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H4015 · Hebrew · Old Testament
מִבְרָח
mibrach
Noun, masculine
fugitive, one who flees

Definition

Mibrach (מִבְרָח) designates a person who has fled — a fugitive, an escapee. It comes from barach (H1272, to flee, to run away). The word appears in Isaiah's oracle against Egypt, describing those who would seek refuge there and find none.

Usage & Theological Significance

Flight and refuge are recurring motifs in Scripture. Moses fled Egypt (Exod. 2:15). Elijah fled Jezebel (1 Kings 19). David fled Saul across the wilderness. The mibrach is not cowardly but desperate — and Scripture consistently shows God meeting people in their flight. Cities of refuge (are miklat) were specifically designated for the unintentional manslayer — institutionalized mercy for the mibrach. The ultimate refuge is not a city but a Person: "God is our refuge" (Psalm 46:1). In Isaiah's taunt, those fleeing to Egypt find a false refuge — the contrast pointing to the true refuge in YHWH.

Key Verses

Isaiah 43:14 This is what the LORD says — your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "For your sake I will send to Babylon and bring down as fugitives [mibrach] all the Babylonians."
Proverbs 19:26 Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother is a child who brings shame and disgrace.
Numbers 35:6 Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee.
Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Hebrews 6:18 We who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.

Word Study

The root barach (H1272) covers both panicked flight and strategic retreat. Jacob barach from Esau (Gen. 35:7) — years later, God met him at Peniel in that same flight. Jonah barach from God — and found there is no flight outside God's reach. Hebrews 6:18 transforms the fugitive image theologically: believers themselves are ones who have "fled" — to Christ — and found the anchor-hold of hope.

Related Words

External Resources

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