The Hebrew word çôlᵉlâh, represented by H5550, refers to a military mound or rampart of besiegers. It appears 11 times across 11 unique verses in the Bible. This term specifically denotes an earthen bank or rampart, a key element of ancient siege warfare, constructed to allow an attacking army to overcome a city's defenses.
In biblical accounts, H5550 is consistently used to describe the physical act of preparing for conquest. Armies would cast H8210 up a bank H5550 against a fortified city to provide a platform for their assault (2 Samuel 20:15, 2 Kings 19:32). These structures were part of a larger strategy that often included building a fort H1785 and appointing battering rams H3733 (Ezekiel 4:2, Ezekiel 21:22). The purpose of the mounts H5550 was to enable an army to take H3920 a city, as seen when the Chaldeans came against Jerusalem Jeremiah 32:24.
Several related words help illustrate the environment of siege warfare associated with H5550:
- H1785 dâyêq (fort): This word for a battering-tower often appears alongside H5550. A mount would be cast up and a fort would be built as part of a coordinated siege effort Ezekiel 26:8.
- H2426 chêyl (trench, rampart): This term describes an intrenchment or bulwark. In one account, a bank H5550 was cast up against a city and stood H5975 in the trench H2426, positioning the attackers against the wall 2 Samuel 20:15.
- H2719 chereb (sword): A cutting instrument like a sword is often mentioned as one of the instruments of destruction that accompanies a siege, along with the mounts H5550, famine, and pestilence Jeremiah 33:4.
The theological significance of H5550 is tied to its role as an instrument of divine will, whether for judgment or deliverance.
- Tool of Divine Judgment: The LORD commands the casting of a mount H5550 against Jerusalem, identifying it as "the city to be visited" for its oppression H6233 Jeremiah 6:6. This shows the siege mound as a tangible means of enacting God's punishment.
- Fulfillment of Prophecy: Jeremiah acknowledges that the arrival of the mounts H5550 of the Chaldeans is the fulfillment of what the LORD had spoken would come to pass as a consequence of sin Jeremiah 32:24.
- Sign of Divine Protection: Conversely, God's protection is demonstrated by the absence of a siege mound. The LORD promises that the king of Assyria "shall not come into this city... nor cast a bank against it" (Isaiah 37:33, 2 Kings 19:32).
In summary, H5550 is more than just a military term; it is a powerful symbol of conquest and judgment in the Old Testament. While physically a military mound used by armies to besiege cities, its presence or absence in the narrative often serves as a barometer of God's disposition toward a people. It represents the inevitable consequence of rebellion against God, but its prevention signifies His sovereign power to deliver and protect His people.
TRV