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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However, the people that dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are walled, very great. And also we saw the children of Anak there.
but we ourselves will go ready armed before the sons of Israel until we have brought them to their place. And our little ones shall live in the fenced cities because of those who live in the land.
And the sons of Gad built Dibon and Ataroth and Aroer, and Atroth, Shophan, and Jaazer, and Jogbehah, read more. and Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran, fortified cities. And they built folds for sheep. And the sons of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjath-aim, and Nebo, and Baal-meon (their names being changed) and Sibmah, and they gave other names to the cities which they built. And the sons of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it, and put out the Amorite who was in it. And Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh, and he lived in it. And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the small towns of it, and called them Towns of Jair. And Nobah went and took Kenath and its villages, and called it Nobah after his own name.
And Joshua took all the cities of those kings, and all the kings of them. And he struck them with the edge of the sword. He destroyed them, as Moses the servant of Jehovah commanded. But Israel did not burn any of them, the cities that stood in their strength, except Hazor only. Joshua did burn it.
And Manasseh had not taken possession of Beth-shean and its daughter-villages, nor Taanach and its daughter-villages, nor struck the inhabitants of Dor and its daughter-villages, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and its daughter-villages, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and its daughter-villages. For the Canaanites were determined to live in that land. And it happened, when Israel became strong, they put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not completely expel them. read more. And Ephraim did not expel the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, but the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them. And Zebulun did not expel those who lived in Kitron, nor those who lived in Nahalol. But the Canaanites lived among them and became tributaries. And Asher did not expel those who lived in Accho, and the inhabitants of Sidon, and Ahlab, and Achzib, and Helbah, and Aphik, and Rehob. But the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, those who lived in the land, for they did not expel them. And Naphtali did not expel those who lived in Beth-shemesh, and the inhabitants of Beth-anath, and they lived among the Canaanites, those who lived in the land. But those who lived in Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath became tributaries to them.
The Gazites were told, saying, Samson has come here. And they surrounded him and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, Until the light of the morning, then we shall kill him. And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took hold of the leaves of the gate of the city and the two posts, and picked them up, with the bar, and put them on his shoulders and carried them up to the top of a hill that is before Hebron.
And the king and his men went to Jerusalem to the Jebusites, the people of the land. And one spoke to David saying, You shall not come in here, except the blind and the lame will turn you away; also saying, David cannot come in here. And David took the stronghold of Zion; it is the city of David.
And over the king's treasures was Azmaveth the son of Adiel. And over the storehouses in the fields, in the cities, and in the villages, and in the strongholds, was Jehonathan the son of Uzziah.
And he made himself strong and built up all the wall that was broken, and raised it up to the towers, and another wall outside, and repaired Millo in the city of David, and made darts and shields in abundance.
and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, so that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which belong to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house into which I shall enter. And the king granted me what I asked, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests, and they built the Sheep Gate. They sanctified it and set up its doors, even to the Tower of Meah they sanctified it, to the Tower of Hananeel.
But the sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate, who laid its beams and set up its doors, its locks, and its bars.
And the Old Gate was repaired by Jehoiada the son of Paseah, and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah. They laid its beams and set up its doors and its locks and its bars.
and from above the Gate of Ephraim, and above the Old Gate, and above the Fish Gate, and the Tower of Hananeel, and the Tower of Meah, even to the Sheep Gate. And they stood still in the Prison Gate.
Behold, the days come, says Jehovah, that the city shall be built to Jehovah from the Tower of Hananeel to the Corner Gate.
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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However, the people that dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are walled, very great. And also we saw the children of Anak there.
but we ourselves will go ready armed before the sons of Israel until we have brought them to their place. And our little ones shall live in the fenced cities because of those who live in the land.
And the sons of Gad built Dibon and Ataroth and Aroer, and Atroth, Shophan, and Jaazer, and Jogbehah, read more. and Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran, fortified cities. And they built folds for sheep. And the sons of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjath-aim, and Nebo, and Baal-meon (their names being changed) and Sibmah, and they gave other names to the cities which they built. And the sons of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it, and put out the Amorite who was in it. And Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh, and he lived in it. And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the small towns of it, and called them Towns of Jair. And Nobah went and took Kenath and its villages, and called it Nobah after his own name.
Where shall we go up? Our brothers have broken our heart, saying, We have seen there a people greater and taller than we are. The cities are great and walled up to the heavens, also the sons of the giants.
And we took all his cities at that time. There was not a city which we did not take from them, sixty cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. All these cities were fortified with high walls, gates, and bars; besides a good many unwalled towns.
Hear, O, Israel! You are to pass over Jordan today, to go in to expel nations greater and mightier than you, cities great and fenced up to heaven, a people great and tall, the sons of the giants, whom you know and have heard it said, Who can stand before the sons of Anak!
And all the men of the tower of Shechem heard, and entered into a stronghold of the house of the god Berith.
But there was a strong tower in the middle of the city, and all the men and women, and all the leaders of the city, fled there, and shut it behind them, and got up to the top of the tower.
And the king and his men went to Jerusalem to the Jebusites, the people of the land. And one spoke to David saying, You shall not come in here, except the blind and the lame will turn you away; also saying, David cannot come in here. And David took the stronghold of Zion; it is the city of David.
And Jehovah also spoke of Jezebel saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.
And the king of Assyria went up into all the land. And he went up to Samaria and besieged it three years.
And at the end of three years they took it, in the sixth year of Hezekiah, it was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.
And over the king's treasures was Azmaveth the son of Adiel. And over the storehouses in the fields, in the cities, and in the villages, and in the strongholds, was Jehonathan the son of Uzziah.
And Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built cities for defense in Judah. And he built Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa, read more. and Beth-zur, and Shoco, and Adullam, and Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph, and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah, and Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin, fortified cities.
And Asa the king took all Judah. And they carried away the stones of Ramah, and timber with which Baasha was building. And he built with it Geba and Mizpah.
And he built towers in the desert, and dug many wells. For he had many cattle, both in the low country and in the plains. He also had husbandmen and vinedressers in the mountains, and in Carmel. For he loved the earth.
And he made himself strong and built up all the wall that was broken, and raised it up to the towers, and another wall outside, and repaired Millo in the city of David, and made darts and shields in abundance.
Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests, and they built the Sheep Gate. They sanctified it and set up its doors, even to the Tower of Meah they sanctified it, to the Tower of Hananeel.
Malchijah the son of Harim and Hashub the son of Pahath-moab, repaired the other piece, and the Tower of the Furnaces.
After them the Tekoites repaired another piece, opposite the great tower that sticks out, even to the wall of Ophel.
Behold, the days come, says Jehovah, that the city shall be built to Jehovah from the Tower of Hananeel to the Corner Gate.
Behold, the days come, says Jehovah, that the city shall be built to Jehovah from the Tower of Hananeel to the Corner Gate.
All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. And it shall rise and dwell in its place, from Benjamin's Gate to the place of the First Gate; to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananeel to the king's winepresses.
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.
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And Abimelech fought against the city all that day. And he took the city and killed the people in it. And he beat down the city and sowed it with salt.
And he made himself strong and built up all the wall that was broken, and raised it up to the towers, and another wall outside, and repaired Millo in the city of David, and made darts and shields in abundance.