The meaning of Fence in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
fens (batsar, mibhtsar): Commonly used in the King James Version in the description of fortified places, as the translation of batsar, "to cut off," "to separate," "to fortify" (and forms) (Deuteronomy 3:5; Deuteronomy 9:1; Deuteronomy 28:52, etc.); mibhtsar, "fenced city," is a fortified place (Numbers 32:17, Numbers 32:36; Joshua 10:20; Joshua 19:35, etc.); matsor, "fenced cities," means "bulwark," "citadel" (II Chronicles 8:5); metsurah, "fortification" (II Chronicles 11:23; II Chronicles 12:4; II Chronicles 14:6; II Chronicles 21:3); for "fenced" the American Standard Revised Version substitutes "fortified" in all these instances; in Daniel 11:15, mibhtsar is "a well-fortified city," margin "the fortified cities," the English Revised Version "well-fenced"; "fence" is also the translation of gadher, "a wall" or "fence" (Job 19:8 the American Standard Revised Version, "walled up" (gadhar); Psalms 62:3); 'azaq, "to loosen" (the ground) as with a mattock (Isaiah 5:2, where the King James Version has "fenced" it (the vineyard), the American Standard Revised Version "digged it," the English Revised Version "made a trench about it," it" margin "digged it" sukh, "to interweave" or "interlace" (Job 10:11, the Revised Version (British and American) "clothed"); male', "to be or become full" (II Samuel 23:7, the Revised Version (British and American) "armed," margin "Hebrew filled").
ERV has "fence" for "wall" (Numbers 22:24; Isaiah 5:5; Hosea 2:6; the American Standard Revised Version retains "wall"), for "hedge" (Ecclesiastes 10:8; Ezekiel 13:5; Ezekiel 22:30; the American Standard Revised Version "wall"); "fenced" for "walled" (Numbers 13:28; Deuteronomy 1:28; the American Standard Revised Version "fortified"); compare for "strong" Joshua 19:29; Nehemiah 9:25; Psalms 108:10 (margin Joshua 19:29, "the city of Mibzar-zor, that is, the fortress of Tyre," the English Revised Version ,"fenced"), for "hedged" (Lamentations 3:7, American Revised Version, "walled"); compare for "defenced," the English Revised Version "fenced," the American Standard Revised Version "fortified" (Isaiah 36:1; Isaiah 37:26, etc.); "fences" for "hedges" (Psalms 80:12, the American Standard Revised Version "walls"); in Jeremiah 49:3, the English Revised Version and the American Standard Revised Version have "fences."
See also HEDGE.
W. L. Walker
See more on the meaning of Fence in the Bible:
Fence {Easton's Bible Dictionary}
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