Hebrew word · H4498

מָנוֹס

manos

refuge

A noun built from the verb nus, 'to flee'. It can mean (1) the act of flight, getting away, or (2) a place of refuge, the spot one runs to. In poetry the two often merge: 'a way out'. God can be called one's manos, a refuge (2 Samuel 22:3; Psalm 59:16; Jeremiah 16:19).

Appears 8 times in 8 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) flight, refuge, place of escape

1a) flight

1b) refuge, place of escape

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Amos 2:14

Range of meaning

A noun built from the verb nus, 'to flee'. It can mean (1) the act of flight, getting away, or (2) a place of refuge, the spot one runs to. In poetry the two often merge: 'a way out'. God can be called one's manos, a refuge (2 Samuel 22:3; Psalm 59:16; Jeremiah 16:19).

Against the English

KJV/WEB/ESV 'flight' keeps the battle sense of running away. YLT 'refuge' brings out the place sense. BSB 'escape' and NIV's verbal 'will not escape' catch the result. None is wrong; each catches part of the word.

Used elsewhere in the period

'Flight/refuge perishes from X' (avad manos min) is a fixed Hebrew phrase: Jeremiah 25:35 ('flight shall perish from the shepherds'), Job 11:20 ('refuge has perished from them', of the wicked), Psalm 142:4 [Hebrew 142:5] ('refuge has perished from me'). Amos is using a stock phrase for being cornered with no way out.

From the study of Jeremiah 16:19

Range of meaning

Flight, escape; a place to flee to, a refuge. From nûs, "to flee."

Against the English

"Refuge" is accurate but static. The Hebrew carries the movement of running away: the place a fugitive runs for.

Used elsewhere in the period

2 Sam 22:3 (David's song): "my refuge (mənûsî), my savior." Ps 59:16: "you have been my fortress and a mānôs in the day of my distress." In judgment texts escape fails: "flight shall perish from the swift" (Amos 2:14); "flight shall perish from the shepherds" (Jer 25:35); "they flee in flight" (Jer 46:5).

From the study of Psalm 59:16

Range of meaning

Flight, escape; a place one flees to; a refuge reached by running. From nus, "to flee."

Against the English

"Refuge" (all major versions) is fair. But English "refuge" sounds like a quiet shelter, and manos keeps the motion of a hunted person running for safety. NLT's "a place of safety" also loses the running.

Used elsewhere in the period

2 Samuel 22:3, paired with misgav. Jeremiah 16:19: "my strength, my stronghold, my place of flight (manos) in the day of distress (beyom tsarah)," almost the same wording as this verse. Psalm 142:4: "manos has perished from me," meaning no escape is left. Amos 2:14: "flight will perish from the swift."

Where it appears

2 Samuel · 1

  1. 2 Samuel 22:3 וּמְנוּסִ֔י and place of escape my

    My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation. My stronghold, my refuge, and my Savior, You save me from violence.

    Here: 'And my place of escape': from the verb 'to flee'. It is the place you run to when you have to run. It fits the hunted life David lived while Saul pursued him.

Job · 1

  1. Job 11:20 וּ֭מָנוֹס and a place of escape

    But the eyes of the wicked will fail, and escape will elude them; they will hope for their last breath.”

    Here: From nus, 'to flee': a way out, a place to run to. This is the opposite of v. 19's secure lying down 'with no one to make you afraid'.

Psalms · 2

  1. Psalm 59:16 וּ֝מָנ֗וֹס and a place of escape

    But I will sing of Your strength and proclaim Your loving devotion in the morning. For You are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.

    Here: "And a place to flee to": from the verb "to flee." It is the escape route or bolt-hole a hunted person runs to. With misgav it gives two pictures: a height to stand on and a place to run to.

  2. Psalm 142:4 מָנ֣וֹס a place of escape

    Look to my right and see; no one attends to me. There is no refuge for me; no one cares for my soul.

    Here: Comes from the verb "to flee". It means a way out or a bolt-hole, the chance to run. Here the hunted man has no route of escape left.

Jeremiah · 3

  1. Jeremiah 16:19 וּמְנוּסִ֖י and place of escape my

    O LORD, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in the day of distress, the nations will come to You from the ends of the earth, and they will say, “Our fathers inherited nothing but lies, worthless idols of no benefit at all.

    Here: "And my place to flee to", from the verb "to flee". Elsewhere in Jeremiah escape fails (25:35; 46:5). Here God himself is where the fleeing ends.

  2. Jeremiah 25:35 מָנ֖וֹס a place of escape

    Flight will evade the shepherds, and escape will elude the leaders of the flock.

  3. Jeremiah 46:5 וּמָנ֥וֹס and flight

    Why am I seeing this? They are terrified, they are retreating; their warriors are defeated, they flee in haste without looking back; terror is on every side!” declares the LORD.

Amos · 1

  1. Amos 2:14 מָנוֹס֙ a place of escape

    Escape will fail the swift, the strong will not prevail by his strength, and the mighty will not save his life.

    Here: From the verb 'to flee'. It covers both running away and the place you run to. In a battle it is the line of retreat, the chance to get away. The point is that this will no longer exist.

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