נוּס160 H5127
To flee, escape, run away from danger; as participle: a fugitive; Hifil: put to flight, drive away
The primary Hebrew verb for flight from danger, battle, or threat. Its core image is rapid, fear-driven movement away — whether Israel fleeing before enemies (Lev 26:17), Jonah fleeing from the LORD, or the sea itself 'fleeing' at God's rebuke (Ps 114:3). The Arabic cognate nasa ('move to and fro, be in commotion') preserves the underlying sense of agitated motion. The Hifil causative adds the dimension of causing flight, while the participle crystallizes into a noun meaning 'fugitive' or 'refugee.'
1. flee, run away (Qal) — The core Qal meaning covering the vast majority of occurrences: to flee or run away from danger, enemies, battle, or divine judgment. From Jacob fleeing Esau to Israelite armies routed in war, this sense pervades narrative, law (cities of refuge, Num 35:25), and poetry alike. Spanish huir and French fuir directly render this urgent, survival-driven motion. 144×
AR["فَ-هَرَبوا","فَ-هَرَبَ","فَـ-هَرَبا","فَـ-هَرَبُوا","وَ-هَرَبوا","وَ-هَرَبَ","وَ-هَرَبُوا","وَهَرَبوا"]·ben["আর-পালাল","এবং-তারা-পালিয়ে-গেল","এবং-পলায়ন-করল","এবং-পালাল","এবং-পালালেন","এবং-পালিয়ে-গেল"]·DE["und-floh","und-flohen","und-sie-floh"]·EN["and-fled","and-they-fled"]·FR["et-fuit","et-ils-fuit","et-ils-s'enfuit","et-s'enfuit"]·heb["ו-ינוסו","ו-ינסו","ו-נסו"]·HI["और-भअगे","और-भगे","और-भागा","और-भागे"]·ID["dan-larilah-mereka","dan-melarikan-diri","dan-melarikan-diri-mereka","dan-mereka-lari","dan-mereka-melarikan-diri"]·IT["e-essi-fuggì","e-fuggì"]·jav["Lan-mlajeng","Lan-mlayu","lan-lolos","lan-mlajeng","lan-mlayu","lan-piyambakipun-mlayu","lan-piyambakipun-sedaya-lolos","lan-sami-mlèsèt","lan-tiyang-punika-mlayu"]·KO["그리고-도망쳤다","그리고-도망하였다","그리고-도망했다"]·PT["E-fugiram","e-fugiram","¶ E-fugiram"]·RU["И-побежали","И-убежали","и-бежали","и-побежал","и-побежали","и-побежали-они","и-убежали"]·ES["Y-huyeron","y-huyeron"]·SW["na-wakakimbia","wakakimbia"]·TR["Ve-kaçtılar","ve-kaçtılar"]·urd["اور-بھاگا","اور-بھاگے","اور-بھاگے۔","اور-وہ-بھاگے"]
Gen 14:10, Gen 39:12, Gen 39:13, Gen 39:15, Gen 39:18, Exod 4:3, Josh 7:4, Josh 8:15, Josh 10:16, Josh 20:6, Judg 1:6, Judg 4:15 (+38 more)
▼ 6 more senses below
Senses
2. fugitive, one who flees (Qal ptc.) — The Qal participle used as a substantive: a fugitive or refugee, one characterized by the state of fleeing. Exodus 14:27 describes Egyptians 'fleeing into' the sea, while Jer 48:19 asks the fugitives of Moab what has happened. Spanish fugitivo, Arabic harib, and Korean 도망하는 자 all render the participial substantive naturally. 10×
AR["الهارِبُ","الهَارِبُ","الهَارِبُونَ","الْهَارِبَ","الْهَارِبُ","الْهَارِبِينَ","فَارُّونَ","هارِبونَ","هَارِبٌ","هَارِبُونَ"]·ben["পলাতক","পলাতকরা","পলায়নকারী","পালাচ্ছিল","পালাচ্ছে","পালানো","পালানোদের","পালিয়ে-যাচ্ছে","যে-পালাচ্ছিল","যে-পালায়"]·DE["[נס]","[נסים]","der-floh","fleeing","fliehen"]·EN["(the-one-fleeing)","a-fugitive","are-fleeing","fleeing","fugitives","the-fugitive","the-one-fleeing","those-fleeing","who-fled"]·FR["fuir","fuyant","qui-s'enfuit"]·heb["ה-נס","נס","נסים"]·HI["भाग-रहे-थे","भागते-हैं","भागने-वाला","भागने-वाले","भागने-वाले-से","भागने-वालों","भागनेवाले"]·ID["melarikan-diri","melarikan-diri;","orang-orang-pelarian","orang-orang-yang-melarikan-diri","yang-melarikan-diri"]·IT["chi-fuggì","fleeing","fuggire"]·jav["Mlayu","ingkang-mlayu","kangge-piyambakipun","mlayu","para-ingkang-mlayu"]·KO["(도망치는-자가)","그-도망하는","도망치고-있었다","도망친-자들이","도망친-자에게","도망하는-자가","도망하는-자들의","도망하는-자들이","도망하도다"]·PT["(O-que-foge)","ao-que-foge","estão-fugindo","fugindo","fugitivo","o-que-foge","os-que-fogem","os-que-fugiam","que-fugia"]·RU["Бегущий","бегут","бегущего","бегущие","бегущий","бегущих","бежащие","убегают"]·ES["el-que-huye","fugitivo","fugitivos","huyendo","que-huía"]·SW["Anayekimbia","akimbiae","akimbiye","anayekimbia","wakimbizi","walikuwa-wakikimbia","waliokimbia","wanakimbia"]·TR["kacan","kaçan","kaçanlar","kaçanların","kaçıyorlar","kaçıyorlardı"]·urd["بھاگ-رہے-تھے","بھاگ-رہے-ہیں","بھاگنے-والا","بھاگنے-والوں-کی","بھاگنے-والے","بھاگنے-والے-سے"]
3. put to flight, drive away (Hifil) — The Hifil causative: to cause someone to flee, to put to flight or drive away. Deuteronomy 32:30 asks how one could chase a thousand, and Judg 7:21 describes Gideon's rout. This is the only stem where the subject causes flight rather than experiencing it. Spanish poner en fuga captures the causative force precisely. 3×
AR["أَهْرَبَ","وَ-هَرَبُوا","يُهْزِمَانِ"]·ben["[এবং-তারা-পালিয়ে-গেল]","পালিয়ে-দেবে","পালিয়ে-নিল"]·DE["[und-sie-floh]","floh","setzen-zu-flight"]·EN["[and-they-fled]","fled","put-to-flight"]·FR["[et-ils-s'enfuit]","fuit","mettre-à-flight"]·heb["הניס","ו-הניסו","יניסו"]·HI["उसने-भगाया","भगाते"]·ID["[qere]","melarikan","mengungsikan"]·IT["[e-essi-fuggì]","fuggì","porre-a-flight"]·jav["[lan-mlayu]","ngalahaken","sami-ngungsekaken"]·KO["도망치게-하리라","도망치게-했다","케티브"]·PT["[e-fugiram]","fariam-fugir","fez-fugir"]·RU["[кетив]","обращали-бы-в-бегство","угнал"]·ES["[k]","hizo-huir","pondrán-en-fuga"]·SW["[na-wakakimbia]","alikimbishia","wangekimbia"]·TR["kaçırdı","kaçırır","ve-kaçtılar"]·urd["[اور-بھاگے]","بھگادیں","بھگایا-اس-نے"]
4. sense 4 — A single occurrence at Judg 6:11 where the context suggests hiding or concealing (threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from Midianites). English 'to hide' and Spanish para esconder reflect a contextual extension from fleeing to the concealment that flight aims to achieve. 1×
AR["لِ-يُهَرِّبَ"]·ben["লুকানোর-জন্য"]·DE["zu-verbergen"]·EN["to-hide"]·FR["à-cacher"]·heb["ל-הניס"]·HI["छिपाने"]·ID["untuk-melarikan"]·IT["a-nascondere"]·jav["kanggé-ndheli-kaken"]·KO["숨기려고"]·PT["para-esconder"]·RU["чтобы-спрятать"]·ES["para-esconder"]·SW["kuficha"]·TR["kaçırmak-için"]·urd["چھپانے-کو"]
5. sense 5 — At Isa 59:19, the verb appears in a disputed passage where the Spirit of the LORD 'drives him' or 'puts to flight' the enemy like a rushing stream. Spanish lo impelera ('impels him') captures the forceful motion, though the exact parsing remains debated among commentators. 1×
AR["تَدْفَعُهُ"]·ben["উড়িয়ে-দেবে"]·DE["fliehen"]·EN["drives-him"]·FR["fuir"]·heb["נוססה"]·HI["उसे-भगाएगी"]·ID["mengangkat-panji"]·IT["fuggire"]·jav["ngobahaken"]·KO["몰아내시리라"]·PT["põe-em-fuga"]·RU["поднимет-знамя"]·ES["lo-impelerá"]·SW["inaendesha"]·TR["kovuyord"]·urd["بھگاتی-ہے-جسے"]
6. sense 6 — In Deut 34:7, applied to Moses at death: his vigor 'had not fled.' Spanish se perdio ('was lost') and German floh show how the concrete sense of physical flight extends metaphorically to the departure of vitality or strength — an elegant personification of aging. 1×
AR["تَذْهَبْ"]·ben["চলে-গিয়েছিল"]·DE["floh"]·EN["fled"]·FR["s'enfuit"]·heb["נס"]·HI["भागी"]·ID["berkurang"]·IT["fuggi"]·jav["ilang"]·KO["줄었다"]·PT["fugiu"]·RU["убыла"]·ES["se-perdió"]·SW["kupungua"]·TR["azaldı"]·urd["غائب-ہوئی"]
7. sense 7 — At Ps 60:4 (60:6 MT), a difficult text where nus appears to mean 'to rally' or 'to be lifted up' in the context of a banner. English 'to be lifted up' and Spanish para alzarse suggest movement upward rather than away — possibly a homographic root or a dramatic semantic extension from flight to rallying. 1×
AR["لِ-يُرفَعُوها"]·ben["উত্তোলিত-হওয়ার-জন্য"]·DE["zu-sein-erhoben-hinauf"]·EN["to-be-lifted-up"]·FR["à-fuir"]·heb["ל-התנוסס"]·HI["-फहराने-के-लिए"]·IT["fuggi'"]·jav["piyambakipun"]·KO["들어-올리도록"]·PT["para-tremular"]·RU["поднять"]·ES["para-alzarse"]·SW["kuiinua"]·TR["dalgalandırmak-için"]·urd["لَ-لہرانے"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
נוּס160 vb. flee, escape (Syriac ܢܳܣ tremble (rare), cf. Brock; Arabic نوس, نَاسَ move to and fro, be in commotion, dangle, Lane 2866);— Qal Pf. נָס Nu 35:25 +; נַ֫סְתָּה 2 K 9:3; נַ֫סְתִּי 1 S 4:16, etc.; Impf. יָנוּס Ex 21:13 +; וַיָּנָ֫ס Gn 39:12 +; יְנוּס֑וּן ψ 104:7, etc.; Imv. mpl. נֻ֫סוּ Je 48:6 + 4 times Je Zc; Inf. abs. נוֹס 2 S 18:3; cstr. לָנוּס (לָנֻס) Gn 19:20 +; Pt. נָס Am 9:1 +;…