Topical Bible: Towers: Lebanon

◄ Towers: Lebanon ►

Jump to: Torrey's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

In biblical times, Lebanon was renowned for its majestic cedar trees and its strategic location along ancient trade routes. The region's significance is often highlighted in Scripture, and its towers are emblematic of strength and defense.

Biblical References:

1. Song of Solomon 7:4 : "Your neck is like a tower of ivory; your eyes are pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bath-rabbim. Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon facing toward Damascus." This verse poetically describes the beauty and stature of the beloved, comparing her features to the grandeur and elegance of Lebanon's towers. The "tower of Lebanon" here symbolizes both beauty and strength, suggesting a structure that commands respect and admiration.

2. Ezekiel 27:5 : "They constructed all your planking with cypress from Senir. They took a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you." While this verse does not directly mention towers, it highlights the use of Lebanon's cedars in construction, underscoring the region's reputation for providing materials for strong and enduring structures, including towers.

Historical and Cultural Context:

Lebanon's towers were likely part of fortified cities, serving as watchtowers or defensive structures. These towers would have been crucial in ancient warfare, providing vantage points to observe approaching enemies and to signal allies. The mention of Lebanon's towers in biblical poetry and prophecy often conveys a sense of security and vigilance.

Symbolism:

In biblical literature, towers often symbolize strength, protection, and watchfulness. The "tower of Lebanon" in Song of Solomon is a metaphor for the beloved's noble and dignified presence. The imagery of a tower facing Damascus suggests a readiness to confront challenges and a steadfastness in the face of potential threats.

Theological Implications:

From a theological perspective, the references to Lebanon's towers can be seen as a reminder of God's provision of strength and protection for His people. Just as a tower offers a place of refuge and a strategic advantage, so too does God offer His people security and guidance. The beauty and strength of Lebanon's towers reflect the divine attributes of majesty and might, encouraging believers to trust in God's unwavering support.

Conclusion:

The towers of Lebanon, though not extensively detailed in Scripture, carry significant symbolic weight. They represent the enduring strength and beauty of God's creation and serve as a metaphor for the spiritual fortitude that believers are called to embody. Through these references, the Bible invites readers to appreciate the divine craftsmanship in both the natural world and in the spiritual lives of God's people.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Songs 7:4
Your neck is as a tower of ivory; your eyes like the fish pools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bathrabbim: your nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looks toward Damascus.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Cedars of Lebanon.
... Upon the slopes of the great snow-mountain of Lebanon stood those gigantic cedar ...
feet in height; trees whose tops were as those minster towers; whose shafts ...
/.../kingsley/westminster sermons/sermon xvi the cedars of.htm

The Young Titus
... He passed the Gate of the Women's Towers. Hedges, gardens, ditches and
wind-breaks of cedars of Lebanon from time to time obscured him. ...
/.../miller/the city of delight/chapter ix the young titus.htm

St. Ambrose, in Concluding the Second Book, Ascribes any Good ...
... "Come, then, hither from Lebanon, My spouse, come hither from Lebanon, thou shalt ...
goes: "If it be a wall," it is said, "we will build upon it towers of silver ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter vi st ambrose in.htm

Song of Songs of Solomon
... gate of the daughter of the multitude; thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon, which
looketh ... I am a wall, and my breasts like towers; then was I in his eyes as ...
//christianbookshelf.org/guyon/song of songs of solomon/

Other Passages from the Song of Songs are Considered with Relation ...
... 3202] and His appearance is as that of a cedar of Lebanon, which has ... of her tender
offspring, herself as a wall with breasts as many towers, [3215] increases ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter ix other passages from.htm

Of the Number and Character of the Deeds done by Pagans against ...
... At Heliopolis [610] by Lebanon there lived a certain deacon of the name of Cyrillus ...
part of the city, where the Cyclobion was, and where the Seven Towers now are ...
/.../the ecclesiastical history of theodoret/chapter iii of the number and.htm

How Solomon Fortified the City of Jerusalem, and Built Great ...
... of the city,] he both repaired them, and made them higher, with great towers upon
them ... before submitted to him; those I mean that dwelt in Mount Lebanon, and as ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 6 how solomon fortified.htm

Ezekiel's Discourse
... thy planks of fir trees from Senir: they have taken cedars from Lebanon to make
a ... upon thy walls round about, and the Gammadim were in thy towers: they hanged ...
/.../various/select masterpieces of biblical literature/vii ezekiels discourse.htm

I Know that My Redeemer Liveth
... the city wall of manhood, is utterly broken down, and the towers of its ... a fallen
column; thy nose, so lately comparable to "the tower of Lebanon, which looketh ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 9 1863/i know that my redeemer.htm

Deliverance from Assyria
... built up all the wall that was broken, and raised it up to the towers, and another ...
am come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon, and will ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 30 deliverance from assyria.htm