Lexical Summary mutstsab: Pillar, Station, Garrison Original Word: מֻצָּב Strong's Exhaustive Concordance mount From natsab; a station, i.e. Military post -- mount. see HEBREW natsab NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom natsab Definition palisade or entrenchment NASB Translation siegeworks (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs מֻצָּב noun [masculine] palisade or intrenchment; — only Isaiah 29:3 (of siege-works; "" מְצֻרֹת). Topical Lexicon Hebrew Background and Conceptual Range מֻצָּב denotes something set in place to serve as a fixed position—most naturally a military emplacement such as a siege‐mound, rampart, or watch-post. The term conveys both solidity (an established structure) and strategic intent (a vantage from which action is directed). Old Testament Usage The word occurs once, in Isaiah 29:3, within a prophecy of divine judgment on Ariel (Jerusalem): “I will camp in a circle around you; I will besiege you with a rampart, and I will set up siege works against you” (Isaiah 29:3). Here מֻצָּבִים, “siege works,” forms the climax of a threefold assault that completely surrounds the city—camping, besieging, and finally erecting fixed positions from which to batter the defenses. Historical Setting of Isaiah 29 Isaiah ministered under kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, navigating Judah through looming Assyrian aggression. The image of siegeworks evoked real tactics used by Assyria—mounds built to breach city walls (compare 2 Kings 19:32). For Jerusalem’s inhabitants the word would conjure the sight of earthen ramps inching toward the walls, accompanied by towers, archers, and battering rams. Isaiah’s oracle assures that the impending threat is not mere geopolitics; it is Yahweh Himself who “sets up the siege works,” underscoring divine sovereignty over historical events (Isaiah 29:6). Theological Significance 1. Divine Initiative in Judgment: The LORD both commands armies and engineers their tactics. מֻצָּב therefore becomes a symbol of inescapable judgment when covenant people persist in hypocrisy (Isaiah 29:13). Prophetic Imagery and Christological Echoes Siegeworks illustrate the pressure God exerts to expose spiritual blindness (Isaiah 29:9-10). In the Gospels, Christ’s parables and miracles similarly confronted hardened hearts (Matthew 13:13-15). Where מֻצָּב leveled physical walls, the cross tore down the spiritual wall of hostility (Ephesians 2:14). Applications for Discipleship and Ministry • Warning against Religious Formalism: Isaiah 29:13’s charge, “These people draw near with their mouths... but their hearts are far from Me,” summons churches to marry orthodoxy with genuine devotion. Homiletical and Teaching Insights 1. Structure a sermon around the progression in Isaiah 29: encirclement, siege, siegeworks — culminating in wonder-producing deliverance (Isaiah 29:14). Summary Though appearing but once, מֻצָּב embodies the relentless advance of divine judgment and the purposeful discipline that precedes redemption. Its lone occurrence stands as a reminder that every “fixed position” God allows—whether in ancient Jerusalem or in modern lives—serves His unchanging aim to humble pride, unveil truth, and usher His people into lasting security under His reign. Forms and Transliterations מֻצָּ֔ב מצב muṣ·ṣāḇ muṣṣāḇ mutzTzavLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 29:3 HEB: וְצַרְתִּ֤י עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ מֻצָּ֔ב וַהֲקִֽימֹתִ֥י עָלַ֖יִךְ NAS: [you], And I will set siegeworks against KJV: and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise INT: will set against siegeworks will raise against 1 Occurrence |
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