The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

Fence

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) (De 3:5; 9:1; 28:52, etc.); mibhtsar, "fenced city," is a fortified place (Nu 32:17,36; Jos 10:20; 19:35, etc.); matsor, "fenced cities," means "bulwark," "citadel" (2Ch 8:5); metsurah, "fortification" (2Ch 11:23; 12:4; 14:6; 21:3); for "fenced" the American Standard Revised Version substitutes "fortified" in all these instances; in Da 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); Ps 62:3); `azaq, "to loosen" (the ground) as with a mattock (Isa 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" (2Sa 23:7, the Revised Version (British and American) "armed," margin "Hebrew filled").

ERV has "fence" for "wall" (Nu 22:24; Isa 5:5; Ho 2:6; the American Standard Revised Version retains "wall"), for "hedge" (Ec 10:8; Eze 13:5; 22:30; the American Standard Revised Version "wall"); "fenced" for "walled" (Nu 13:28; De 1:28; the American Standard Revised Version "fortified"); compare for "strong" Jos 19:29; Ne 9:25; Ps 108:10 (margin Jos 19:29, "the city of Mibzar-zor, that is, the fortress of Tyre," the English Revised Version ,"fenced"), for "hedged" (La 3:7, American Revised Version, "walled"); compare for "defenced," the English Revised Version "fenced," the American Standard Revised Version "fortified" (Isa 36:1; 37:26, etc.); "fences" for "hedges" (Ps 80:12, the American Standard Revised Version "walls"); in Jer 49:3, the English Revised Version and the American Standard Revised Version have "fences."

See also HEDGE.

W. L. Walker

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, James Orr (1915). Public domain, from the CrossWire SWORD module.