Besieging, in the biblical context, refers to the military practice of surrounding and isolating a city or stronghold with the intent of capturing it. This tactic was commonly employed in ancient warfare and is frequently mentioned in the Bible, illustrating both divine judgment and human conflict.

Old Testament Instances

The concept of besieging is prominently featured in the Old Testament, where it often serves as a manifestation of God's judgment against nations or cities that have turned away from His commandments. One of the earliest mentions is found in the account of the conquest of Jericho. The Israelites, under Joshua's leadership, besieged the city as instructed by God. The unique strategy involved marching around the city for seven days, culminating in the walls collapsing on the seventh day (Joshua 6:1-20).

Another significant instance is the Assyrian siege of Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. This siege, which lasted three years, resulted in the city's fall and the subsequent exile of the Israelites, as recorded in 2 Kings 17:5-6. The fall of Samaria was a direct consequence of Israel's persistent idolatry and disobedience to God.

The siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians is another pivotal event. King Nebuchadnezzar's forces besieged the city, leading to its eventual destruction in 586 BC. This event is detailed in 2 Kings 25:1-4: "So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army. They encamped outside the city and built siege works all around it."

Prophetic and Symbolic Significance

Besieging also carries a prophetic and symbolic significance in the Bible. The prophets often used the imagery of a siege to convey impending judgment. For instance, the prophet Isaiah warned of the siege of Jerusalem as a consequence of the people's rebellion against God (Isaiah 29:3). Similarly, Ezekiel was instructed to enact a symbolic siege of Jerusalem, using a clay tablet to represent the city and laying siege against it as a sign to the house of Israel (Ezekiel 4:1-3).

New Testament Context

While the New Testament does not focus on physical sieges in the same manner as the Old Testament, the concept is alluded to in the prophetic discourse of Jesus. In Luke 21:20, Jesus foretells the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans, which occurred in AD 70: "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you will know that her desolation is near."

Spiritual Lessons

From a spiritual perspective, besieging in the Bible serves as a reminder of the consequences of sin and disobedience. It underscores the importance of faithfulness to God's commandments and the reality of divine justice. The accounts of sieges also highlight God's sovereignty over nations and His ability to use even the actions of foreign powers to fulfill His purposes.

In summary, besieging in the biblical narrative is a multifaceted concept that encompasses historical events, prophetic warnings, and spiritual lessons. It serves as a powerful reminder of the seriousness of sin and the necessity of remaining steadfast in faith and obedience to God.1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Besiege.

2. (a.) That besieges; laying siege to.

5482. charax -- a pointed stake, a rampart
... stake, a rampart. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: charax Phonetic
Spelling: (khar'-ax) Short Definition: a mound for besieging Definition: a ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5482.htm - 6k5921. al -- upon, above, over
... 49), before (10), before* (19), behalf (18), behind* (2), beside (47), beside*
(6), besides (5), besiege* (1), besieged* (13), besieging (1), besieging* (5 ...
/hebrew/5921.htm - 8k

6696a. tsur -- to confine, bind, besiege
... root Definition to confine, bind, besiege NASB Word Usage barricade (1), besiege
(3), besiege* (1), besieged (1), besieged* (10), besieging* (5), bind (2 ...
/hebrew/6696a.htm - 5k

What Cestius did against the Jews; and How, Upon his Besieging ...
... CHAPTER 19. What Cestius Did Against The Jews; And How, Upon His Besieging Jerusalem,
He Retreated From The City Without Any Just Occasion In The World. ...
/.../chapter 19 what cestius did.htm

'As Sodom'
... 52:4 6), in which the minute care to specify dates pathetically reveals the depth
of the impression which the first appearance of the besieging army made, and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/as sodom.htm

How Alexandra by Gaining the Good-Will of the Pharisees, Retained ...
... Accordingly, they sent him many and very valuable presents, as also ambassadors,
and that as he was besieging Ptolemais; for Selene the queen, the same that ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 16 how alexandra by.htm

Herod Takes Sepphoris and Subdues the Robbers that were in the ...
... Subdues The Robbers That Were In The Caves; He After That Avenges Himself Upon Macheras,
As Upon An Enemy Of His And Goes To Antony As He Was Besieging Samosata ...
/.../chapter 16 herod takes sepphoris.htm

The Wars of the Jews or History of the Destruction of Jerusalem
... Subdues The Robbers That Were In The Caves; He After That Avenges Himself Upon Macheras,
As Upon An Enemy Of His And Goes To Antony As He Was Besieging Samosata ...
/.../josephus/the wars of the jews or history of the destruction of jerusalem/

Appendix. The Apocryphal Books of the Old Testament.
... When Holofernes, one of Nebuchadnezzar's generals, was besieging Bethulia, a city
of Judea, she went over to his camp with her maid in the character of a ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/appendix the apocryphal books of.htm

Approaching Doom
... impenitent Judah. Again and again Jerusalem was to be invested and entered
by the besieging armies of Nebuchadnezzar. Company after ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 35 approaching doom.htm

The Children of the Poor.
... or as a savage foe. The whole wears the aspect of a besieging army, and
the Ishmaelitish feeling predominates. In the midst of the ...
/.../chapin/humanity in the city/discourse vii the children of.htm

A Solemn Embassy
... John Bunyan puts it plainly enough." If a certain king be besieging a town, and
he sends out the herald with a trumpet to threaten the inhabitants that, if ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 62 1916/a solemn embassy.htm

The Pleading Note in Prayer
... And if they are indisputably all that, then much more are those inspired prayers
the very best meditation and ensamp1e to every throne-besieging sinner, and to ...
/.../whyte/lord teach us to pray/xviii the pleading note in.htm

Besieging (9 Occurrences)
...Besieging (9 Occurrences). ... 2 Kings 24:11 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to the
city, while his servants were besieging it; (WEB JPS ASV DBY NAS RSV NIV). ...
/b/besieging.htm - 9k

Gibbethon (5 Occurrences)
... 23). Nadab the king of Israel, while besieging it, was slain under its
walls by Baasha, one of his own officers (1 Kings 15:27). ...
/g/gibbethon.htm - 9k

Siege (63 Occurrences)
... It was while besieging Gibbethon that Nadab, the son of Jeroboam, was slain by Baasha
(1 Kings 15:27), and, 27 years after, while the army of Israel was still ...
/s/siege.htm - 51k

Nebuchadnez'zar (55 Occurrences)
... besieged. (See RSV). 2 Kings 24:11 And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came unto
the city, while his servants were besieging it. (See RSV). ...
/n/nebuchadnez'zar.htm - 24k

Obsession (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) The act of besieging. 2. (n.) The state of being
besieged; -- used specifically of a person beset by a spirit from without. ...
/o/obsession.htm - 6k

Jehoiachin (20 Occurrences)
... Jehoiakim's 3rd (4th) year, Daniel 1:1-7). His coming to the throne was just at
or near the time when Nebuchadnezzar's servants were besieging Jerusalem; and ...
/j/jehoiachin.htm - 19k

Judah's (18 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 32:2 Now at that time the king of Babylon's army was besieging Jerusalem;
and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the guard, which was in ...
/j/judah's.htm - 12k

Investment (1 Occurrence)
... vestment. 3. (n.) The act of surrounding, blocking up, or besieging by
an armed force, or the state of being so surrounded. 4. (n ...
/i/investment.htm - 7k

Tirhakah (2 Occurrences)
... 4. First Conflict with the Assyrians: According to the Old Testament account,
Sennacherib was besieging Libnah when Tirhakah's army appeared in Palestine. ...
/t/tirhakah.htm - 11k

Tiglathpileser (3 Occurrences)
... Still later we find Pekah forming a coalition with Rezin, king of Damascus, into
which they tried to force Ahaz, even going the length of besieging him in ...
/t/tiglathpileser.htm - 11k

What is the significance of Babylon in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Who was King Jehoiakim in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Who was King Zedekiah in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Besieging: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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