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Tower

What Bible dictionaries say about “Tower”, one article after the other.

Easton’s Bible Dictionary & Webster’s 1828 Dictionary

Tower - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

TOW'ER, n. [L. turris.]

1. A building, either round or square, raised to a considerable elevation and consisting of several stories. When towers are erected with other buildings, as they usually are, they rise above the main edifice. They are generally flat on the top, and thus differ from steeples or spires. Before the invention of guns, places were fortified with towers and attacked with movable towers mounted on wheels, which placed the besiegers on a level with the walls.

2. A citadel; a fortress. Psa 61.

3. A high head dress.

4. High flight; elevation.

Tower bastion, in fortification, a small tower in the form of a bastion, with rooms or cells underneath for men and guns.

Tower of London, a citadel containing an arsenal. It is also a palace where the kings of England have sometimes lodged.

TOW'ER, v.i. To rise and fly high; to soar; to be lofty.

Sublime thoughts, which tower above the clouds.

Matthew George Easton, Easton’s Bible Dictionary; Noah Webster, American Dictionary of the English Language (1828)

The article in Easton + Webster 1828

Easton’s Bible Dictionary & Webster’s 1828 Dictionary

Watchtower - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

WATCHTOWER, n. [watch and tower.] A tower on which a sentinel is placed to watch for enemies or the approach of danger.

Matthew George Easton, Easton’s Bible Dictionary; Noah Webster, American Dictionary of the English Language (1828)

The article in Easton + Webster 1828

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE 1915)

tou'-er.

See FORTIFICATION, I, 5; CITY, II, 1.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia — James Orr, general editor and contributors; CrossWire SWORD module ISBE 2.2

The article in ISBE 1915

Smith’s Bible Dictionary

Watch-towers or fortified posts in frontier or exposed situations are mentioned in Scripture, as the tower of Edar, etc., (Genesis 35:21; Isaiah 21:5,8,11; Micah 4:8) etc.; the tower of Lebanon. (2 Samuel 8:6) Besides these military structures, we read in Scripture of towers built in vineyards as an almost necessary appendage to them. (1 Samuel 5:2; Matthew 22:33; Mark 12:1) Such towers are still in use in Palestine in vineyards, especially near Hebron, and are used as lodges for the keepers of the vineyards.

William Smith; revised by F. N. Peloubet and M. A. Peloubet; CrossWire SWORD module Smith 1.3

The article in Smith

Translation Words

Definition

The term “watchtower” refers to a tall structure built as a place from which guards could look out for any danger. These towers were often made of stone.

  • Landowners sometimes built watchtowers from which they could guard their crops and protect them from being stolen.
  • The towers often included rooms where the watchmen or family lived, so that they could guard the crops day and night.
  • Watchtowers for cities were built higher than the city walls so that watchmen could see if any enemies were coming to attack the city.
  • The term “watchtower” is also used as a symbol of protection from enemies. (See: Metaphor)

(See also: adversary, watch)

Bible References

Word Data

The original work by unfoldingWord is available from https://www.unfoldingword.org/utw. Bible Strong converted the Markdown and resource links to its dictionary schema and normalized Bible references.

The article in Translation Words