Greek word · G2703

καταφεύγω

katapheugō

to flee

'To flee down to', meaning to flee for refuge, take shelter or seek asylum. The flight is toward a place or person that gives protection, not just away from danger.

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Greek New Testament.

What it means

κατα-φεύγω

[in LXX for נוּס, etc. ;]

to flee for refuge: before εἰς, Acts 14:6; metaphorically, with inf., Hebrews 6:18.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Hebrews 6:18

Range of meaning

'To flee down to', meaning to flee for refuge, take shelter or seek asylum. The flight is toward a place or person that gives protection, not just away from danger.

Against the English

BSB and NIV have only 'fled', which loses the idea of refuge. KJV and WEB ('fled for refuge') and NASB ('taken refuge') keep the picture of asylum.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint) it is used for fleeing to the cities of refuge: Num 35:25–26, Deut 4:42, Deut 19:5, Josh 20. A person who had killed someone by accident ran to one of these cities to escape the avenger of blood. Related ideas appear in the practice of seizing the horns of the altar for sanctuary (1 Kgs 1:50; 2:28). In the Psalms God himself is the refuge (καταφυγή) of the afflicted. In Acts 14:6 it is used of the apostles fleeing to safety.

Similar words

Where it appears

Acts · 1

  1. Acts 14:6 κατέφυγον they fled

    they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding region,

Hebrews · 1

  1. Hebrews 6:18 καταφυγόντες having fled for refuge

    Thus by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be strongly encouraged.

    Here: This is the verb of running to a place of asylum. In the Greek Old Testament it is used for fleeing to the cities of refuge. The tense points to a decisive act already done: they have run to God for safety.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.