matsud · stronghold, net

What it means

matsud (מָצוּד) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “stronghold, net”.

A stronghold, a strong place hard to reach where one is safe; elsewhere, a hunting net or what is caught. David uses the word for God as his refuge (Psalm 18:2).

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 safe, fortified refuge; David calls God this.
2. A net spread to catch game.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

How it is translated

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

• stronghold ×10
• fortress ×6
• snare ×3
• net ×2
• are in the strongholds ×1
• fortresses ×1

Where it appears

• 1 Samuel×3
• 2 Samuel×5
• 1 Chronicles×2
• Job×2
• Psalms×7
• Ezekiel×4

• 1 Samuel 22:4

  He led them before the king of Moab, and they stayed with him all the days that David was in the stronghold.

• 1 Samuel 22:5

  Gad the prophet said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Go and enter the land of Judah.” So David went and entered the forest of Hereth.

• 1 Samuel 24:22

  David swore to Saul. Saul went to his house, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

• 2 Samuel 5:7

  But David captured the stronghold of Zion; that is the city of David.

• 2 Samuel 5:9

  David lived in the stronghold and called it the city of David; and David built all around from the Millo inward.

• 2 Samuel 5:17

  When the Philistines heard that they had anointed David as king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David; and David heard of it and went down to the stronghold.

• 2 Samuel 22:2

  He said: “YHWH is my crag and my fortress and the one who brings me to safety;

• 2 Samuel 23:14

  David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem.

• 1 Chronicles 11:5

  The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You will not come in here.” But David captured the stronghold of Zion; that is the city of David.

• 1 Chronicles 11:16

  David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem.

• Job 19:6

  know, then, that Eloah has twisted me, and with his net has encircled me.

• Job 39:28

  On the crag it dwells and spends the night, on the tooth of the crag and the stronghold.

• Psalms 18:2

  YHWH is my crag and my fortress and the one who brings me to safety; my El, my Rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my high refuge.

• Psalms 31:2

  Turn your ear to me; quickly deliver me; be for me a rock that is a stronghold, a house of fortresses to save me.

• Psalms 31:3

  For my crag and my fortress are you; and for the sake of your name you will lead me and guide me.

• Psalms 66:11

  You brought us into the net; you laid a burden on our loins.

• Psalms 71:3

  Be to me a rock of dwelling to enter always; you have commanded to save me, for my crag and my fortress are you.

• Psalms 91:2

  I will say to YHWH, “My refuge and my fortress, my Elohim, in whom I trust.”

• Psalms 144:2

  my loyal love and my fortress, my high refuge and the one who brings me to safety, my shield, and in him I take refuge, who subdues my people under me.

• Ezekiel 12:13

  And I will spread my net over him, and he will be caught in my snare; and I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans; but it he will not see, and there he will die.

• Ezekiel 13:21

  And I will tear your veils and deliver my people from your hand, and they will no longer be in your hand as in a snare; and you will know that I am YHWH.

• Ezekiel 17:20

  And I will spread my net over him, and he will be caught in my snare; and I will bring him to Babylon and enter into judgment with him there for his breach of faith that he committed against me.

• Ezekiel 33:27

  Thus you will say to them, ‘Thus says Adonai YHWH: As I live, surely those who are in the ruins by the sword will fall, and whoever is on the face of the field, to the animals I have given him to be devoured, and those who are in the strongholds and in the caves by pestilence will die.