Jeremiah 6:27

a tower rather, as mg., a trier. It was owing to a difficulty presented by the following substantives that this was rendered tower.

a fortress The same word (with slight difference in vocalisation) has the sense of "tower" in Isaiah 23:13. Hence probably, and with a reference to Jeremiah 1:18, the word "fortress" got into the MT. It is quite foreign to the context. If retained, it must be pointed otherwise, but the meaning which must then be given it, viz. gold-washer, or gold-extractor, has no valid support.