H4733 H4733
Refuge or asylum; used exclusively in the legal phrase 'cities of refuge' for those guilty of unintentional manslaughter.
A technical legal term appearing solely in the Priestly legislation and Joshua, always in the fixed phrase 'cities of refuge' (arei miqlat). These six designated cities provided asylum for a person who killed another unintentionally, protecting the manslayer from the blood avenger until trial could be held (Num 35:6–32; Josh 20:2–3; 21:13–38). Unlike the more general machseh (H4268), miqlat is entirely institutional — it names a legal mechanism, not a personal experience of divine protection. Every occurrence across all translations converges on this single juridical meaning.
Senses
1. refuge, city of refuge — Asylum or legal refuge, designating the six Levitical cities set apart under Torah law to shelter those who committed accidental homicide from blood vengeance (Num 35:6–32; Josh 20:2–3; 21:13–38; 1 Chr 6:42, 52). The term is never used metaphorically or of God; it functions purely as a legal-institutional noun. Spanish 'refugio,' French 'refuge,' and German 'Zuflucht' all render the term identically, underscoring its narrow, fixed meaning within the cities-of-refuge legislation. 20×
AR["الـ-مَلجَأِ", "الْمَلْجَأِ", "لِمَلْجَأٍ", "مَلْجَأٍ", "مَلْجَأِ", "مَلْجَئِهِ"]·ben["-আশ্রয়ের", "আশ্রয়ের", "আশ্রয়ের-জন্য", "তার-আশ্রয়ের", "সেই-আশ্রয়ের"]·DE["Zuflucht", "Zuflucht-von", "[המקלט]", "der-Zuflucht", "fuer-Zuflucht", "sein-Zuflucht"]·EN["for-refuge", "his-refuge", "refuge", "refuge-of", "the-refuge"]·FR["[המקלט]", "le-refuge", "pour-refuge", "refuge", "refuge-de", "son-refuge"]·heb["ה-מקלט", "ל-מקלט", "מקלט", "מקלטו"]·HI["-का-शरण", "उसकी-शरण-के", "के-लिए-शरण", "शरण-का", "शरण-के", "शरण-के-लिए"]·ID["perlindungan", "perlindungannya", "sebagai-perlindungan"]·IT["[המקלט]", "il-refuge", "il-rifugio", "per-refuge", "per-rifugio", "refuge-di", "rifugio", "suo-rifugio"]·jav["kangge-pangungsian", "pangungsen", "pangungsian", "pangungsianipun"]·KO["그-도피의", "그-도피처-의", "그-도피처의", "도피의", "도피처-그의", "도피처-그의의", "도피처로", "도피처로-", "도피처의"]·PT["o-refúgio", "para-refúgio", "refúgio", "seu-refúgio"]·RU["для-убежища", "убежища", "убежища-его"]·ES["el-refugio", "para-refugio", "refugio", "su-refugio"]·SW["ha-kimbilio", "kimbilio-kwa", "kwa-kimbilio", "kwa-makimbilio", "makimbilio", "makimbilio-yake"]·TR["-e-sığınak", "-sığınaklığın", "-sığınmanın", "sığınaklık", "sığınaklık-için", "sığınaklığının", "sığınağın"]·urd["اس-کے-پناہ", "اپنے-پناہ-کے", "بطور-پناہ", "پناہ-کا", "پناہ-کے", "پناہ-کے-لیے"]
Related Senses
H2896a 1. good (quality or moral) (305×)H7563 1. wicked person (259×)H7451c 1. moral evil or wickedness (234×)H5771 1. iniquity, sin, wrongdoing (222×)H6662 1. righteous person (substantive) (195×)G0266 1. sin, failure, transgression (173×)H2403b 1. sin, transgression (170×)H2617a 1. Covenant faithfulness, steadfast love (167×)H2398 1. Qal: to sin, commit sin (165×)H6666 1. righteousness, moral uprightness (145×)G5485 1. grace, divine favor (141×)H7451a 1. morally evil, wicked (129×)H2403b 2. sin-offering, sacrifice for sin (120×)G2570 1. good, right, excellent (98×)H6588 1. transgression, offense against God (88×)G0018 1. good (moral quality) (85×)H2896b 1. good, what is good (85×)H7451b 1. evil, wickedness (moral) (83×)H7451a 2. evil, harm, calamity (80×)G1342 1. righteous, upright (of persons) (70×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מִקְלָט n.[m.] refuge, asylum (P Ch);—עָרֵי מ׳ asylum-cities Nu 35:11, 13, 14, עָרֵי הַמּ׳ Nu 35:6; Jos 20:2, so 1 Ch 6:42, 52 (but read עִיר הַמּ׳, according to ‖ Jos 21:13, 21, so Be Kau Kit), לְמ׳ (after הָיָה) Nu 35:12, 15; Jos 20:3; cstr. in phr. עִיר מִקְלַט הָרֹצֵחַ Jos 21:13, 21, 27, 32, 38 (Gi; v 36 van d. H. Baer); sf. of refugee, עִיר מִקְלָטוֹ Nu 35:25, 26, 27, 28, 32.