מצודה

Hebrew

Etymology

Noun

מְצוּדָה • (m'tsudáf

  1. citadel
    • Tanach, 2 Chronicles 14:5, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:
      וַיִּבֶן עָרֵי מְצוּדָה בִּיהוּדָה כִּי־שָׁקְטָה הָאָרֶץ
      vayyíven 'arḗ mətzudá bīhudá ki-šaqətá haáretz
      And he built fortified cities in Judah, for the land was quiet;
  2. (archaic) snare, trap
    • Tanach, Ecclesiastes 9:12, with translation of the New International Version:
      כַּדָּגִים שֶׁנֶּאֱחָזִים בִּמְצוֹדָה רָעָה וְכַצִּפֳּרִים הָאֲחֻזוֹת בַּפָּח
      kaddagím šeneeḥazím bimətzodá ra'á vəchatzzipporím haaḥuzót bappáḥ
      as fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare
    • a. 217 C.E., Mishnah. Kelim, section 16.6:
      מְצוּדַת הַחֻלְדָּה, טְמֵאָה; וְשֶׁל הָעַכְבָּרִין, טְהוֹרָה.
      mətzudát haḥuldá, təmeá; vəšél ha'achbarín, təhorá.
      A weasel-trap is susceptible to impurity, but a mouse's is clean.

References

  • מצודה” in the Hebrew Terms Database of the Academy of Hebrew Language

Further reading