Lexical Summary
maoz or mauz or maoz or mauz: Stronghold, refuge, fortress, protection
Original Word:מָעוֹז
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:ma`owz
Pronunciation:mah-OHZ or maw-OHZ
Phonetic Spelling:(maw-oze')
KJV: force, fort(-ress), rock, strength(-en), (X most) strong (hold)
NASB:stronghold, strength, defense, fortress, fortresses, refuge, helmet
Word Origin:[fromH5810 (עָזַז - prevail)]
1. a fortified place
2. (figuratively) a defence
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
force, fortress, rock, strengthen, most strong hold
(also mauwz {maw-ooz'}); or mahoz {maw-oze'} (also ma,uz {maw-ooz'}; fromazaz; a fortified place; figuratively, a defence -- force, fort(-ress), rock, strength(-en), (X most) strong (hold).
see HEBREWazaz
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
uzDefinitiona place or means of safety, protection
NASB Translationdefense (4), fortress (4), fortresses (3), helmet (2), protection (2), refuge (3), safety (2), strength (5), strong (1), stronghold (9), strongholds (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Judges 6:26 ( suffixes as if from , but probably erroneous, compare Buhl
Lex 13 Ges
§ 85k); — absolute
Judges 6:26 +, construct
Isaiah 30:2 +; suffix
2 Samuel 22:33 (but read as ""
Psalm 18:33),
Psalm 31:3 +,
Isaiah 27:5 +,
Psalm 52:9 +,
Daniel 11:10, etc. (read probably , etc.); plural
Daniel 11:38;
Daniel 11:39, suffix
Isaiah 23:11, read (Ges
§ 20o Che
Heb.Hpt. and others; strike out dagesh forte in all, see above); —
literallyplace of safetyJudges 6:26, hence (c. collateral idea ofstrength, as if from =fastnessIsaiah 23:11,14 (inIsaiah 23:14 CheHeb.Hpt. proposesyour city),Ezekiel 24:25;Ezekiel 30:15;Daniel 11:7,10,19,Daniel 11:31,Daniel 11:39; i.e.harbourIsaiah 23:4, but strike out O1 Du CheHpt.;Nahum 3:11; compareIsaiah 17:9.
() asrefugeNahum 1:7;Psalm 27:1;Psalm 31:5;Psalm 37:39;Psalm 52:9;Isaiah 25:4 (twice in verse); Joel 4:16,Jeremiah 16:19,Psalm 28:8 ("" ); soIsaiah 17:10;Psalm 31:3,Psalm 43:2; alsoIsaiah 27:5let him lay hold of my refuge (me as refuge); cf .Nehemiah 8:10,Proverbs 10:29.
,Daniel 11:38 (readcities CheIsaiah 23:1,Heb.Hpt.).
protection,Isaiah 30:2,3(both "" );Psalm 60:9 =Psalm 108:9, i.e. my helmet; also (of angel)Daniel 11:1 ("" ).
see II. . below
Topical Lexicon
Semantic Overviewמָעוֹז (maʿôz) conveys the idea of a place or means of safety—an impregnable stronghold, refuge, or source of strength. Whether literal (a fortified city) or figurative (divine protection), the word consistently points to what can be relied upon when danger threatens.
Divine Stronghold and Refuge
In the largest cluster of references, מָעוֹז describes the LORD Himself. The Psalms repeatedly confess Him as “my stronghold”:
• “The LORD is the stronghold of my life; whom shall I dread?” (Psalm 27:1).
• “Salvation of the righteous is from the LORD… He is their stronghold in time of trouble” (Psalm 37:39–40).
• “You are my strong refuge” (Psalm 71:7).
The prophets echo the same confidence.Isaiah 25:4 celebrates God as “a stronghold for the needy in distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat,” whileNahum 1:7 assures a beleaguered Judah, “The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of distress; He cares for those who take refuge in Him.” Here מָעוֹז is more than shelter; it is covenant faithfulness expressed in protective power.
Human Fortresses and False Trust
Because God alone is the unfailing מָעוֹז, Scripture warns against substituting earthly defenses. Isaiah rebukes those who “have forgotten the God of your salvation and failed to remember the Rock of your refuge” (Isaiah 17:10).Psalm 52:7 exposes the fool who “did not make God his stronghold, but trusted in the abundance of his riches.” Jeremiah foretells judgment on Moab and Babylon when their “strongholds are seized” (Jeremiah 48:41;Jeremiah 51:30). These texts reveal the futility of any refuge erected apart from the LORD.
Eschatological and Apocalyptic Fortresses (Daniel 11)
Daniel applies מָעוֹז ten times to the shifting military realities of kings in the north and south. Their “fortresses” rise and fall, climaxing in the blasphemous ruler who “will honor a god of fortresses” (Daniel 11:38). The passage underscores that final human power structures will likewise collapse before the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:9–14). By contrasting transient earthly strongholds with God’s eternal kingdom, Daniel deepens the theological weight of the word.
Covenant Geography and History
Within Israel’s narrative, מָעוֹז appears regarding Judah’s hill-country defenses (2 Chronicles 27:4) and fortified towns of the northern kingdom (Judges 6:26;1 Samuel 22:4). These literal strongholds formed part of Israel’s security network, yet history shows they could be breached whenever the nation lapsed into covenant unfaithfulness. Thus the historical record itself becomes a living illustration of the prophets’ message: only the LORD is an unassailable fortress.
Usage in Worship and Prayer
Because מָעוֹז is relational, its richest expression is doxological. Psalms use it in personal testimony, corporate praise, and liturgical lament. The word invites worshipers to relocate trust from circumstances to God’s character. Singing “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” echoes this biblical imagery and keeps the congregation’s hope anchored in the LORD’s proven reliability.
Pastoral and Discipleship Implications
1. Assurance in trial: Believers facing persecution, illness, or economic hardship may prayPsalm 27:1–3, reminding themselves that God’s person, not their resources, secures them.
2. Warfare worldview: Spiritual opposition (Ephesians 6:12) exposes the inadequacy of human strategies; only the divine stronghold prevails.
3. Evangelistic urgency: Jeremiah’s oracles against pagan strongholds warn modern hearers that any refuge apart from Christ will ultimately fail.
4. Community resilience: Congregations build programs and properties, yet their enduring stability lies in the LORD who remains their מָעוֹז.
Christological Fulfillment
Jesus embodies and fulfills the Old Testament theme. He is the unparalleled refuge who says, “No one will snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:28). His cross breaks every false stronghold (Colossians 2:15), and His resurrection establishes the unshakable kingdom forecast by Daniel. In Him, the abstract concept of מָעוֹז becomes concrete, accessible, and eternal.
New Testament Resonance
Though the Hebrew term is absent, its theology echoes in Greek words such as καταφυγή (“refuge,”Hebrews 6:18) and ἰσχυρός (“strong,”Mark 1:7). Believers “have fled to take hold of the hope set before us” (Hebrews 6:18), demonstrating continuity between Testaments: the God who was Israel’s fortress remains the Church’s enduring protection.
Summary
מָעוֹז weaves through Scripture as a multifaceted witness: God is fortress; human strongholds fail; trust must be transferred from self-made security to divine sovereignty. From Israel’s battlefields to the believer’s heart, the word summons all generations to shelter under the Almighty, confident that “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).
Forms and Transliterations
בְּמָע֣וֹז בְּמָעוֹז֙ בְּמָעוּזִּ֔י במעוז במעוזי הַמָּע֛וֹז הַמָּעוֹז֙ המעוז וּלְמָע֖וֹז וּמָ֘ע֤וֹז וּמָע֖וֹז וּמָעֻזִּ֛י ולמעוז ומעוז ומעזי לְמָע֖וֹז לְמָעוּזֵּ֖י למעוז למעוזי מָ֣עוּזָּ֔ם מָ֭עוֹז מָֽ֝עוּזָּ֗ם מָֽע֫וּזּ֥וֹ מָֽעֻזְּכֶֽם׃ מָֽעֻזִּ֔ים מָֽעֻזִּים֙ מָֽעוֹז־ מָֽעוּזִּֽי׃ מָֽעוּזִּי֮ מָע֖וֹז מָע֣וֹז מָע֥וֹז מָעֻזְּכֶֽן׃ מָעֻזְנֶֽיהָ׃ מָעֻזֵּ֖ךְ מָעֻזּ֗וֹ מָעֻזֹּֽו׃ מָעוּזִּ֖י מעוז מעוז־ מעוזו מעוזי מעוזי׃ מעוזם מעזו מעזו׃ מעזים מעזך מעזכם׃ מעזכן׃ מעזניה׃ bə·mā·‘ō·wz bə·mā·‘ūz·zî bəmā‘ōwz bəmā‘ūzzî bemaoz bemauzZi ham·mā·‘ō·wz hammā‘ōwz hammaoz lə·mā·‘ō·wz lə·mā·‘ūz·zê ləmā‘ōwz ləmā‘ūzzê lemaoz lemauzZei mā‘ōwz mā‘ōwz- mā‘uznehā mā‘ūzzām mā‘uzzêḵ mā‘uzzəḵem mā‘uzzəḵen mā‘ūzzî mā‘uzzîm mā‘uzzōw mā‘ūzzōw mā·‘ō·wz mā·‘ō·wz- mā·‘uz·ne·hā mā·‘ūz·zām mā·‘uz·zə·ḵem mā·‘uz·zə·ḵen mā·‘uz·zêḵ mā·‘ūz·zî mā·‘uz·zîm mā·‘uz·zōw mā·‘ūz·zōw maoz mauzNeiha mauzZam mauzZech MauzzeChem mauzzeChen mauzZi mauzZim maUzZo ū·lə·mā·‘ō·wz ū·mā·‘ō·wz ū·mā·‘uz·zî ūləmā‘ōwz ulemaoz ūmā‘ōwz ūmā‘uzzî uMaoz umauzZi
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