Reference: Fenced Cities
Easton
There were in Palestine (1) cities, (2) unwalled villages, and (3) villages with castles or towers (1Ch 27:25). Cities, so called, had walls, and were thus fenced. The fortifications consisted of one or two walls, on which were towers or parapets at regular intervals (2Ch 32:5; Jer 31:38). Around ancient Jerusalem were three walls, on one of which were ninety towers, on the second fourteen, and on the third sixty. The tower of Hananeel, near the north-east corner of the city wall, is frequently referred to (Ne 3:1; 12:39; Zec 14:10). The gateways of such cities were also fortified (Ne 2:8; 3:3,6; Jg 16:2-3; 1Sa 23:7).
The Hebrews found many fenced cities when they entered the Promised Land (Nu 13:28; 32:17,34-42; Jos 11:12-13; Jg 1:27-33), and we may estimate the strength of some of these cities from the fact that they were long held in possession by the Canaanites. The Jebusites, e.g., were enabled to hold possession of Jerusalem till the time of David (2Sa 5:6-7; 1Ch 11:5).
Several of the kings of Israel and Judah distinguished themselves as fortifiers or "builders" of cities.
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Only that the people are strong dwelling upon the land, and the cities fortified, and very great: and also we saw the children of Anak there.
And we will arm ourselves, basting on before the sons of Israel, till we brought them to their place: and our little ones shall dwell in fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land.
And the sons of Gad will build Dibon and Ataroth, and Aroer, And Atroth, Shophan, and Jazer, and Jogbehah, read more. And the house of Nimrah, and the house of Haran, fortified cities: and sheep-folds. And the sons of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim, And Nebo, and Baal-Meon (the name being changed), and Shibmah: and they will call by names the names of the cities which they built And the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, will go to Gilead., and take it and drive out the Amorite which is in it And Moses will give Gilead to Machir, son of Manasseh., and he will dwell in it And Jair, the son of Manasseh, went, and he will take their villages, and he will call them the villages of Jair. And Nobah went, and he will take Kenath and its houses, and he will call it Nobah in his name.
And all the cities of these kings and all their kingdoms Joshua took, and he will smite them with the mouth of the sword, exterminating them, as Moses the servant of Jehovah commanded. Only all the cities standing upon their heap, Israel burnt them not, except Hazor only Joshua burnt
And Manasseh did not drive out the House of Rest and her daughters, and Tanach and her daughters, and the inhabitants of Dor and her daughters, and the inhabitants of Ibleam and her daughters, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and her daughters; and the Canaanite wills to dwell in that land. And it will be when Israel was strong, and he will put the Canaanite to tribute; and driving out, they did not drive out read more. And Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanite dwelling in Gezer; and the Canaanite dwelt in his midst in Gezer. Zebulon did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, and the inhabitants of Nahalol; and the Canaanite will dwell in his midst, and they will be for tribute. Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Accho, and the inhabitants of Zidon and Ahlab and Achzib and Helbah, and Aphik, and Rehob: And the Asherite dwelt in the midst of the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they drove not out Naphtali drove not out the inhabitants of the House of the Sun, and the inhabitants of the House of Affliction; and he dwelt in the midst of the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; and the inhabitants of the House of the Sun, and of the House of Response, they were to them for tribute.
To the Gazites, saying, Samson came here. And they will encompass, and will lie in wait for him all the night in the gate of the city, and they will be silent all the night, saying, During the light of the morning and we killed him. And Samson will lie till half the night, and he will rise in half the night, and he will seize the doors of the gate of the city and with the two door-posts, and will remove them with the bar, and will set upon his shoulders, and he will bring them up to the head of the mountain which is upon the face of Hebron.
And the king went, and his men, to Jerusalem to the Jebusite dwelling in the land: and he will say to David, saying, Thou shalt not come here for except thy taking away the blind and the lame, saying, David shall not come in hither. And David will take the fastness of Zion: this the city of David.
And over the treasures of the king, Azmaveth son of Adiel: and over the treasures in the field, in the cities, and in the villages, and in the towers, Jehonathan son of Uzziah:
And he will strengthen himself and build all the wall broken down, and he will go up upon the towers, and to without another wall, and he will strengthen the filling up of the city of David, and he will make darts for abundance, and shields.
And a letter to Asaph watching the pleasure-grounds to the king, who shall give to me woods to frame the gates of the fortress that is to the house, and for the walls of the city, and for the house which I shall come into it And the king will give to me according to the good hand of my God upon me.
And Eliashib the great priest will rise up and his brethren the priests, and they will build the sheep gate; they consecrated it, and they will set up its doors, and even to the tower of Meah they consecrated, and even to the tower of Hananeel.
And the gate of fishes the sons of Hassenaah built; they framed and they will set up its doors, its bolts and its bars.
And the old gate held fast Jehoida son of Paseah, and Meshullam son of Besodeiah; they framed and set up its doors, its bolts and its bars.
And from above to the gate of Ephraim, and over the old gate, and over the gate of fishes, and the tower of Hananeel, and the tower of Meah, and even to the sheep gate: and, they stood in the gate of the prison.
Behold the days, says Jehovah, and the city was built to Jehovah, from the tower of Hananeel, even to the gate of the corner.
He shall surround all the land as the desert from the hill to the pomegranate south of Jerusalem: and it was high, and she dwelt in her place from the gate of Benjamin even to the place of the first gate, even to the gate of the corner, and the tower of Hananeel even to the wine-presses of the king.
Fausets
The distinction between a "city" and a "village" in the Bible is, the former had walls. The village had sometimes a watchman's tower, where the villagers repaired when in danger. Such towers Uzziah built in the desert for the protection of husbandmen and cattle from marauding tribes (2Ch 26:10). David too had "castles" (1Ch 27:25). Argob in Bashan, Og's kingdom, E. of Jordan, had "three-score cities fenced with high walls, gates and bars, beside unwalled towns a great many" (De 3:4-5); all which Israel took. (See ARGOB.) Villages in the Hauran sometimes consist of houses joined together and the entrance closed by a gate for security against Arab marauders.
Build often means "fortify" (2Ch 11:5-10; 16:6; 1Ki 15:17). The defenses consisted of one or more walls with battlemented parapets and towers at intervals (2Ch 32:5; Jer 31:38), whereon were war engines, also a citadel or tower, the last resource of the defenders (Jg 9:46,51; 2Ki 9:17; 2Ch 26:9,15). Ninety towers crowned the oldest of Jerusalem's three walls, fourteen the second, sixty the third (B. J., 5:4, section 2). The tower of Hananeel is mentioned Jer 31:38; Zec 14:10; Ne 3:1, where also is mentioned "the tower of Meah," "the tower of the furnaces" (Ne 3:11), "the great tower that lieth out even unto the wall of Ophel" (Ne 3:27). An out-work is meant by the "ditch" or "trench," possibly a wall lining the ditch (1Ki 21:23; 2Sa 20:15).
The castle of Antonia was the citadel of Jerusalem in our Lord's time; it served also to overawe the town, the Roman soldiers occupying it (Ac 21:34). Canaan's "cities fenced up to heaven" were leading causes of the spies' and Israel's unbelieving panic (Nu 13:28; De 1:28; 9:1-2). These the Israelites "rebuilt," i.e. refortified (Nu 32:17,34-42). So fenced was "the stronghold of Zion" that it remained in the Jebusites' hands until David's time (2Sa 5:6-7). Samaria yielded to the mighty hosts of Assyria only after a three years' siege (2Ki 17:5; 18:10).
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Only that the people are strong dwelling upon the land, and the cities fortified, and very great: and also we saw the children of Anak there.
And we will arm ourselves, basting on before the sons of Israel, till we brought them to their place: and our little ones shall dwell in fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land.
And the sons of Gad will build Dibon and Ataroth, and Aroer, And Atroth, Shophan, and Jazer, and Jogbehah, read more. And the house of Nimrah, and the house of Haran, fortified cities: and sheep-folds. And the sons of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim, And Nebo, and Baal-Meon (the name being changed), and Shibmah: and they will call by names the names of the cities which they built And the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, will go to Gilead., and take it and drive out the Amorite which is in it And Moses will give Gilead to Machir, son of Manasseh., and he will dwell in it And Jair, the son of Manasseh, went, and he will take their villages, and he will call them the villages of Jair. And Nobah went, and he will take Kenath and its houses, and he will call it Nobah in his name.
Whither are we going up? our brethren melted our heart, saying, A people great and high above us; cities great and fortified to the heavens; and also, the sons of the Anakims, we saw there.
And we shall take all his cities in that time, and there was not a city which we took not from them: sixty cities, all the region of Argob, from the kingdom of Og in Bashan All these cities fortified with high walls, doors and bars; besides of cities of the open country exceedingly many.
Hear, Israel: Thou passest this day over Jordan to go to possess nations great and strong above thee; cities great and fortified to the heavens: A people great and high, sons of Anakims, whom thou knewest, and thou heardest, Who shall stand before the sons of Anak?
And all the lords of the tower of Shechem will hear, and they will go in to the tower of the god of the covenant
And a strong tower was in the midst of the city, and thither will flee all the men and women and all the lords of the city, and will shut up from after them, and they will go up upon the roof of the tower.
And the king went, and his men, to Jerusalem to the Jebusite dwelling in the land: and he will say to David, saying, Thou shalt not come here for except thy taking away the blind and the lame, saying, David shall not come in hither. And David will take the fastness of Zion: this the city of David.
And also to Jezebel spake Jehovah, saying, Dogs shall eat Jezebel in the fortification of Jezebel.
And the king of Assur will come up upon all the land, and he will comp up to Shomeron, and press upon her three years.
And he will take it from the end of three years: in the sixth year to Hezekiah, this the ninth year to Hoshea, king of Israel, Shomeron was taken.
And over the treasures of the king, Azmaveth son of Adiel: and over the treasures in the field, in the cities, and in the villages, and in the towers, Jehonathan son of Uzziah:
And Rehoboam will dwell in Jerusalem, and he will build cities for fortification in Judah. And he will build the house of bread, and the place of ravenous beasts, and the pitching of tents, read more. And the house of the rock, and the branches, and the justice of the people, And the wine-press, and Mareshah, and Ziph, And the two mounds, and Lachish, and Azekah, And Zorah, and Ajalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin, cities of fortifications.
And Asa the king took all Judah; and they will lift up the stones of Ramah, and its woods which Baasha built, and he will build with it Geba and Mizpeh.
And he will build towers in the desert, and hew out many wells: for there were many cattle to him; and in the low country and in the plain; and husbandmen and vine-dressers in the mountains, and in Carmel: for he was loving the earth.
And he will strengthen himself and build all the wall broken down, and he will go up upon the towers, and to without another wall, and he will strengthen the filling up of the city of David, and he will make darts for abundance, and shields.
And Eliashib the great priest will rise up and his brethren the priests, and they will build the sheep gate; they consecrated it, and they will set up its doors, and even to the tower of Meah they consecrated, and even to the tower of Hananeel.
The second measure held fast Malchiah, son of Harim, and Hashub, son of Pahath-Moab, and the tower of the furnaces.
After him held fast the Tekoites the second measure, from before the great tower coming forth and even to the walls of Ophel.
Behold the days, says Jehovah, and the city was built to Jehovah, from the tower of Hananeel, even to the gate of the corner.
Behold the days, says Jehovah, and the city was built to Jehovah, from the tower of Hananeel, even to the gate of the corner.
He shall surround all the land as the desert from the hill to the pomegranate south of Jerusalem: and it was high, and she dwelt in her place from the gate of Benjamin even to the place of the first gate, even to the gate of the corner, and the tower of Hananeel even to the wine-presses of the king.
Smith
Fenced cities,
i.e. cities fortified or defended. The fortifications of the cities of Palestine, thus regularly "fenced," consisted of one or more walls (sometimes of thick stones, sometimes of combustible material), crowned with battlemented parapets, having towers at regular intervals,
on which in later times engines of war were placed, and watch was kept by day and night in time of war.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he will take the city, and the people which in it he killed, and he will tear down the city, and will sow it with salt.
And he will strengthen himself and build all the wall broken down, and he will go up upon the towers, and to without another wall, and he will strengthen the filling up of the city of David, and he will make darts for abundance, and shields.