Now after this he built a wall without the city of David,.... Which perhaps had been broken down by the Assyrian army, when it came and took him; Vitringa l thinks this is the wall of the pool of Siloah, Nehemiah 3:15 which seems to be the first and oldest wall, as Josephus m; for that turning to the north bent towards the pool of Siloam; an Arabic writer n calls it the southern wall:
on the west side of Gihon; on the west side of the city, towards Gihon; for that was to the west of it, 2 Chronicles 32:30,
in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate; through which the fish were brought from Joppa, and where, according to the Targum, they were sold:
and compassed about Ophel; the eastern part of Mount Zion; some say it was the holy of holies, 2 Chronicles 27:3,
and raised it up a very great height; built the wall very high there:
and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah; this he did to put his kingdom in a posture of defence, should it be attacked by the Assyrian army again.
l Comment. in Jesaiam, c. 22. 9. m De Bello Jud. l. 5. c. 4. sect. 9. n Abulpharag. Hist. Dynast. Dyn. 3. p. 67.