### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
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.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
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]].
### Related Words & Concepts
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]].
### Theological Significance
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]]).
### Summary
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