H4565 H4565
Hiding place, secret place — a concealed location for refuge, ambush, or divine mystery
This noun from the root s-t-r ('to hide, conceal') denotes a secret or concealed place, carrying both sinister and salvific overtones depending on context. In the Psalms, it describes the lurking-places of the wicked who stalk the innocent like a lion crouching in cover (Ps 10:8-9; 17:12; 64:4). Jeremiah uses it for the hidden places where God's people weep in secret (13:17) and the concealed refuges that cannot escape divine scrutiny (23:24; 49:10). Isaiah speaks of 'treasures of secret places' that God reveals to Cyrus (45:3). Habakkuk applies it to cosmic imagery of divine hiddenness (3:14). The word thus spans a remarkable range — from a criminal's ambush to God's own mysterious concealment.
Senses
1. hiding place, secret place — A masculine noun meaning hiding place, secret place, or covert — a location concealed from ordinary view. Used in two primary semantic fields: (a) the ambush or lurking place of the wicked, compared to a lion crouching in cover (Ps 10:8-9; 17:12; cf. Hab 3:14), or enemies shooting from concealment (Ps 64:4); (b) hidden places of refuge or mystery beyond human detection — God challenges 'can anyone hide in secret places so I cannot see him?' (Jer 23:24), and Edom's mistārāyw ('his hiding places') are stripped bare (Jer 49:10). Isaiah's 'treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places' (45:3) adds a dimension of concealed wealth. Spanish 'escondite/escondrijos' and English 'hiding places' capture the spatial sense well. 10×
AR["المَسْتُورَاتِ", "بِ-المَخَابِئِ", "بِ-المَخْبَأِ", "فِي-المَخابِئِ", "فِي-الْخَفَاءِ", "فِي-الْمَخَابِئِ", "فِي-مَخَابِئَ", "فِي-مَكَامِنَ", "مَخَابِئَهُ"]·ben["-গোপন-স্থানের", "-গোপনস্থানে", "গুপ্ত-স্থানে", "গোপন-স্থানে", "গোপনে", "গোপনে-", "তার-লুকানো-জায়গাগুলি"]·DE["[במסתר]", "[במסתרים]", "[מסתריו]", "[מסתרים]", "in-der-hiding-Ort", "in-geheim-stellt", "in-hiding", "in-hiding-stellt"]·EN["his-hiding-places", "in-hiding", "in-hiding-places", "in-secret", "in-secret-places", "in-the-hiding-place", "secret-places"]·FR["[במסתרים]", "[מסתריו]", "[מסתרים]", "cachette", "dans-cachette"]·heb["ב-מסתר", "ב-מסתרים", "מסתריו", "מסתרים"]·HI["-छिपकर-में", "उसकी-छिपने-की-जगहों", "गुप्त-में", "गुप्त-स्थानों-की", "गुप्त-स्थानों-में", "छिपकर-में", "छिपने-के-स्थानों-में", "छिपे-हुए-स्थानों-में", "में-गुप्त-स्थानों"]·ID["dari-tempat-tersembunyi", "di-tempat-tempat-tersembunyi", "di-tempat-tersembunyi", "secara-tersembunyi.", "tempat-tempat-persembunyiannya", "tempat-tempat-tersembunyi"]·IT["[במסתר]", "[במסתרים]", "[מסתריו]", "[מסתרים]", "nascondiglio"]·jav["ing-pandèlikan", "ing-panggenan-singidan", "ing-papan-singidan", "ing-umpetan", "ingkang-sumimpen", "papan-ndhelikipun", "wonten-ing-panggenan-ingkang-sinidhem", "wonten-ing-panggenan-singid"]·KO["숨은-곳-들-에서", "숨은-곳들-에", "숨은-곳들-에서", "에-은밀한-곳에", "은밀한-곳-에서", "은밀한-곳들-에서", "은밀한-곳들을-그의", "은밀한-곳들의", "은밀히"]·PT["em-esconderijo", "em-esconderijos", "em-escondidos", "lugares-escondidos", "nos-esconderijos", "seus-esconderijos"]·RU["в-потаенных-местах", "в-тайниках", "в-тайнике", "в-тайных-местах", "в-укрытии", "в-укрытиях", "тайных-мест", "укрытия-его"]·ES["en-el-escondite", "en-escondites", "en-escondrijos", "en-lo-secreto", "en-los-escondites", "en-lugares-secretos", "lugares-secretos", "sus-escondites"]·SW["katika-maficho", "katika-siri", "kifichoni", "kisirini", "kwa-siri", "maficho-yake", "mafichoni", "mahali-pa-siri", "wa-siri"]·TR["gizli-yerde-", "gizli-yerlerde", "gizli-yerlerde-", "gizli-yerlerini", "gizlice-o", "gizliliklerin"]·urd["-چھپی-جگہ-میں", "-چھپی-جگہوں-میں", "بَ-پوشیدہ", "خلوت-میں", "میں-پوشیدہ-جگہوں", "پوشیدہ-جگہوں-کی", "چھپ-کر", "چھپنے-کی-جگہوں-اُس-کی", "چھپے-میں"]
Related Senses
H3045 1. Qal: to know, perceive, understand (829×)H5315 1. soul, inner being (647×)H3820a 1. heart, inner self (mind/will/emotion) (572×)H4672 1. Qal: find, discover (289×)G1492 1. know facts or truths (285×)H3824 1. heart, inner self (mind/will/emotion) (250×)H1245 1. seek, search for (200×)G1097 1. know, be acquainted with (196×)H2142 1. Qal: remember, recall (173×)G2588 1. heart (inner self, mind, will) (158×)H0977 1. choose, select (Qal active) (145×)G2147 1. find, discover (144×)G5590 1. soul, inner self (100×)H4672 2. Niphal: be found, be discovered (99×)H1875 1. seek, search for (96×)H5315 2. life, vitality (94×)H1847 1. knowledge, discernment (90×)H2450 1. wise, prudent (84×)H7911 1. Qal: to forget (83×)H3684 1. fool, dullard (70×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מִסְתָּר n.[m.] secret place, hiding-place;—abs. מ׳ ψ 10:9; Hb 3:14; usually pl. מִסְתָּרִים Je 13:17 + 6 times; sf. מִסְתָּרָיו Je 49:10;— 1. secret place(s), concealed from view, Je 13:17; where treasures are stored Is 45:3. 2. hiding-place(s): a. for protection Je 23:24; 49:10. b. for perpetration of crime, especially murder: ψ 10:8 (‖ מַאֲרָב), sim. of lion v 9; 17:12, cf. Hb 3:14; ψ 64:5; of י׳ lying in wait La 3:10 (as a lion).