Ḥāsāh appears 37 times in the Hebrew Bible, overwhelmingly in the Psalms (25 times). The basic image is physical: an animal sheltering under a rock, or a person seeking refuge in a fortress. But the word quickly becomes a key theological term for trust in God as refuge. The phrase 'those who take refuge [ḥāsāh] in you' becomes a common way to describe the godly in the Psalms. The noun form ḥāsāyāh and the concept of God as maḥseh (refuge) flow from this root.
The call to 'take refuge in the LORD' (ḥāsāh + YHWH) is one of the Psalter's most consistent invitations. Psalm 2 closes with: 'Blessed are all who take refuge [ḥāsāh] in him.' The imagery is drawn from the ancient world of walled cities — when war came, citizens fled inside the city walls. God himself is portrayed as the ultimate city of refuge, the rock, the fortress, the stronghold. This is not passive fatalism but active trust expressed in running to God. For USMC culture, the metaphor resonates: taking cover under superior protection is not weakness but tactical wisdom. The Bible affirms this instinct — the righteous run to God.