Lexical Summary batsor: Fortress, stronghold Original Word: בָּצוֹר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance vintage From batsar; inaccessible, i.e. Lofty -- vintage (by confusion with batsiyr). see HEBREW batsar see HEBREW batsiyr NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originsee batsar. Topical Lexicon Meaning and Word-FamilyAlthough the precise form בָּצוֹר never surfaces in the Masoretic Text, it belongs to a cluster of words built on the triliteral root בצר, a stem that pictures something cut off, walled in, or fortified. Cognate spellings give us the noun “fortress,” the verb “to make inaccessible,” and the place-name “Bozrah.” Every member of the family carries the idea of a stronghold—either a coveted refuge or a proud bastion ripe for judgment. Historical and Geographic Associations Archaeology has recovered several Iron-Age citadels that likely preserved the name or idea behind בָּצוֹר: • Khirbet Beit Zur, strategically perched four miles north of Hebron on the road to Jerusalem. Each site commands high ground or a narrow pass, illustrating why the underlying Hebrew stem became synonymous with security and impregnability. Appearances of the Cognate Forms While בָּצוֹר itself is unattested, its siblings stamp their mark across Scripture: Genesis 36:33; Isaiah 34:6; 63:1; Jeremiah 49:13, 22; Amos 1:12 — “Bozrah,” the capital of Edom and later a symbol of nations that trust their ramparts more than the LORD. Psalm 18:2 — “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer.” Proverbs 18:11 — “The wealth of the rich is his fortified city; he imagines it an unscalable wall.” The pattern is clear: true safety lies with the covenant God, whereas human strongholds prove fragile when He acts. Prophetic Framework Bozrah’s coming downfall (Isaiah 63; Jeremiah 49) functions as a prophetic signpost. Isaiah sings of the Warrior-Redeemer returning from Bozrah with garments stained in judgment, prefiguring both immediate chastisement upon Edom and the final victory of Messiah over every man-made defense. The ruined fortress becomes a cautionary tale for all who idolize their walls, wealth, or weaponry. Theological Trajectory 1. Divine Refuge “Be my rock of refuge, a fortress of deliverance” (Psalm 31:2). Every human citadel points beyond itself to the ultimate Strong Tower—Yahweh Himself. 2. Judgment on False Security Edom’s pride illustrates the folly of trusting in elevated terrain, thick walls, or political alliances (Obadiah 3–4). 3. Eschatological Reversal Where Edom’s Bozrah falls, Zion’s stronghold stands forever (Zechariah 9:12; Revelation 21:12–14). The root that once described failing bastions now undergirds promises of an unshakable Kingdom. Ministry Applications • Pastoral Assurance: Lead believers to exchange anxiety for confidence by praying fortress texts (Psalm 46; Psalm 59:16). Related Entries for Further Study Botsrah (Strong 1223) – chief city of Edom. Mibtsar – “fortified city” (Numbers 13:19). Metsudah – “stronghold” (1 Samuel 22:4; Psalm 18:2). Together these words trace a biblical theology in which God alone is the impregnable refuge, every other rampart being either a provisional gift to steward or an idol certain to crumble. Links Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance tə·ḇa·‘ă·ṯan·nî — 3 Occ.ṯə·ḇa·‘ă·ṯe·kā — 1 Occ. tə·ḇa·‘êṯ — 1 Occ. ū·ḇi·‘ă·ṯat·tū — 1 Occ. yə·ḇa·‘ă·ṯu·hū — 2 Occ. yə·ḇa·‘ă·ṯu·nî — 2 Occ. ḇə·‘ā·ṯāh — 2 Occ. ḇab·bōṣ — 1 Occ. biṣ·ṣō·ṯāw — 1 Occ. ū·ḇiṣ·ṣāh — 1 Occ. bê·ṣāy — 1 Occ. ḇê·ṣāy — 2 Occ. bā·ṣîr — 2 Occ. bə·ṣî·rêḵ — 1 Occ. miḇ·ṣîr — 1 Occ. ū·ḇā·ṣîr — 1 Occ. ḇā·ṣîr — 2 Occ. hab·bə·ṣā·lîm — 1 Occ. bə·ṣal·’êl — 6 Occ. ū·ḇə·ṣal·’êl — 1 Occ. |
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