Definition and Context:
In biblical terms, "fastness" refers to a place of security, refuge, or stronghold. It is often used metaphorically to describe God's protection and the spiritual security found in Him. The concept of fastness is closely related to themes of divine refuge and strength, emphasizing God's role as a protector and deliverer for His people.

Biblical References:

1. Psalm 18:2 :
"The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."
· This verse highlights the Lord as a fortress and stronghold, underscoring the idea of God as a place of safety and protection. The imagery of a rock and fortress conveys stability and security, attributes associated with divine fastness.

2. Psalm 31:2-3 :
"Incline Your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue. Be my rock of refuge, the stronghold of my deliverance. For You are my rock and my fortress; lead and guide me for the sake of Your name."
· Here, the psalmist appeals to God as a rock of refuge and stronghold, seeking divine guidance and deliverance. The repetition of these terms emphasizes the reliability and steadfastness of God's protection.

3. Proverbs 18:10 :
"The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe."
· This proverb uses the metaphor of a strong tower to describe the safety found in the Lord. The righteous find security by seeking refuge in God's name, illustrating the concept of fastness as a spiritual sanctuary.

4. 2 Samuel 22:2-3 :
"He said: 'The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my Savior—You save me from violence.'"
· In this passage, David praises God as his fortress and deliverer, acknowledging the Lord's role as a protector against violence and adversity. The language of fastness is used to express trust in God's unwavering support.

Theological Significance:

The concept of fastness in the Bible is deeply rooted in the understanding of God's nature as a protector and provider of security. It reflects the belief that true safety and refuge are found not in physical structures or human strength, but in the divine presence and power of God. This theme is prevalent throughout the Psalms and other biblical texts, where believers are encouraged to seek God's protection in times of trouble.

Practical Application:

For believers, the idea of fastness serves as a reminder to trust in God's protection and to seek refuge in Him during life's challenges. It encourages a reliance on divine strength rather than human resources, fostering a sense of peace and security grounded in faith. The imagery of God as a fortress and stronghold invites Christians to cultivate a deeper relationship with Him, finding solace and safety in His unchanging nature.1. (n.) The state of being fast and firm; firmness; fixedness; security; faithfulness.

2. (n.) A fast place; a stronghold; a fortress or fort; a secure retreat; a castle; as, the enemy retired to their fastnesses in the mountains.

3. (a.) Conciseness of style.

4. (n.) The state of being fast or swift.

4679. metsad -- fastness, a stronghold
... fastness, a stronghold. Transliteration: metsad or metsad or metsadah Phonetic
Spelling: (mets-ad') Short Definition: strongholds. ...
/hebrew/4679.htm - 6k

4685d. metsodah -- fastness, a stronghold
... 4685c, 4685d. metsodah. 4686 . fastness, a stronghold. Transliteration:
metsodah Short Definition: stronghold. Word Origin from ...
/hebrew/4685d.htm - 5k

4526. misgereth -- border, rim, fastness
... 4525, 4526. misgereth. 4527 . border, rim, fastness. Transliteration: misgereth
Phonetic Spelling: (mis-gheh'-reth) Short Definition: borders. ...
/hebrew/4526.htm - 6k

4686b. metsudah -- a fastness, stronghold
... 4686a, 4686b. metsudah. 4687 . a fastness, stronghold. Transliteration:
metsudah Short Definition: stronghold. Word Origin from ...
/hebrew/4686b.htm - 5k

4685. matsowd -- siegeworks
... mets-o-daw'}; or mtsodah {mets-o-daw'}; from tsuwd; a net (for capturing animals
or fishes) -- also (by interchange for mtsad) a fastness or (beseiging) tower ...
/hebrew/4685.htm - 5k

4692. matsor -- siege enclosure, siege, entrenchment
... something hemming in, ie (objectively) a mound (of besiegers), (abstractly) a siege,
(figuratively) distress; or (subjectively) a fastness -- besieged, bulwark ...
/hebrew/4692.htm - 6k

4686. matsuwd -- net, prey
... Or (feminine) mtsuwdah {mets-oo-daw'}; or mtsudah {mets-oo-daw'}; for matsowd; a
net, or (abstractly) capture; also a fastness; --castle, defense, fort(-ress ...
/hebrew/4686.htm - 5k

Our Spirit-Touch.
... You may be in some African fastness or in the midst of China's age-old civilization
or just here at home, but you can be exerting a tremendous spirit-power ...
/.../gordon/quiet talks with world winners/our spirit-touch.htm

Herod is Confirmed in his Kingdom by Caesar, and Cultivates a ...
... but thou shalt be a king; and that more firmly than thou wast before; for thou art
worthy to reign over a great many subjects, by reason of the fastness of thy ...
/.../chapter 20 herod is confirmed.htm

Jerusalem! High Tower Thy Glorious Walls
... In trust to his own hand,. To dwell among the living. In that blest Fatherland.
Great fastness thou of honour! thee I:greet: Throw wide thy gracious gate,. ...
/.../processionals 543 jerusalem high tower.htm

If any of the City or Country Clergy have Been Inhibited by ...
... The last word commonly denotes either "an estate, a farm," or "a fastness, a
stronghold," or (as a mathematical term) "an area." Here, as not unfrequently in ...
/.../schaff/the seven ecumenical councils/canon iii if any of.htm

In Judaea
... On its western shore rose the castle which Herod had named after himself, and farther
south that almost inaccessible fastness of Masada, the scene of the last ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 5 in judaea.htm

'More than Conquerors through Him'
... The answer of Joab was to lay siege to Rabbath, the capital of Ammon, an almost
impregnable fastness, perched on a cliff, and surrounded on all sides but one ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/more than conquerors through him.htm

The Encamping Angel
... same defence encircling his weakness, and though sense saw no protection for him
and his men but their own strong arms and their mountain fastness, his opened ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/the encamping angel.htm

The Bright Dawn of a Reign
... victorious Philistines. From that fastness he made raids to recover the
territory which the victory at Gilboa had won for them. First ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/the bright dawn of a.htm

Letter xii. Leo, Bishop of the City of Rome, to all the Bishops of ...
... Those handmaids of God who have lost their chastity by the violence of barbarians,
will be more praiseworthy in their humility and shame-fastness, if they do ...
/.../leo/writings of leo the great/letter xii leo bishop of.htm

The Importance of a Choice
... we lay ourselves open to the full weight of all the blows which change and fortune
can inflict, and come voluntarily down from an impregnable fastness to the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the importance of a choice.htm

Fastness (1 Occurrence)
...Fastness (1 Occurrence). Job 39:28 He inhabiteth the rock and maketh his dwelling
on the point of the cliff, and the fastness: (DBY RSV). ...
/f/fastness.htm - 7k

Jerusalem (782 Occurrences)
... or, as some suppose, to the two parts of the city, the "upper" and the "lower city."
Jerusalem is a "mountain city enthroned on a mountain fastness" (Comp. ...
/j/jerusalem.htm - 89k

Jebus (5 Occurrences)
... Trodden hard, or fastness, or "the waterless hill", the name of the Canaanitish
city which stood on Mount Zion (Joshua 15:8; 18:16, 28). ...
/j/jebus.htm - 13k

Geshur (11 Occurrences)
... 2:23). The Geshurites probably inhabited the rocky fastness of Argob, the
modern Lejah, in the north-east corner of Bashan. In the ...
/g/geshur.htm - 13k

Inhabiteth (6 Occurrences)
... (KJV DBY WBS YLT). Job 39:28 He inhabiteth the rock and maketh his dwelling
on the point of the cliff, and the fastness: (DBY). Psalms ...
/i/inhabiteth.htm - 8k

Inhabit (29 Occurrences)
... NIV). Job 39:28 He inhabiteth the rock and maketh his dwelling on the point
of the cliff, and the fastness: (Root in DBY YLT). Psalms ...
/i/inhabit.htm - 16k

Fastings (6 Occurrences)

/f/fastings.htm - 8k

Fastnesses (2 Occurrences)

/f/fastnesses.htm - 6k

Shoe (13 Occurrences)
... The word so rendered (AV) in Deuteronomy 33:25, min'al, "a bar," is derived from
a root meaning "to bolt" or "shut fast," and hence a fastness or fortress. ...
/s/shoe.htm - 18k

Stronghold (68 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) A fastness; a fort or fortress; fortified place;
a place of security. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. STRONGHOLD. strong'-hold. ...
/s/stronghold.htm - 25k

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