The terms "stronghold" and "fortress" both refer to places that are well protected against an attack by enemy soldiers. The term "fortified" describes a city or other place that has been made safe from attack.
* Often, strongholds and fortresses were manmade structures with defensive walls. They could also have been places with natural protective barriers such as rocky cliffs or high mountains.
* People fortified strongholds by building thick walls or other structures that made it difficult for an enemy to break through.
* This term was also used figuratively to refer to God as a stronghold or fortress for those who trust in him. (See: [Metaphor](en/ta-vol1/translate/man/figs-metaphor))
* Another figurative meaning for the term "stronghold" referred to something that someone wrongly trusted in for security, such as a false god or other thing that was worshiped instead of Yahweh. This could be translated as "false strongholds."
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