Difference between revisions of "Tower"

<p> <b> TOWER. </b> —‘Tower’ (πύργος) is mentioned three times in the Lord’s teaching: in the parable of the [[Wicked]] Husbandmen (&nbsp;Matthew 21:33, &nbsp;Mark 12:1), in the allusion to an accident in [[Siloam]] which led to the loss of eighteen lives (&nbsp;Luke 13:4), and in the illustration of the builder who was unable to complete his undertaking (&nbsp;Luke 14:28). Two, if not three, kinds of tower may be referred to in these passages:—(1) The builder who exposed himself to ridicule by beginning what he could not finish (&nbsp;Luke 14:28) may be thought of as building a house. The larger houses in the [[Holy]] Land are sometimes provided at one end with a tower-like annex. A good representation of one in the neighbourhood of [[Sidon]] is given in the <i> Polychrome Bible </i> (‘Judges,’ p. 59). The <i> ‘alîyyâh </i> or upper storey, seen from a little distance, must suggest a tower rather than a dwelling-house (see also <i> Land and Book </i> , ed. 1874, p. 160). (2) The tower in Siloam (ἐν τῷ Σιλωάμ, &nbsp;Luke 13:4) may have been connected with some fortifications. The walls of ancient Oriental cities were generally provided with towers at frequent intervals. Many illustrations could be given from [[Assyrian]] sculptures, and the old wall in the [[Jerusalem]] of the 1st cent. a.d. had sixty towers (Josephus <i> BJ </i> v. iv. 3), two of which, Hippicus and Phasaelus, are probably represented to some extent by two of the towers of the modern citadel, the latter being partly preserved in the so-called David’s Tower ( <i> Picturesque [[Palestine]] </i> , i. pp. 1, 5, 7–11). Edersheim ( <i> Life of Jesus the [[Messiah]] </i> , ii. 222) suggests that the tower may have been connected with the building of the aqueduct constructed by [[Pilate]] with money taken from the temple treasury (Josephus <i> Ant. </i> xviii. iii. 2; <i> BJ </i> ii. ix. 4); but that is unsupported conjecture. If the Tower was situated literally in Siloam, the nature of the ground may help to explain the accident. The village of <i> Silwân </i> , which represents the ancient Siloam, ‘is built on a steep escarpment of rock, on which a building with good foundations would stand for ever; ill-laid foundations would drop their superstructure to the very bottom of the valley’ (Hasting's Dictionary of the Bible, art. ‘Tower’). For the Tower of [[Antonia]] see art. Jerusalem. (3) The vineyard tower referred to in the two other passages (&nbsp;Matthew 21:33, &nbsp;Mark 12:1; cf. Is 5:2) can be illustrated from ancient ruins and modern practice. Tristram remarks ( <i> Eastern Customs in Bible Lands </i> , p. 139 f.) that ‘in many cases we still find the remains of the solidly-built tower which commanded a view of the whole enclosure, and was probably the permanent residence of the keeper through the summer and autumn.’ Dr. W. Wright observes that every vineyard and garden in Syria has its tower ( <i> Palmyra and [[Zenobia]] </i> , p. 332 f.). A representation is given in that work (p. 279) of a stone tower in the [[Hauran]] constructed of black basalt, with a stone loft at the height of 14 feet, reached by a spiral staircase (see also Porter, <i> Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and [[Bethany]] </i> , p. 18; Stanley, <i> [[Sinai]] and Palestine </i> , 421). </p> <p> Literature.—Besides the authorities cited above, see Heber-Percy, <i> [[Bashan]] and [[Argob]] </i> , p. 123 ff.; Swete on Mark 12. </p> <p> W. Taylor Smith. </p>

<p> &nbsp;2 Samuel 22:51 (b) The tower is a type of the high and safe place occupied by the children of GOD who hide in [[Christ]] and dwell in the secret place of the Most High. (See also &nbsp;Psalm 18:2; &nbsp;Psalm 61:3; &nbsp;Psalm 144:2; &nbsp;Proverbs 18:10). </p> <p> &nbsp;Song of Solomon 7:4 (a) [[Ivory]] is very valuable and beautiful. A tower is firm and substantial. These qualities are evidently referred to as characteristic of the bride. The tower of [[Lebanon]] was evidently a lookout tower, facing Syria where the watchman could discern quickly the coming of the enemy. It probably means that the bride had a great sense of discernment and could easily and quickly discern that which was evil or wrong, or was from the enemy. </p> <p> &nbsp;Jeremiah 6:27 (a) Jeremiah was the center of GOD's work and power among the people of Israel. From him came the words of warning and entreaty. Through him GOD sent His messages, His commands, and made known His desires. </p> <p> &nbsp;Micah 4:8 (a) Mount Zion is a high, rocky fortress, quite difficult to ascend, very steep. It was recognized as the very center of the defense of Jerusalem and of Judah. </p> <p> &nbsp;Matthew 21:33 (b) This tower probably represents Mount Zion in the midst of Israel, and of Jerusalem, and was a watch-tower from which the enemy could be seen for many miles away. CHRIST is referring partly to the history of Israel, and partly to the present time when He is away in the far country. </p> <p> &nbsp;Luke 14:28 (b) This is a type of any great work of GOD which a man of GOD builds for the honor of the Lord [[Jesus]] CHRIST. This is illustrated in the great school built by Moody in Chicago, the great work in China built by [[Hudson]] Taylor, and the wonderful work in the Sudan built by R. V. Bingham. GOD would have all His children building something for His glory. </p>

<p> "The tower of the flock," or the tower of Ader, &nbsp;Micah 4:8 . It is said this tower was in the neighbourhood of Bethlehem, &nbsp;Genesis 35:21 , and that the shepherds to whom the angels revealed the birth of our [[Saviour]] were near to this tower, &nbsp;Luke 2:8; &nbsp;Luke 2:15 . Many interpreters assert, that the passage of Micah: in which mention is made of the tower of the flock: "And thou tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion," is to be understood of the city of Bethlehem, out of which our Saviour was to come. Others maintain, that the prophet speaks of the city of Jerusalem, in which there was a tower of this name, through which the flocks of sheep were driven to the sheep-market. "From the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city," &nbsp;2 Kings 17:9 . This form of speaking expresses in general all the places of the country, from the least to the greatest. The towers of the watchmen, or of the shepherds, stood alone in the midst of the plain, in which the shepherds and herdsmen who looked after the flocks, or watchmen, might lodge. King [[Uzziah]] caused several towers to be built for the shepherds in the desert, and made many cisterns there, because he had a great number of flocks, &nbsp;2 Chronicles 26:10 . </p> <p> The tower of the flock, and that which &nbsp;Isaiah 5:2 , notices, which was built in the midst of a vineyard, were of the same kind. </p> <p> [[Tower]] OF BABEL. See [[Babel]] . </p> <p> TOWER OF [[Shechem]] was a citadel, or fortress, standing upon a higher ground than the rest of the city, and capacious enough to contain above a thousand persons. This tower, filled with the inhabitants of Shechem, was burned by [[Abimelech]] down to the very ground, together with those who had taken refuge in it. </p>

<p> <em> Migdâl </em> (מִגְדָּלָה, Strong'S #4026), “tower; small fortress; watchtower; podium.” Cognates of this word appear in Ugaritic, Aramaic, Syriac, and Akkadian. The word occurs about 50 times in biblical Hebrew. </p> <p> <em> Migdâl </em> means “tower.” This is its use in Gen. 11:4 (the first occurrence of the word): “And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven.…” </p> <p> The word often refers to a “small fortress”: “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. And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower” (Judg. 8:8-9). </p> <p> <em> Migdâl </em> sometimes means “watchtower,” one of the specially fortified towers safeguarding the gates of a city and spaced along city walls: “Moreover Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at he corner gate, and at the valley gate, and at the [corner buttress], and fortified them” (2 Chron. 26:9). In Neh. 8:4 the word is used of a wooden “podium”: “And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose.…” </p>

<div> '''1: πύργος ''' (Strong'S #4444 — Noun Masculine — purgos — poor'-gos ) </div> <p> is used of "a watchtower in a vineyard," &nbsp;Matthew 21:33; &nbsp;Mark 12:1; probably, too, in &nbsp;Luke 14:28 (cp. &nbsp; Isaiah 5:2 ); in &nbsp;Luke 13:4 , of the "tower in Siloam," the modern Silwan, which is built on a steep escarpment of rock. </p>