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.
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)
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
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×)G4143 1. boat, small fishing vessel (45×)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×)
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;…