", "피난처"]·PT["a-fortaleza", "a-fortaleza-de", "e-fortaleza.", "e-minha-fortaleza", "fortaleza-de", "fortalezas", "na-fortaleza", "nas-fortalezas"]·RU["в-крепости", "в-крепостях", "в-убежище", "в-укреплении", "и-крепости", "и-крепость-моя", "крепость", "твердыни"]·ES["en-la-fortaleza", "en-las-fortalezas", "fortaleza-de", "la-fortaleza", "refugios", "y-fortaleza", "y-fortaleza-mía", "y-mi-fortaleza"]·SW["alikuwa-ngomeni", "katika-ngome", "na-ngome", "na-ngome-yangu", "ngome", "ngome-ya"]·TR["-kalede", "-kalenin", "kale", "kalede", "kaleler", "kalelerde", "kalesi", "kalesini", "ve-kale", "ve-kalem"]·urd["اور-قلعے", "اور-میرا-قلعہ", "اور-میرا-قلعہ-ہے", "قلعوں", "قلعوں-میں", "قلعہ", "قلعے-میں", "قلعے-میں۔", "قلعے۔", "وَ-میری-پناہ"]
1 Sam 22:4, 1 Sam 22:5, 1 Sam 24:22, 2 Sam 5:7, 2 Sam 5:9, 2 Sam 5:17, 2 Sam 22:2, 2 Sam 23:14, 1 Chr 11:5, 1 Chr 11:16, Job 39:28, Ps 18:2 (+6 more)
2. net, snare (hunting implement) — A net or snare used for trapping prey — a homonymous sense entirely distinct from 'fortress,' appearing only in Job 19:6. Job cries out that God 'has encompassed me with His net,' using the image of a hunted animal caught in a mesh. Arabic renders it 'shabakatabu' ('his net'), Spanish 'su red,' confirming the hunting-implement reading. BDB treats this as a separate lexeme (homonym II of metsudah), and the multilingual evidence supports the complete semantic break from the fortification sense. 1×
AR["وَ-شَبَكَتَهُ"]·ben["এবং-তাঁর-জাল"]·DE["[ומצודו]"]·EN["and-His-net"]·FR["et-son-ומצודו-lui"]·heb["ו-מצודו"]·HI["और-उसका-जाल"]·ID["dan-jaring-Nya"]·IT["e-e-Suo-rete-suo"]·jav["lan-jaring-Ipun"]·KO["그리고-그의-그물을"]·PT["e-sua-rede"]·RU["и-сетью-Своею"]·ES["y-su-red"]·SW["na-wavu-wake"]·TR["ve-ağını"]·urd["اور-جال-اُس-کے"]
Related Senses
H2719 1. sword, weapon of war (410×)H4196 1. altar (place of sacrifice) (403×)H1129 1. Qal: build, construct (316×)H2691a 1. court, courtyard, enclosure (142×)H7393 1. chariot, chariotry (117×)H7198 1. bow (weapon) (72×)H7979 1. table (71×)H7782 1. ram's horn trumpet (69×)H4294 2. staff, rod, scepter (63×)H4043 1. shield, defensive weapon (60×)G4864 1. synagogue, place of Jewish assembly (56×)H0646 1. ephod (priestly garment) (49×)H8504 1. blue (violet-blue yarn/fabric) (49×)H2595 1. spear, lance (48×)H2671 1. arrow, projectile weapon (46×)H4818 1. chariot, war-chariot (44×)H3658 1. lyre, harp (stringed instrument) (42×)G5438 1. prison, place of confinement (41×)H1537 1. Gilgal (place name) (41×)H0713 1. purple (fabric/dye) (38×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† II. מְצוּדָה n.f. fastness, stronghold;—abs. מ׳ 1 S 22:4 +, מְצֻדָה 2 S 5:9, cstr. מְצֻדַת v 7; sf. מְצוּדָתִי ψ 18:3 +, מְצֻדָתִי 2 S 22:2; pl. מְצוּדוֹת ψ 31:3;—fastness of David, 1 S 22:4, 5; 24:23 (Gi v 22) 2 S 5:17; 23:14 = 1 Ch 11:16; read also מְצֻדַת עֲדֻלָּם 1 S 22:1 2 S 23:13 1 Ch 11:15, for MT מְעָרַת (v. מְעָרָה p. 792 b); of Jerus., מְצֻדַת צִיּוֹן 2 S 5:7 = 1 Ch 11:5, cf. 2 S 5:9;…