מִבְרָח
𐤌𐤁𐤓𐤇
mibrâch
H4015 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A person who flees for safety, most often a fugitive escaping danger, oppression, or pursuit. The term denotes an individual in flight, rather than one given sanctuary or asylum. Commonly used to refer to someone escaping captivity or violence, with an emphasis on the act of fleeing rather than formal status as a refugee.
Semantic Range
fugitive, person in flight, refugee (in the sense of escapee), one who flees danger or pursuit
Root / Etymology
From the root בָּרַח (barach), meaning 'to flee' or 'to run away'. מִבְרָח (mibrâch) is a noun form derived from this root, formed with the mem-prefix typical of Hebrew nouns indicating place or instrumentality. Hence, מִבְרָח emphasizes the state or person of fleeing rather than an abstract concept of escape or place to which one escapes.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The word מִבְרָח appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible and is mostly attested in poetic or later biblical texts (e.g., Psalms, Job). Its primary usage reflects the realities of escape and pursuit in the ancient Near East, distinguishing the active status of a fugitive from the later, more formalized idea of a 'refugee' in modern legal or social terms. It is contextually related to עָרוּץ (arutz, 'fugitive, one who flees') and נָס (nas, 'one who flees, fugitive'), yet may have nuances tied to the condition or state of flight. Standard English translations use 'fugitive' or 'refugee', but the Hebrew concept focuses on the act of running away rather than being granted refuge. In later Hebrew and post-biblical usage, related terms take on more formalized meanings connected with sanctuary and shelter. The rendering of 'refugee' in some older translations imports a sense of asylum that is not explicit in the biblical Hebrew context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from בָּרַח; a refugee; fugitive.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ברח (b-r-ḥ) — to flee, run away, escape
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1272 | בָּרַח | he fled |
| H1280 | בְּרִיחַ | securing bolt of |
| H1281 | בָּרִיחַ | locking bar |
| H1282 | בָּרִיחַ | and Bariach |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4015-02 |
מברח/ו | mvrchv | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
his fugitives | his fugitive | 1 |
H4015-01 |
מִבְרָחָ֤י/ו | miverachayv | HNcmpc/Sp3ms |
his bands | his fugitives | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4015-02 |
Ezekiel 17:21 | מברח/ו | mvrchv | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
his fugitives | his fugitive |
H4015-01 |
Ezekiel 17:21 | מִבְרָחָ֤י/ו | miverachayv | HNcmpc/Sp3ms |
his bands | his fugitives |