Topical Encyclopedia
Ramparts, in biblical terms, refer to defensive walls or fortifications that are built to protect a city or stronghold from enemy attacks. These structures are often mentioned in the context of ancient warfare and city defense, serving as a symbol of strength and security. The concept of ramparts is prevalent throughout the Bible, illustrating both physical and spiritual protection.
Biblical References:1.
Jeremiah 5:10 : "Go up through her vineyards and ravage them, but do not finish them off. Strip away her branches, for they do not belong to the LORD." This passage metaphorically uses the imagery of ramparts to describe the impending judgment and destruction that will come upon Jerusalem due to its unfaithfulness. The ramparts here symbolize the city's defenses that will be breached as a consequence of divine judgment.
2.
Lamentations 2:8 : "The LORD determined to destroy the wall of Daughter Zion. He stretched out a measuring line and did not withhold His hand from swallowing her. He made the ramparts and walls lament; together they wasted away." In this verse, the ramparts of Jerusalem are depicted as mourning their own destruction, emphasizing the totality of the city's downfall as ordained by God.
3.
Habakkuk 2:1 : "I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the ramparts; I will watch to see what He will say to me, and how I should answer when corrected." Here, the prophet Habakkuk uses the imagery of standing on the ramparts to signify vigilance and readiness to receive God's message. The ramparts serve as a vantage point for spiritual watchfulness and discernment.
4.
2 Chronicles 32:5 : "Then Hezekiah worked resolutely to rebuild all the broken sections of the wall and raised towers on it. He built another wall outside that one and reinforced the supporting terraces of the City of David. He also made large numbers of weapons and shields." This account of King Hezekiah's efforts to fortify Jerusalem against the Assyrian threat highlights the practical use of ramparts in ancient military strategy. The construction and reinforcement of these defenses were crucial for the city's survival.
Symbolic Significance:In addition to their literal use, ramparts carry a symbolic meaning in Scripture. They often represent God's protection and the spiritual fortifications that believers are encouraged to build in their lives. Just as physical ramparts guard a city, spiritual ramparts—such as faith, prayer, and obedience—guard the hearts and minds of the faithful against spiritual adversaries.
Theological Implications:The presence of ramparts in biblical narratives underscores the theme of divine protection and judgment. While they can signify security and refuge for those who trust in God, they also serve as a reminder of the consequences of disobedience and the vulnerability of relying solely on human strength. The destruction of ramparts often accompanies divine judgment, illustrating the futility of earthly defenses against the sovereign will of God.
In summary, ramparts in the Bible are multifaceted, serving as both literal and metaphorical elements that convey themes of protection, vigilance, and divine sovereignty. They remind believers of the importance of spiritual preparedness and reliance on God's strength in the face of life's battles.
Strong's Hebrew
2426. chel -- rampart, fortress... Word Origin from chul Definition rampart, fortress NASB Word Usage district
(1), host (1), rampart (3),
ramparts (2), walls (1).
...Library
Time Changes Nations' Dresses --And Fortunes.
... Lepidus and his rough jests, after Pompeius and his triple altars, and C??sar and
his long delays, when Statilius Taurus reared yourramparts, and Sentius...
How Moses Made War with the Ethiopians.
... the manner of an island, being encompassed with a strong wall, and having the rivers
to guard them from their enemies, and having greatramparts between the...
The End
... into the court of the Gentiles, where they would soon have despatched him, the Roman
guard, whose sentries were pacing the castle-ramparts which overlooked the...
A Strain of Sodom.
... He, sitting then. Before the gate (for the celestials scarce. Had reached theramparts),
though he knew not them.... 175 Of their unhallowedramparts; all the house...
The Eighteenth Theban Dynasty --(Continued)
... of Qodshu, trusting to the strength of his walled city, refused to do homage to
the Pharaoh, and a deadly struggle took place under theramparts, in which each...
The Hymnwriter
... Now upon her ancient wall! Have her foemen gained the valley,. Yet herramparts
did not fall. Were her outer walls forsaken. Still her cornerstone remains,....
The Fainting Soul Revived
... Some hearts can never be captured for God and for truth except by storm.
Sword in hand, God's law must scale theramparts. With...
The Schoolboy of Madaura
... Pauses were made at inns with walls thick as theramparts of citadels, their interiors
bordered by stables built in arcades, heaped up with travellers' packs...
The African Rome
... circumference. It must further be recalled that as it had noramparts till
the Vandal invasion, the city overflowed into the country....
What was Heard in the Basilica of Peace
... the basilica, with its minor buildings, forms another town almost as large as the
present Theveste, and also closed in by a belt of towers andramparts....
Thesaurus
Ramparts (7 Occurrences)... Multi-Version Concordance
Ramparts (7 Occurrences). Psalms 48:13 Mark ye
well her bulwarks; Consider her palaces: That ye may tell
...Rampart (9 Occurrences)
... or bulwark. 3. (vt) To surround or protect with, or as with, a rampart or
ramparts. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. RAMPART. ram...
Ramps (8 Occurrences)
... of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the
kings of Judah, which are broken down for mounds, and forramparts; (See NAS NIV...
City
... Neolithic Troglodytes quarried their habitations out of the solid rock, the stones
therefrom being used to form a casing to the earthenramparts, with which...
Solomon (277 Occurrences)
... supply of water for the city (Ecclesiastes 2:4-6). He then built Millo (LXX., "Acra")
for the defence of the city, completing a line oframparts around it (1...
Complaint (29 Occurrences)
... Habakkuk 2:1 I will stand at my watch, and set myself on theramparts, and will
look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my...
Gezer (14 Occurrences)
... When, from the ruined remains, we reconstruct in imagination these mightyramparts,
we need not wonder that the' Hebrews, fresh from long wanderings in the...
Archaeology
... There have also been discovered great castles with connecting walls andramparts,
gates, tunnels, moats, palaces, temples and other sanctuaries and buildings....
Minor (2 Occurrences)
... There have also been discovered great castles with connecting walls andramparts,
gates, tunnels, moats, palaces, temples and other sanctuaries and buildings....
Resources
What is a bulwark in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgBible Concordance •
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