upon to return to a “stronghold” (biṣṣārôn, a word that occurs nowhere else in the Hebrew Bible). For a discussion of that term, see the NOTE below; meanwhile, note that some exegetes (as BHS: 1074) suggest emending it to batṣîyyôn, “Daughter Zion.” by the blood of your covenant. This unusual phrase is introduced by the preposition b, which acts as b-instrument, showing the means by which something is done (GKC §119.o and p). Yahweh’s action in the next line—the freeing of captives—is in this