migdal · tower

What it means

migdal (מִגְדָּל) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “tower”.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. A tall, strong structure, for keeping watch or defense.
2. A wooden platform.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

Tower: a tall building for defense or watch, in a city, a wall, a vineyard or a field. It comes from the root of ‘great’, גָּדַל. In the Psalms and Proverbs, an image of protection.

• The tower of Babel Genesis 11:4Genesis 11:5
• Towers of cities and walls Judges 9:51Nehemiah 3:12 Chronicles 26:9
• The watchtower 2 Kings 9:17Isaiah 5:2
• “A tower of strength”: YHWH and his name Proverbs 18:10Psalms 61:3
• Comparisons in the Song Song of Songs 4:4Song of Songs 7:4

Historical and cultural background

Isaiah 5:2 describes the well-tended vineyard: he dug it, planted it, and “built a tower in its midst”. Uzziah “built towers in the wilderness” for his livestock (2 Chronicles 26:10).

How we translate it

Always “tower” (34 times) or “towers” (15). The fixed expressions are rendered word for word: “a tower of strength” (Proverbs 18:10), “the tower of the watchmen” (2 Kings 17:9), “tower of the flock” (Micah 4:8, with a note about Migdal-eder).

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• tower ×34
• towers ×15

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Genesis×2
• Judges×9
• 2 Kings×3
• 1 Chronicles×1
• 2 Chronicles×6
• Nehemiah×10
• Psalms×2
• Proverbs×1
• Song of Songs×5
• Isaiah×4
• Jeremiah×1
• Ezekiel×3
• Micah×1
• Zechariah×1

• Genesis 11:4

  And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, so that we are not scattered over the face of all the earth.”

• Genesis 11:5

  YHWH came down to see the city and the tower that the human beings had built.

• Judges 8:9

  So he said also to the men of Penuel, saying, “When I return in peace, I will tear down this tower.”

• Judges 8:17

  And he tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.

• Judges 9:46

  All the lords of the tower of Shechem heard it, and they went into the fortress of the house of El-berith.

• Judges 9:47

  It was told to Abimelech that all the lords of the tower of Shechem had gathered together.

• Judges 9:49

  So all the people also cut down each one his branch and followed Abimelech; they put them against the fortress and set the fortress on fire over them, so that all the men of the tower of Shechem also died, about a thousand men and women.

• Judges 9:51

  There was a strong tower in the middle of the city, and all the men and the women and all the lords of the city fled there; they shut it behind them and went up on the roof of the tower.

• Judges 9:52

  Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it, and he approached the entrance of the tower to burn it with fire.

• 2 Kings 9:17

  The watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel, and he saw the company of Jehu as he came, and said, “I see a company.” Joram said, “Take a horseman and send him to meet them, and let him say, ‘Is there peace?’”

• 2 Kings 17:9

  The sons of Israel did secretly things that were not right against YHWH their Elohim; they built for themselves high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city.

• 2 Kings 18:8

  He struck the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territories, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city.

• 1 Chronicles 27:25

  Over the king’s treasuries was Azmaveth son of Adiel; and over the stores in the field, in the cities, in the villages, and in the towers, was Jonathan son of Uzziah;

• 2 Chronicles 14:7

  He said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with wall and towers, doors and bars; the land is still before us, because we have sought YHWH our Elohim; we have sought him, and he has given us rest all around.” So they built and prospered.

• 2 Chronicles 26:9

  Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem on the Corner Gate and on the Valley Gate and on the angle, and fortified them.

• 2 Chronicles 26:10

  He built towers in the wilderness and hewed out many cisterns, for he had much livestock, both in the Shephelah and in the plain, and he had farmers and vinedressers in the mountains and in the fertile fields, for he loved the ground.

• 2 Chronicles 26:15

  He made in Jerusalem devices, the invention of an inventor, to be on the towers and on the corners, to shoot arrows and large stones. And his name went out far, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong.

• 2 Chronicles 27:4

  He built cities in the hill country of Judah, and in the forests he built fortresses and towers.

• 2 Chronicles 32:5

  He strengthened himself and built all the wall that was broken down, and raised on it the towers, and outside another wall; and he repaired the Millo in the city of David, and made weapons in abundance and shields.

• Nehemiah 3:1

  And Eliashib the high priest rose up, and his brothers the priests, and they built the Sheep Gate; they sanctified it and set up its doors; and as far as the Tower of the Hundred they sanctified it, as far as the Tower of Hananel.

• Nehemiah 3:11

  A second section Malchijah the son of Harim and Hasshub the son of Pahath-moab repaired, and the Tower of the Ovens.

• Nehemiah 3:25

  Palal the son of Uzai repaired opposite the angle and the tower that projects from the upper house of the king, which is by the court of the guard. After him, Pedaiah the son of Parosh.

• Nehemiah 3:26

  And the Nethinim were living on the Ophel as far as opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the tower that projects.

• Nehemiah 3:27

  After him the Tekoites repaired a second section, from opposite the great tower that projects as far as the wall of the Ophel.

• Nehemiah 8:4

  And Ezra the scribe stood on a tower of wood that they had made for this; and beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, at his right; and at his left Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, Meshullam.

• Nehemiah 12:38

  And the second thanksgiving choir went in the opposite direction, and I went after it, and half of the people, on top of the wall, above the Tower of the Ovens, as far as the Broad Wall,

• Nehemiah 12:39

  and above the Ephraim Gate, and by the Old Gate, and by the Fish Gate, and the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate; and they stopped at the Guard Gate.

• Psalms 48:12

  Go around Zion, and circle her; count her towers;

• Psalms 61:3

  For you have been a refuge for me, a tower of strength in the face of the enemy.

• Proverbs 18:10

  A tower of strength is the name of YHWH; into it the righteous runs and is set on high.

• Song of Songs 4:4

  Like the tower of David is your neck, built in rows; a thousand shields hang on it, all the shields of the mighty men.

• Song of Songs 5:13

  His cheeks are like a garden bed of balsam, towers of aromas; his lips are lilies, dripping myrrh that flows.

• Song of Songs 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 that looks toward Damascus.

• Song of Songs 8:10

  I am a wall, and my breasts like towers; then I was in his eyes like one who finds peace.

• Isaiah 2:15

  and against every high tower, and against every fortified wall;

• Isaiah 5:2

  He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a tower in its midst and also hewed out a winepress in it; and he waited for it to produce grapes, but it produced sour grapes.

• Isaiah 30:25

  And there will be, on every high mountain and on every lofty hill, streams, channels of water, in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.

• Isaiah 33:18

  Your heart will meditate on the terror: “Where is the one who counted? Where is the one who weighed? Where is the one who counted the towers?”

• Jeremiah 31:38

  Look, days are coming, declares YHWH, when the city will be built for YHWH, from the tower of Hananel to the gate of the Corner.

• Ezekiel 26:4

  And they will destroy the walls of Tyre and tear down her towers; and I will scrape her dust from her and make her a bare rock.

And 9 more times.