TOWER

 

Song of Solomon 4:4

King James Version

4 Thy neck is like the tower of David 

builded for an armoury, 

whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, 

all shields of mighty men.

What are towers for?

What does the Bible say?

Here's what we found:

Genesis 11:1-4

King James Version

11 And the whole earth was of one language, 

and of one speech.

2 And it came to pass, 

as they journeyed from the east, 

that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; 

and they dwelt there.

3 And they said one to another,

 Go to, let us make brick, 

and burn them thoroughly. 

And they had brick for stone, 

and slime had they for morter.

4 And they said, 

Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, 

whose top may reach unto heaven; 

and let us make us a name, 

lest we be scattered abroad 

upon the face of the whole earth.

Genesis 11:5-10

King James Version

5 And the Lord came down 

to see the city and the tower, 

which the children of men builded.

6 And the Lord said, 

Behold, 

the people is one, 

and they have all one language; 

and this they begin to do: 

and now nothing will be restrained from them, 

which they have imagined to do.

7 Go to, let us go down, 

and there confound their language, 

that they may not understand one another's speech.

8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence 

upon the face of all the earth: 

and they left off to build the city.

9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; 

because the Lord did there confound 

the language of all the earth: 

and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad 

upon the face of all the earth.

10 These are the generations of Shem: 

Shem was an hundred years old, 

and begat Arphaxad 

two years after the flood:

Judges 8:7-9

King James Version

7 And Gideon said, 

Therefore when the Lord hath delivered 

Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, 

then I will tear your flesh 

with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.

8 And he went up thence to Penuel, 

and spake unto them likewise: 

and the men of Penuel answered him 

as the men of Succoth had answered him.

9 And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, 

When I come again in peace, 

I will break down this tower.

Judges 8:17

King James Version

17 And he beat down the tower of Penuel, 

and slew the men of the city.

Judges 9:42-45

King James Version

42 And it came to pass on the morrow, 

that the people went out into the field; 

and they told Abimelech.

43 And he took the people, 

and divided them into three companies, 

and laid wait in the field, and looked, and, behold, 

the people were come forth out of the city; 

and he rose up against them, and smote them.

44 And Abimelech, and the company

 that was with him, rushed forward, 

and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: 

and the two other companies ran upon all the people 

that were in the fields, and slew them.

45 And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; 

and he took the city, 

and slew the people that was therein, 

and beat down the city, 

and sowed it with salt.

Judges 9:46-49

King James Version

46 And when all the men 

of the tower of Shechem heard that, 

they entered into an hold of the house of the god Berith.

47 And it was told Abimelech, 

that all the men of the tower of Shechem 

were gathered together.

48 And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, 

he and all the people that were with him; 

and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, 

and cut down a bough from the trees, 

and took it, and laid it on his shoulder, 

and said unto the people that were with him, 

What ye have seen me do, 

make haste, and do as I have done.

49 And all the people likewise 

cut down every man his bough, 

and followed Abimelech, 

and put them to the hold, 

and set the hold on fire upon them; 

so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, 

about a thousand men and women.

Judges 9:51-57

King James Version

51 But there was a strong tower within the city, 

and thither fled all the men and women, 

and all they of the city, and shut it to them, 

and gat them up to the top of the tower.

52 And Abimelech came unto the tower, 

and fought against it, 

and went hard unto the door of the tower

to burn it with fire.

53 And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone 

upon Abimelech's head, and all to brake his skull.

54 Then he called hastily unto the young man 

his armourbearer, and said unto him, 

Draw thy sword, and slay me, 

that men say not of me, A women slew him. 

And his young man thrust him through, and he died.

55 And when the men of Israel saw 

that Abimelech was dead, 

they departed every man unto his place.

56 Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, 

which he did unto his father, 

in slaying his seventy brethren:

57 And all the evil of the men of Shechem 

did God render upon their heads: 

and upon them came the curse of Jotham 

the son of Jerubbaal.

2 Samuel 22:1-4

King James Version

22 And David spake unto the Lord 

the words of this song in the day 

that the Lord had delivered him 

out of the hand of all his enemies, 

and out of the hand of Saul:

2 And he said, 

The Lord is my rock,

 and my fortress, 

and my deliverer;

3 The God of my rock; 

in him will I trust: 

he is my shield, 

and the horn of my salvation, 

my high tower, 

and my refuge, 

my saviour; 

thou savest me from violence.

4 I will call on the Lord, 

who is worthy to be praised:

 so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

2 Samuel 22:48-51

King James Version

48 It is God that avengeth me, 

and that bringeth down the people under me.

49 And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies: 

thou also hast lifted me up on high 

above them that rose up against me:

thou hast delivered me from the violent man.

50 Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, 

among the heathen, 

and I will sing praises unto thy name.

51 He is the tower of salvation for his king: 

and sheweth mercy to his anointed, 

unto David, 

and to his seed for evermore.

2 Kings 9:17

King James Version

17 And there stood a watchman 

on the tower in Jezreel, 

and he spied the company of Jehu as he came, 

and said, I see a company. 

And Joram said, 

Take an horseman, 

and send to meet them, 

and let him say, Is it peace?

2 Kings 17:9-12

King James Version

9 And the children of Israel did secretly 

those things that were not right 

against the Lord their God, 

and they built them high places in all their cities, 

from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.

10 And they set them up images and groves

 in every high hill, and under every green tree:

11 And there they burnt incense in all the high places, 

as did the heathen 

whom the Lord carried away before them; 

and wrought wicked things 

to provoke the Lord to anger:

12 For they served idols, 

whereof the Lord had said unto them, 

Ye shall not do this thing.

2 Kings 17:18-25

King James Version

18 Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel, 

and removed them out of his sight: 

there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.

19 Also Judah kept not 

the commandments of the Lord their God, 

but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.

20 And the Lord rejected all the seed of Israel, 

and afflicted them, 

and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, 

until he had cast them out of his sight.

21 For he rent Israel from the house of David; 

and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king: 

and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the Lord, 

and made them sin a great sin.

22 For the children of Israel walked 

in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; 

they departed not from them;

23 Until the Lord removed Israel out of his sight, 

as he had said by all his servants the prophets. 

So was Israel carried away out of their own land 

to Assyria unto this day.

24 And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, 

and from Cuthah, and from Ava, 

and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, 

and placed them in the cities of Samaria 

instead of the children of Israel: 

and they possessed Samaria, 

and dwelt in the cities thereof.

25 And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, 

that they feared not the Lord: 

therefore the Lord sent lions among them, 

which slew some of them.

2 Kings 18:1-8

King James Version

18 Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea 

son of Elah king of Israel, 

that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah 

began to reign.

2 Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; 

and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. 

His mother's name also was Abi, 

the daughter of Zachariah.

3 And he did that which was right 

in the sight of the Lord, 

according to all that David his father did.

4 He removed the high places, 

and brake the images, 

and cut down the groves, 

and brake in pieces the brasen serpent 

that Moses had made: 

for unto those days the children of Israel 

did burn incense to it: 

and he called it Nehushtan.

5 He trusted in the Lord God of Israel; 

so that after him was none like him 

among all the kings of Judah, 

nor any that were before him.

6 For he clave to the Lord, 

and departed not from following him, 

but kept his commandments, 

which the Lord commanded Moses.

7 And the Lord was with him; 

and he prospered whithersoever he went forth: 

and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, 

and served him not.

8 He smote the Philistines, 

even unto Gaza, 

and the borders thereof, 

from the tower of the watchmen 

to the fenced city.

2 Chronicles 20:22-24

King James Version

22 And when they began to sing and to praise, 

the Lord set ambushments against 

the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, 

which were come against Judah; 

and they were smitten.

23 For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up 

against the inhabitants of mount Seir, 

utterly to slay and destroy them: 

and when they had made an end 

of the inhabitants of Seir, 

every one helped to destroy another.

24 And when Judah came toward the watch tower 

in the wilderness, 

they looked unto the multitude, 

and, behold, they were dead bodies 

fallen to the earth, and none escaped.

Nehemiah 3:1-2

King James Version

3 Then Eliashib the high priest 

rose up with his brethren the priests, 

and they builded the sheep gate; 

they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; 

even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, 

unto the tower of Hananeel.

2 And next unto him builded the men of Jericho. 

And next to them builded Zaccur the son of Imri.

Nehemiah 3:11-12

King James Version

11 Malchijah the son of Harim, 

and Hashub the son of Pahathmoab, 

repaired the other piece, 

and the tower of the furnaces.

12 And next unto him repaired Shallum 

the son of Halohesh, 

the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem, 

he and his daughters.

Nehemiah 3:25-27

King James Version

25 Palal the son of Uzai, 

over against the turning of the wall, 

and the tower which lieth out from the king's high house, 

that was by the court of the prison. 

After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh.

26 Moreover the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel, u

nto the place over against the water gate 

toward the east, and the tower that lieth out.

27 After them the Tekoites repaired another piece, 

over against the great tower that lieth out, 

even unto the wall of Ophel.

Psalm 18:1-3

King James Version

18 I will love thee, O Lord, 

my strength.

2 The Lord is my rock, 

and my fortress, 

and my deliverer; 

my God, 

my strength, 

in whom I will trust; 

my buckler, 

and the horn of my salvation, 

and my high tower.

3 I will call upon the Lord, 

who is worthy to be praised: 

so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

Psalm 61:1-4

King James Version

61 Hear my cry, O God; 

attend unto my prayer.

2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, 

when my heart is overwhelmed: 

lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

3 For thou hast been a shelter for me, 

and a strong tower from the enemy.

4 I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever:

 I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.

Psalm 144:1-2

King James Version

144 Blessed be the Lord my strength 

which teacheth my hands to war, 

and my fingers to fight:

2 My goodness, 

and my fortress; 

my high tower, 

and my deliverer; 

my shield, 

and he in whom I trust; 

who subdueth my people under me.

Proverbs 18:10

King James Version

10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower: 

the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

Isaiah 2:12-15

King James Version

12 For the day of the Lord of hosts 

shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, 

and upon every one that is lifted up; 

and he shall be brought low:

13 And upon all the cedars of Lebanon, 

that are high and lifted up, 

and upon all the oaks of Bashan,

14 And upon all the high mountains, 

and upon all the hills that are lifted up,

15 And upon every high tower, 

and upon every fenced wall,

Isaiah 5:1-3

King James Version

5 Now will I sing to my wellbeloved 

a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. 

My wellbeloved hath a vineyard 

in a very fruitful hill:

2 And he fenced it, 

and gathered out the stones thereof, 

and planted it with the choicest vine, 

and built a tower in the midst of it, 

and also made a winepress therein: 

and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, 

and it brought forth wild grapes.

3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, 

and men of Judah, 

judge, I pray you, 

betwixt me and my vineyard.

Jeremiah 6:25-27

King James Version

25 Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; 

for the sword of the enemy and fear is on every side.

26 O daughter of my people, 

gird thee with sackcloth, 

and wallow thyself in ashes: 

make thee mourning, 

as for an only son, 

most bitter lamentation: 

for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us.

27 I have set thee for a tower 

and a fortress among my people, 

that thou mayest know and try their way.

Jeremiah 31:38-40

King James Version

38 Behold, the days come, 

saith the Lord, 

that the city shall be built to the Lord 

from the tower of Hananeel unto the gate of the corner.

39 And the measuring line shall yet go forth 

over against it upon the hill Gareb, 

and shall compass about to Goath.

40 And the whole valley of the dead bodies, 

and of the ashes, 

and all the fields unto the brook of Kidron, 

unto the corner of the horse gate toward the east, 

shall be holy unto the Lord;

 it shall not be plucked up, 

nor thrown down any more for ever.

Ezekiel 30:1-8

King James Version

30 The word of the Lord came again unto me, 

saying,

2 Son of man, prophesy and say, 

Thus saith the Lord God; 

Howl ye, Woe worth the day!

3 For the day is near, 

even the day of the Lord is near, 

a cloudy day; 

it shall be the time of the heathen.

4 And the sword shall come upon Egypt, 

and great pain shall be in Ethiopia, 

when the slain shall fall in Egypt, 

and they shall take away her multitude, 

and her foundations shall be broken down.

5 Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, 

and all the mingled people, and Chub, 

and the men of the land that is in league, 

shall fall with them by the sword.

6 Thus saith the Lord; 

They also that uphold Egypt shall fall; 

and the pride of her power shall come down: 

from the tower of Syene shall they fall in it 

by the sword, saith the Lord God.

7 And they shall be desolate 

in the midst of the countries that are desolate, 

and her cities shall be in the midst of the cities 

that are wasted.

8 And they shall know that I am the Lord, 

when I have set a fire in Egypt, 

and when all her helpers shall be destroyed.

Micah 4:6-8

King James Version

6 In that day, saith the Lord, 

will I assemble her that halteth, 

and I will gather her that is driven out, 

and her that I have afflicted;

7 And I will make her that halted a remnant, 

and her that was cast far off a strong nation: 

and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Zion f

rom henceforth, even for ever.

8 And thou, O tower of the flock, 

the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, 

unto thee shall it come, 

even the first dominion; 

the kingdom shall come 

to the daughter of Jerusalem.

Habakkuk 2:1-3

King James Version

2 I will stand upon my watch, 

and set me upon the tower, 

and will watch to see what he will say unto me, 

and what I shall answer when I am reproved.

2 And the Lord answered me, and said, 

Write the vision, 

and make it plain upon tables, 

that he may run that readeth it.

3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, 

but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: 

though it tarry, wait for it; 

because it will surely come, 

it will not tarry.

Mark 12:1-9

King James Version

12 And he began to speak unto them by parables. 

A certain man planted a vineyard, 

and set an hedge about it, 

and digged a place for the winefat, 

and built a tower, 

and let it out to husbandmen, 

and went into a far country.

2 And at the season 

he sent to the husbandmen a servant, 

that he might receive 

from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.

3 And they caught him, and beat him, 

and sent him away empty.

4 And again he sent unto them another servant; 

and at him they cast stones, 

and wounded him in the head, 

and sent him away shamefully handled.

5 And again he sent another; 

and him they killed, 

and many others; beating some, and killing some.

6 Having yet therefore one son, 

his wellbeloved, 

he sent him also last unto them, saying, 

They will reverence my son.

7 But those husbandmen said among themselves, 

This is the heir; 

come, let us kill him, 

and the inheritance shall be ours.'

8 And they took him, and killed him, 

and cast him out of the vineyard.

9 What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? 

he will come and destroy the husbandmen, 

and will give the vineyard unto others.

Luke 13:1-5

King James Version

13 There were present at that season 

some that told him of the Galilaeans, 

whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

2 And Jesus answering said unto them, 

Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners 

above all the Galilaeans, 

because they suffered such things?

3 I tell you, Nay: 

but, except ye repent, 

ye shall all likewise perish.

4 Or those eighteen, 

upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, 

think ye that they were sinners 

above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?

5 I tell you, Nay: 

but, except ye repent, 

ye shall all likewise perish.

Luke 14:27-33

King James Version

27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, 

and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

28 For which of you, 

intending to build a tower, 

sitteth not down first, 

and counteth the cost, 

whether he have sufficient to finish it?

29 Lest haply, 

after he hath laid the foundation, 

and is not able to finish it, 

all that behold it begin to mock him,

30 Saying, This man began to build, 

and was not able to finish.

31 Or what king, 

going to make war against another king, 

sitteth not down first, 

and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand 

to meet him that cometh against him 

with twenty thousand?

32 Or else, 

while the other is yet a great way off, 

he sendeth an ambassage, 

and desireth conditions of peace.

33 So likewise, 

whosoever he be of you 

that forsaketh not all that he hath, 

he cannot be my disciple.

Image: Marina Shemesh