דברי הימים ב, פרק ל״ב, פסוק ה׳

As the threat of war loomed, a massive and urgent fortification project began in Jerusalem. The first step involved repairing the city's damaged defenses, starting with the restoration of the breached wall. According to [מלבי״ם], this was the northern wall of the city, previously broken down by Joash, which is also known as the broad wall. Once the gaps were closed, the focus shifted to increasing the wall's height and thickness. The primary approach among commentators [מצודת דוד, רלב״ג, שטיינזלץ] is that the wall was raised to such an extent that it eventually towered over the existing defensive structures standing beside it. To further secure the city, a secondary outer wall was constructed to shield the primary wall and reinforce the city's overall strength. Between these two defensive barriers, additional towers were erected [מלבי״ם].

Beyond the walls, another major focus of the fortification effort was the area known as the Millo in the City of David. Commentators offer different perspectives on the exact nature of this location. Some suggest it was a street or public plaza located just outside the walls, designed as a gathering place for the people [מצודת ציון, רלב״ג]. Others explain it was a specific topographical feature—a valley or gap that King Solomon had originally filled and leveled to seamlessly connect different sections of the City of David [שטיינזלץ]. Over the generations since Solomon, weaknesses had formed in this filled area, which now required significant repair and reinforcement.

Alongside the structural defenses, there was a major push for military readiness through the stockpiling of weapons. The preparations included gathering a vast arsenal of arms, generally understood to be a comprehensive collection of swords and standard battle gear [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת ציון, שטיינזלץ]. However, [מלבי״ם] notes that this arsenal featured a highly specific type of weapon: rather than a standard sword, it was a unique, sharp-pointed tool designed specifically for stabbing, effectively combining the lethal features of both a sword and a spear.