Is God a Bulwark?

Yesterday in church, we sang A Mighty Fortress is our God, with the following words:

A mighty fortress is our God,

a bulwark never failing

What on earth is a bulwark (pronounced ˈbul-wərk, -work)?

Definition: a solid wall-like structure raised for defense.

Well, that certainly makes sense, but can't we just say He is a ... well, a mighty fortress? Where does this word originate?

Bulwark is a noun that has its sources in Middle English and Middle Dutch from the 15th century. In Middle English it comes from the word "bulwerke." In Middle Dutch it comes from the word "bolwerk." The components of the Dutch origin are "bolle" (tree trunk) and "werc" (work).

It seems to be more a military term than anything, and with that in mind, I can certainly see why a songwriter would use it in a hymn. The word fortress is very descriptive, but I find the essence of bulwark to be much stronger when spoken. To pronounce fortress is to keep the sounds at the front and top of the mouth. Bulwark comes from the back and bottom of the mouth, with the throat fully engaged, ending in a gutteral hard "k" ending. It is much more fulfilling to speak and get the idea across of a fully-engaged, from the bottom-up kind of God-protection.

Is God a bulwark? Yes! He is!