What does מִבְצָר (mibṣār) mean in the Bible?
מִבְצָר (mibṣār): Literal fortress or stronghold that becomes figurative refuge or divine protector in covenantal language.
Hebrew · H4013
מִבְצָר
A fortification , castle , or fortified city; figuratively, a defender
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מִבְצָר H4013
Pronunciation mibṣār
What does מִבְצָר (mibṣār) mean in the Bible?
מִבְצָר (mibṣār): Literal fortress or stronghold that becomes figurative refuge or divine protector in covenantal language.
Full entry for מִבְצָר (H4013) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H4013?
The BSB source-word alignment has 37 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include the fortified (7), fortified (4), your fortresses (4), a fortified (2), fortress (2).
Where does מִבְצָר (mibṣār) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Numbers 13:19. Its strongest book concentrations include Jeremiah (7), 2 Kings (5), Daniel (3), Isaiah (3).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It the fortified 7× Joshua 10:20, Joshua 19:29, Joshua 19:35, 1 Samuel 6:18
fortified 4× 2 Kings 3:19, 2 Kings 17:9, 2 Kings 18:8, Jeremiah 34:7
your fortresses 4× Jeremiah 48:18, Hosea 10:14, Nahum 3:12, Nahum 3:14
a fortified 2× 2 Kings 10:2, Daniel 11:15
fortress 2× Isaiah 25:12, Habakkuk 1:10
in the fortified 2× Numbers 32:17, 2 Chronicles 17:19
as fortified 1× Numbers 32:36
fortifications 1× Numbers 13:19
her fortresses 1× Isaiah 34:13
her strongholds 1× Lamentations 2:5
his strongholds 1× Psalms 89:40
like a fortified 1× Jeremiah 1:18
like ore 1× Jeremiah 6:27
the fortified cities 1× Lamentations 2:2
The fortress 1× Isaiah 17:3
the strongest fortresses 1× Daniel 11:39
the stronghold 1× Amos 5:9
the strongholds 1× Daniel 11:24
to the fortified 1× Psalms 108:10
to their fortresses 1× 2 Kings 8:12
toward the fortress 1× 2 Samuel 24:7
your strongholds 1× Micah 5:11
Show sample aligned rows
Numbers 13:19 בְּמִבְצָרִֽים׃ to fortifications Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural Numbers 32:17 הַמִּבְצָ֔ר to in the fortified Article | Noun - masculine singular Numbers 32:36 מִבְצָ֖ר to as fortified Noun - masculine singular Joshua 10:20 הַמִּבְצָֽר׃ to the fortified Article | Noun - masculine singular Joshua 19:29 מִבְצַר־ to the fortified Noun - masculine singular construct Joshua 19:35 מִבְצָ֑ר to The fortified Noun - masculine singular 1 Samuel 6:18 מִבְצָ֔ר to the fortified Noun - masculine singular 2 Samuel 24:7 מִבְצַר־ to toward the fortress Noun - masculine singular construct 2 Kings 3:19 מִבְצָר֙ to fortified Noun - masculine singular 2 Kings 8:12 מִבְצְרֵיהֶ֞ם to to their fortresses Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Numbers 13:19
Aligned rows 37
Books represented 16
Numbers 3 Joshua 3 1 Samuel 1 2 Samuel 1 2 Kings 5 2 Chronicles 1 Psalms 2 Isaiah 3 Jeremiah 7 Lamentations 2 Daniel 3 Hosea 1 Amos 1 Micah 1 Nahum 2 Habakkuk 1
Source forms
מִבְצָ֑ר 3x miḇ·ṣār Joshua 19:35, Psalms 108:10, Jeremiah 6:27
הַמִּבְצָ֖ר 2x ham·miḇ·ṣār 2 Chronicles 17:19, Jeremiah 8:14
הַמִּבְצָֽר׃ 2x ham·miḇ·ṣār Joshua 10:20, Jeremiah 4:5
מִבְצָ֖ר 2x miḇ·ṣār Numbers 32:36, 2 Kings 10:2
מִבְצָר֙ 2x miḇ·ṣār 2 Kings 3:19, Isaiah 17:3
מִבְצַר־ 2x miḇ·ṣar- Joshua 19:29, 2 Samuel 24:7
מִבְצָֽר׃פ 2x miḇ·ṣār 2 Kings 18:8, Jeremiah 34:7
בְּמִבְצָרֶ֑יהָ 1x bə·miḇ·ṣā·re·hā Isaiah 34:13
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular 14x Numbers 32:36, Joshua 19:35, 1 Samuel 6:18, 2 Kings 3:19
Article | Noun - masculine singular 5x Numbers 32:17, Joshua 10:20, 2 Chronicles 17:19, Jeremiah 4:5
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular 3x Jeremiah 48:18, Nahum 3:12, Nahum 3:14
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular 3x Jeremiah 5:17, Hosea 10:14, Micah 5:11
Noun - masculine plural 2x Daniel 11:15, Daniel 11:24
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular 2x Psalms 89:40, Lamentations 2:5
Noun - masculine singular construct 2x Joshua 19:29, 2 Samuel 24:7
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct 1x Isaiah 25:12
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Literal fortress or stronghold that becomes figurative refuge or divine protector in covenantal language.
Source Gloss
a fortification , castle , or fortified city; figuratively, a defender
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Literal fortress or stronghold that becomes figurative refuge or divine protector in covenantal language.
a fortification, castle, or fortified city; figuratively, a defender BDB: fortification Usage: (de-, most) fenced, fortress, (most) strong (hold).
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
Stronghold or defensive city.
Showing 1 selected witness from 37 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
מִבְצָר is built from this root:
Why This Word Matters
Fortification proves powerless before divine judgment. Isaiah 17:1-3
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain