נִיס
𐤍𐤉𐤎
nîyç
H5211 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
A person who is fleeing, typically in the context of escaping danger, violence, or retribution; specifically, a fugitive or refugee. The term is used to denote someone who seeks safety by flight, often from an avenger or from peril.
Semantic Range
fugitive, refugee, one who flees, escapee, person in flight, someone escaping danger or pursuing parties; someone fleeing violence, revenge, or catastrophe
Root / Etymology
From the root נוּס (nus), which means 'to flee, escape, take flight.' The noun נִיס (nîyç) derives from this root, indicating 'one who flees' or 'fugitive.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
נִיס appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible, with its primary attestation in 2 Samuel 4:4, referring to Mephibosheth (here called Meribbaal), who was carried off while fleeing (נִיסָה) after the news of King Saul and Jonathan’s deaths. The form as a nominal for 'fugitive' is uncommon, with most uses of the root נוּס appearing in verbal and participial forms (e.g., נָס, nas), more generic for 'one fleeing.' The distinction between נִיס and the more common נָס is minimal lexically, though נִיס may have a slightly more formal or literary nuance as a noun. English translations often render the term as "fugitive" or "one who fled," but may miss the context-specific element of someone escaping violence or vengeance typical of ancient Near Eastern society. The usage is neutral with regard to the reason or legitimacy of flight: legal, social, or military. In post-biblical usage, related roots continue to be used in Hebrew and Aramaic for 'one who flees' or 'refugee.' This term does not carry later religious nuances attached to the concept of exile.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from נוּס; fugitive; that fleeth.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נוס (n-w-s) — to flee, escape, take flight
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4498 | מָנוֹס | place of escape |
| H4499 | מְנוּסָה | refuge of |
| H5127 | נוּס | let me flee |
| H5254 | נָסָה | he fled |
| H5375 | נָשָׂא | they fled |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5211-01 |
ה/ניס | hnys | HTd/Vqrmsa |
the one fleeing | fleeing one | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5211-01 |
Jeremiah 48:44 | ה/ניס | hnys | HTd/Vqrmsa |
the one fleeing | fleeing one |