Sieges in the Bible were prolonged military campaigns in which an enemy surrounded a city to cut off supplies and force surrender. They were brutal events that often led to famine, suffering, and judgment. Scripture records several key sieges, especially those involving God’s judgment upon disobedient nations, including Israel and Judah.
One of the earliest recorded sieges was the siege of Jericho. However, this was a divine intervention rather than a conventional siege:
“And the seventh time it happened, when the priests blew the trumpets, that Joshua said to the people: ‘Shout, for the Lord has given you the city!’”
(Joshua 6:16)
The walls of Jericho fell by God’s power, not human strength.
Later, sieges became a sign of divine punishment for rebellion. In Deuteronomy 28, God warned Israel of the curses that would follow disobedience, including siege warfare:
“You shall eat the fruit of your own body… in the siege and desperate straits in which your enemy shall distress you.”
(Deuteronomy 28:53)
This horrifying prophecy came to pass during multiple sieges, notably:
The siege of Samaria by Assyria (2 Kings 6–7): Led to extreme famine.
The siege of Jerusalem by Babylon (2 Kings 25): Resulted in the destruction of Solomon’s temple and exile of the people.
The siege of Jerusalem by Rome (AD 70): Fulfilled Jesus’ prophecy in Luke 21:20–24, ending with the destruction of the Second Temple.
The Bible often connects sieges with spiritual lessons. They were not just military defeats but acts of divine judgment. Ezekiel 4:1–3 even includes a symbolic reenactment of a siege as part of the prophet’s message to rebellious Israel.
However, sieges also revealed God’s mercy. In 2 Kings 7, God miraculously ended the siege of Samaria, providing food and deliverance through unexpected means.
In prophecy, siege language is used to describe future judgment but also the ultimate deliverance of God’s people when Christ returns.
Sieges in Scripture are more than historical events, they are reminders of the consequences of sin, the reality of judgment, and the faithfulness of God to preserve His remnant.