What does מַחֲסֶה (maḥseh) mean in the Bible?
מַחֲסֶה (maḥseh): A place of refuge offering both physical protection and metaphorical safety; divine shelter in covenantal trust language
Hebrew · H4268
מַחֲסֶה
A shelter (literally or figuratively)
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מַחֲסֶה H4268
Pronunciation maḥseh
What does מַחֲסֶה (maḥseh) mean in the Bible?
מַחֲסֶה (maḥseh): A place of refuge offering both physical protection and metaphorical safety; divine shelter in covenantal trust language
Full entry for מַחֲסֶה (H4268) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H4268?
The BSB source-word alignment has 20 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include my refuge (4), a refuge (2), refuge (2), [are] my refuge (1), [You are] my refuge (1).
Where does מַחֲסֶה (maḥseh) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Job 24:8. Its strongest book concentrations include Psalms (12), Isaiah (4), Jeremiah (1), Job (1).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It my refuge 4× Psalms 61:3, Psalms 62:7, Psalms 73:28, Psalms 91:9
a refuge 2× Psalms 104:18, Isaiah 25:4
refuge 2× Psalms 46:1, Psalms 71:7
[are] my refuge 1× Psalms 142:5
[You are] my refuge 1× Psalms 91:2
a place of refuge 1× Proverbs 14:26
and a refuge 1× Isaiah 4:6
are my refuge 1× Jeremiah 17:17
is our refuge 1× Psalms 62:8
is their shelter 1× Psalms 14:6
of refuge 1× Psalms 94:22
of shelter 1× Job 24:8
our refuge 1× Isaiah 28:15
will be a refuge 1× Joel 3:16
your refuge 1× Isaiah 28:17
Show sample aligned rows
Job 24:8 מַ֝חְסֶ֗ה to of shelter Noun - masculine singular Psalms 14:6 מַחְסֵֽהוּ׃ to is their shelter Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Psalms 46:1 מַחֲסֶ֣ה to refuge Noun - masculine singular Psalms 61:3 מַחְסֶ֣ה to my refuge Noun - masculine singular Psalms 62:7 מַ֝חְסִ֗י to my refuge Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular Psalms 62:8 מַחֲסֶה־ to is our refuge Noun - masculine singular Psalms 71:7 מַֽחֲסִי־ to refuge Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular Psalms 73:28 מַחְסִ֑י to my refuge Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular Psalms 91:2 מַחְסִ֣י to [You are] my refuge Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular Psalms 91:9 מַחְסִ֑י to my refuge Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Job 24:8
Aligned rows 20
Books represented 6
Job 1 Psalms 12 Proverbs 1 Isaiah 4 Jeremiah 1 Joel 1
Source forms
מַחְסִ֑י 3x maḥ·sî Psalms 73:28, Psalms 91:9, Psalms 142:5
וּלְמַחְסֶה֙ 1x ū·lə·maḥ·seh Isaiah 4:6
מַחְסֵ֣ה 1x maḥ·sêh Isaiah 28:17
מַ֝חְסֶ֗ה 1x maḥ·seh Job 24:8
מַחְסֶ֣ה 1x maḥ·seh Psalms 61:3
מַחְסֶ֥ה 1x maḥ·seh Psalms 104:18
מַחְסֶ֤ה 1x maḥ·seh Isaiah 25:4
מַחֲסֶ֣ה 1x ma·ḥă·seh Psalms 46:1
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular 8x Job 24:8, Psalms 46:1, Psalms 61:3, Psalms 62:8
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular 8x Psalms 62:7, Psalms 71:7, Psalms 73:28, Psalms 91:2
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular 1x Isaiah 4:6
Noun - masculine singular construct 1x Isaiah 28:17
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common plural 1x Isaiah 28:15
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 1x Psalms 14:6
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. A place of refuge offering both physical protection and metaphorical safety; divine shelter in covenantal trust language
Source Gloss
a shelter (literally or figuratively)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
A place of refuge offering both physical protection and metaphorical safety; divine shelter in covenantal trust language
a shelter (literally or figuratively) BDB: refuge Usage: hope, (place of) refuge, shelter, trust.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
Shelter or place of protection.
Shelter or place of protection.
His refuge; shelter; a place of trust or safety from storm or danger
Showing 3 selected witnesses from 20 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
מַחֲסֶה is built from this root:
Why This Word Matters
False shelters are exposed when divine judgment arrives. Isaiah 28:14-22
Highlights the misplaced security sought in Egypt. Isaiah 30:1-7
Canonical Themes
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain