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 who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. Moreover, we saw the children of Anak there.
but we ourselves will be ready armed to go before the children of Israel, until we have brought them to their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land.
The children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer, and Atrothshophan, and Jazer, and Jogbehah, read more. and Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran: fortified cities, and folds for sheep. The children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kiriathaim, and Nebo, and Baal Meon, (their names being changed), and Sibmah: and they gave other names to the cities which they built. The children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were therein. Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh; and he lived therein. Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its towns, and called them Havvoth Jair. Nobah went and took Kenath, and its villages, and called it Nobah, after his own name.
Joshua captured all the cities of those kings, with their kings, and he struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed them; as Moses the servant of the LORD commanded. But as for the cities that stood on their mounds, Israel burned none of them, except Hazor only. Joshua burned that.
Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shean and its towns, nor Taanach and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land. It happened, when Israel had grown strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, and did not utterly drive them out. read more. Ephraim didn't drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer; but the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them. Zebulun didn't drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites lived among them, and became subject to forced labor. Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, nor the inhabitants of Sidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob; but the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out. Naphtali didn't drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh, nor the inhabitants of Beth Anath; but he lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh and of Beth Anath became subject to forced labor.
The Gazites were told, "Samson is here." They surrounded him, and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city, and were quiet all night, saying, "Wait until morning light, then we will kill him." Samson stayed in bed until midnight, and arose at midnight, and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and plucked them up, bar and all, and put them on his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of the mountain that is overlooking Hebron.
The king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, "You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will repel you"; thinking, "David can't come in here." Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the City of David.
Over the king's treasures was Azmaveth the son of Adiel: and over the treasures in the fields, in the cities, and in the villages, and in the towers, was Jonathan the son of Uzziah:
He took courage, and built up all the wall that was broken down, and raised it up to the towers, and the other wall outside, and strengthened Millo in the City of David, and made weapons and shields in abundance.
and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple, for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into." The king granted my requests, because of the good hand of my God on 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 Hammeah they sanctified it, to the tower of Hananel.
The sons of Hassenaah built the fish gate. They laid its beams, and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars.
Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the old gate. They laid its beams, and set up its doors, and its bolts, and its bars.
and above the gate of Ephraim, and by the old gate, and by the fish gate, and the tower of Hananel, and the tower of Hammeah, even to the sheep gate: and they stood still in the gate of the guard.
"Behold, the days come," says the LORD, "that the city shall be built to the LORD from the tower of Hananel to the gate of the corner.
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 who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. Moreover, we saw the children of Anak there.
but we ourselves will be ready armed to go before the children of Israel, until we have brought them to their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land.
The children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer, and Atrothshophan, and Jazer, and Jogbehah, read more. and Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran: fortified cities, and folds for sheep. The children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kiriathaim, and Nebo, and Baal Meon, (their names being changed), and Sibmah: and they gave other names to the cities which they built. The children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were therein. Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh; and he lived therein. Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its towns, and called them Havvoth Jair. Nobah went and took Kenath, and its villages, and called it Nobah, after his own name.
Where are we going up? Our brothers have made our heart to melt, saying, 'The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to the sky; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.'"
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 were cities fortified with high walls, gates, and bars; besides the unwalled towns a great many.
Hear, Israel: you are to pass over the Jordan this day, to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourself, cities great and fortified up to the sky, a people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom you know, and of whom you have heard say, "Who can stand before the sons of Anak?"
And when all the lords of the Tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered into the stronghold of the house of El Berith.
But there was a strong tower within the city, and all the men and women fled, and all the lords of the city, and shut themselves in, and got them up to the roof of the tower.
The king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, "You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will repel you"; thinking, "David can't come in here." Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the City of David.
The LORD also spoke of Jezebel, saying, "The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the rampart of Jezreel.
Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.
At the end of three years they took it: in the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.
Over the king's treasures was Azmaveth the son of Adiel: and over the treasures in the fields, in the cities, and in the villages, and in the towers, was Jonathan the son of Uzziah:
Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem, and built cities for defense in Judah. He built Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa, read more. Beth Zur, and Soco, 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.
Then Asa the king took all Judah; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and its timber, with which Baasha had built; and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah.
He built towers in the wilderness, and dug out many cisterns, for he had much livestock; in the lowland also, and in the plain: and he had farmers and vineyard keepers in the mountains and in the fruitful fields; for he loved farming.
He took courage, and built up all the wall that was broken down, and raised it up to the towers, and the other wall outside, and strengthened Millo in the City of David, and made weapons 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 Hammeah they sanctified it, to the tower of Hananel.
Malchijah the son of Harim, and Hasshub the son of Pahathmoab, repaired another portion, and the tower of the furnaces.
After him the Tekoites repaired another portion, over against the great tower that stands out, and to the wall of Ophel.
"Behold, the days come," says the LORD, "that the city shall be built to the LORD from the tower of Hananel to the gate of the corner.
"Behold, the days come," says the LORD, "that the city shall be built to the LORD from the tower of Hananel to the gate of the corner.
All the land will be made like the Arabah, from Geba to Rimmon in the Negev. Jerusalem will be lifted up, and will dwell in her place, from Benjamin's gate to the place of the first gate, to the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananel 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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Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and killed the people who were in it. And he destroyed the city, and sowed it with salt.
He took courage, and built up all the wall that was broken down, and raised it up to the towers, and the other wall outside, and strengthened Millo in the City of David, and made weapons and shields in abundance.