What Does 2 Chronicles 17:2 Mean in the King James?
And he placed forces in all the fenced cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa his father had taken.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
Protection takes shape both as cities made inaccessible and as strength stationed throughout the land.
THE MEANING
The verse shows you a layered form of security: fortified boundaries and garrisons hold their places across Judah and Ephraim. Even the name Ephraim carries fruitfulness, placing this protection around land whose name speaks of fruit.
THE ROOT
הַבְּצֻרוֹת
habbəṣurôt
GROWS FROM
ב־צ־ר
b-ṣ-r
To cut off, make inaccessible, or fortify.
“fenced” in this verse is habbəṣurôt. The Hebrew describes cities made inaccessible, carrying more than the idea of a simple boundary. The same root names a fortress: protection here is an enclosure strengthened against entry.
ALSO GROWS
mivtsār: Fortress, stronghold.
מִבְצָר
This branch names the fortified enclosure itself, keeping the protective sense of the cities visible.
bāṣūr: Fortified, inaccessible.
בָּצוּר
This describes the condition of the cities: made difficult to enter or overcome.
נְצִיבִים
nəṣîḇîm
GROWS FROM
נ־צ־ב
n-ṣ-b
To stand, take a position, or be stationed.
The garrisons are named through the idea of standing in position. The verse places protection not only in walls, but in a presence that holds its post across the land.
ALSO GROWS
niṣṣāḇ: Standing, stationed.
נִצָּב
This form makes the garrison’s defining image explicit: one standing at an assigned position.
maṣṣēḇāh: Standing stone, pillar.
מַצֵּבָה
The pillar carries the same rooted image of something set upright and holding its place.
אֶפְרַיִם
ʾEfrayim
GROWS FROM
פ־ר־ה
p-r-h
To bear fruit, be fruitful.
Ephraim’s name carries fruitfulness. The verse places garrisons in Ephraim’s cities, so the image of protection reaches into a land whose name speaks of fruit.
ALSO GROWS
pārâ: To bear fruit, be fruitful.
פָּרָה
This is the root carried by Ephraim’s name.
hiphrānî: He made me fruitful.
הִפְרַנִי
This form appears in the naming of Ephraim and makes the name’s fruitfulness concrete.
THE PATTERN
Protection is maintained by strength stationed where a boundary can be tested.
Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.A Song of degrees for Solomon. Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:THE THREAD
And the fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall he bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, even to the dust.The word translated “fortress” is מִבְצָר (mivtsār), from the same ב־צ־ר (b-ṣ-r) root as the fortified cities here. Isaiah shows the other edge of that root: the enclosure made inaccessible can also be brought down to dust.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us