To flit , i.e. vanish away (subside, escape; causatively, chase, impel, deliver)
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H5127 describes fleeing or escaping from danger, pursuit, battle, judgment, or another urgent threat. Genesis 39:12 reports Joseph leaving his garment and fleeing an attempted sexual violation, presenting rapid departure as a protective response rather than cowardice.
Reader summary
Full entry for נוּס (H5127) · Open the biblical lexicon
H5127 describes fleeing or escaping from danger, pursuit, battle, judgment, or another urgent threat. Genesis 39:12 reports Joseph leaving his garment and fleeing an attempted sexual violation, presenting rapid departure as a protective response rather than cowardice.
The BSB source-word alignment has 158 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include fled (28), flee (9), and fled (7), will flee (7), had fled (6).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 14:10. Its strongest book concentrations include 2 Samuel (16), Isaiah (13), Joshua (13), Judges (13).
H5127 describes fleeing or escaping from danger, pursuit, battle, judgment, or another urgent threat. Genesis 39:12 reports Joseph leaving his garment and fleeing an attempted sexual violation, presenting rapid departure as a protective response rather than cowardice. Deuteronomy 19:4 provides a route for one who caused an accidental death to flee to a city of refuge while facts and liability are distinguished.
Jeremiah 51:6 commands people to flee Babylon and save their lives amid judgment. Proverbs 28:1 also uses flight morally, contrasting guilty fear with righteous confidence. H5127 therefore cannot be assigned one moral value. Flight may express panic, defeat, guilt, prudent protection, obedience, or urgent escape. It helps pastors affirm safety planning and refuge while resisting simplistic commands either to stay in danger or to flee every difficult relationship without discernment, counsel, and context.
H5127 follows people escaping assault, warfare, judgment, pursuit, and legal danger. Its narratives distinguish wise departure, fearful collapse, guilty avoidance, protected refuge, and divinely commanded escape.
She grabbed Joseph by his cloak and said, “Sleep with me!” But leaving his cloak in her hand, he escaped and ran outside.
Joseph flees an attempted sexual violation, leaving property behind to preserve bodily integrity even though false accusation follows.
Now this is the situation regarding the manslayer who flees to one of these cities to save his life, having killed his neighbor accidentally, without intending to harm him:
The accidental manslayer may flee to refuge, preserving life while intent and legal responsibility are carefully distinguished.
Flee from Babylon! Escape with your lives! Do not be destroyed in her punishment. For this is the time of the Lord’s vengeance; He will pay her what she deserves.
Those within Babylon are commanded to flee and save their lives, making departure an obedient response to announced danger.
The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
The proverb contrasts flight without a pursuer and righteous boldness, using fearful movement as a wisdom image rather than a universal diagnosis.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Hebrew word. Swift disappearance or removal: fleeing away, causing to vanish, or driving out with urgency and force
Swift disappearance or removal: fleeing away, causing to vanish, or driving out with urgency and force
to flit, i.e. vanish away (subside, escape; causatively, chase, impel, deliver) BDB: flee Usage: × abate, away, be displayed, (make to) flee (away, -ing), put to flight, × hide, lift up a standard.
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 161 lexical occurrence verses.
נוּס is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
H5127 makes room for urgent bodily wisdom. Joseph does not pause to protect his garment, reputation, or employment when sexual danger closes in; he runs. His later false accusation also warns that a protective departure may still carry social cost and may not be believed. Deuteronomy's refuge law refuses a crude choice between vengeance and impunity. Flight preserves life while the community distinguishes accident from murder.
Jeremiah's command to flee Babylon shows that leaving can be obedience when judgment and danger are announced. Proverbs uses unprovoked flight differently, linking it to a troubled conscience in a compact wisdom contrast. Pastoral application must preserve these differences. A person facing violence, abuse, trafficking, stalking, or credible threat should not be told that submission requires remaining accessible to harm.
Safety planning may include emergency services, lawful orders, shelter, confidential support, and leaving possessions behind. At the same time, H5127 does not excuse abandoning dependents, evading accountability, or calling ordinary discomfort persecution. Wise care names danger accurately, protects life, documents facts, and plans next steps without shaming fear or promising that escape will be simple.
Gen.39.12
H5127 is a Hebrew verb for fleeing or escaping. The pursuing force, destination, motive, and narrative outcome determine whether the movement represents prudent refuge, defeat, fear, avoidance, or commanded departure.
Old Testament uses of H5127 include assault escape, battlefield flight, refuge, judgment, and wisdom imagery. The New Testament continues both safety and discipleship themes: people may withdraw from plots, flee persecution, resist temptation, or remain in costly witness according to calling and context.