'Flee' in the Bible

Now look, this town [in the distance] is near enough for us to flee to, and it is small [with only a few people]. Please, let me escape there (is it not small?) so that my life will be saved.”

So now, my son, listen and do what I say; go, escape to my brother Laban in Haran!

And Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean (Syrian) by not telling him that he intended to leave and he slipped away secretly.

Why did you run away secretly and deceive me and not tell me, so that [otherwise] I might have sent you away with joy and with songs, with [music on the] tambourine and lyre?

Then everyone among the servants of Pharaoh who feared the word of the Lord made his servants and his livestock flee into the houses and shelters;

He made their chariot wheels hard to turn, and the chariots difficult to drive; so the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from Israel, for the Lord is fighting for them against the Egyptians.”

However, if he did not lie in wait [for him], but God allowed him to fall into his hand, then I will establish for you a place to which he may escape [for protection until duly tried].

I will set My face against you so that you will be struck down before your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when no one is pursuing you.

As for those who are left of you, I will bring despair (lack of courage, weakness) into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; the sound of a scattered leaf will put them to flight, and they will flee as if [running] from the sword, and will fall even when no one is chasing them.

Whenever the ark set out, Moses said,“Rise up, O Lord!Let Your enemies be scattered;And let those who hate You flee before You.”

[Among] the cities which you give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, which you shall provide for the one who commits manslaughter to flee to; and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities [to the Levites].

then you shall select for yourselves cities to be cities of refuge, so that the one who kills any person unintentionally may escape there.

These six cities shall be a refuge for the Israelites and for the stranger and the resident alien among them; so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may escape there.

so that someone who committed manslaughter could flee there, [that is, a person] who killed his neighbor unintentionally and without previously having hostility toward him, and that by escaping to one of these cities he might [claim the right of asylum and] save his life:

You shall prepare and maintain for yourself the roads [to these cities], and divide the territory of your land into three parts, so that anyone who kills another unintentionally may escape there [for asylum].

“Now this is the case of the offender (manslayer) who may escape there and live [protected from vengeance]: when he kills his neighbor unintentionally, not having hated him previously—

as [for example] when a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and his hand swings the axe to cut down the tree, but the iron head slips off the wooden handle and hits his companion and he dies—the offender may escape to one of these cities and live;

“The Lord will cause the enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they will come out against you one way, but flee before you seven ways.

“The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you will go out against them one way, but flee before them seven ways, and you will be an example of terror to all the kingdoms of the earth [when they see your destruction].

O Lord, what can I say now that [the army of] Israel has turned back [in retreat and fled] before their enemies?

Then I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. And when they come out to meet us [for battle] as [they did] the first time, we will run away from them.

They will come out after us until we have lured them away from the city, because they will say, ‘They are running from us as [they did] before.’ So we will run from them.

When the men of Ai turned back and looked, behold, the smoke of the city was ascending toward the sky, and they had no opportunity to run this way or that way. Then the people who had been running to the wilderness turned back toward the pursuers.

so that the person (manslayer) who kills any person unintentionally, without premeditation, may flee there, and they shall be your refuge from the blood avenger.

These were the appointed cities for all the Israelites and for the stranger sojourning (living temporarily) among them, so that whoever killed any person unintentionally may flee there, and not die by the hand of the blood avenger until he had stood before the congregation [for judgment].

And the Benjamites said, “They are defeated before us, as at the first.” But the sons of Israel said, “Let us flee and lure them away from the city to the highways.”

David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise, let us flee, or none of us will escape from Absalom! Go in haste, or he will overtake us quickly and bring disaster on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”

I will strike while he is weary and exhausted, and terrify him; and all the people with him will flee [in terror]. Then I will attack the king alone,

But the men said, “You should not go out [to battle with us]. For if in fact we retreat, they will not care about us; even if half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us. So now it is better that you be ready to help us from the city [of Mahanaim].”

The people stole into the city [of Mahanaim] that day, as people who are humiliated and ashamed steal away when they retreat in battle.

So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him, “Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your enemies as they pursue you? Or shall there be three days of pestilence (plague) in your land? Now consider this and decide what answer I shall return to Him who sent me.”

Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was in charge of the forced labor [to represent him], and all Israel stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam quickly mounted his chariot to escape to Jerusalem.

Then take the flask of oil and pour it on his head and say, ‘Thus says the Lord: “I have anointed you king over Israel.”’ Then open the door and flee and do not delay.”

Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the forced labor, and the Israelites stoned him and he died. And King Rehoboam hurried to mount his [royal] chariot to escape to Jerusalem.

But I said, “Should a man like me flee [in fear and hide]? Should someone like me enter the temple [for sanctuary] to save his life? I will not go.”

“Now my days are swifter than a runner;They vanish, they see no good.

“He may flee from the iron weapon,But the bow of bronze will pierce him through.

“They are gaunt with want and famine;They gnaw the dry and barren ground by night in [the gloom of] waste and desolation.

“The arrow cannot make him flee;Slingstones are treated as stubble by him.

In the Lord I take refuge [and put my trust];How can you say to me, “Flee like a bird to your mountain;

Because of all my enemies I have become a reproach and disgrace,Especially to my neighbors,And an object of dread to my acquaintances;Those who see me on the street run from me.

You have set up a banner for those who fear You [with awe-inspired reverence and submissive wonder—a banner to shield them from attack],A banner that may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.

So they will be caused to stumble;Their own tongue is against them;All who gaze at them will shake the head [in scorn].

Let God arise, and His enemies be scattered;Let those who hate Him flee before Him.

“The kings of the [enemies’] armies flee, they flee,And the beautiful woman who remains at home divides the spoil [left behind].”

What ails you, O sea, that you flee?O Jordan, that you turn back?

Where can I go from Your Spirit?Or where can I flee from Your presence?

Look to the right [the point of attack] and see;For there is no one who has regard for me [to act in my favor].Escape has failed me and I have nowhere to run;No one cares about my life.

Rescue me, O Lord, from my enemies;I take refuge in You.

The wicked flee when no one pursues them,But the righteous are as bold as a lion.

“Until the cool of the day when the shadows flee away,Return quickly, my beloved, and be like a gazelleOr a young stag on the mountains of Bether [which separate us].” Cross references: Song of Solomon 2:6 : Deut 33:27; Matt 28:20 Song of Solomon 2:8 : John 10:27 Song of Solomon 2:16 : Matt 10:32; Acts 4:12 end of crossrefs

“Until the day breaksAnd the shadows flee away,[In my thoughts] I will go my way to the mountain of myrrhAnd to the hill of frankincense.

(The Chorus)“Return, return, O Shulammite;Return, return, that we may gaze at you.”

Now what will you do in the day of [God’s] punishment,And in the storm of devastation which will come from far away?To whom will you flee for help?And where will you leave your wealth [for safekeeping]?

Madmenah has fled;The inhabitants of Gebim have fled [with their belongings] to safety.

And like the hunted gazelle,Or like sheep that no man gathers,Each [foreign resident] will turn [and go back] to his own people,And each one flee to his own land.

My heart cries out for Moab;His fugitives are [fleeing] as far as Zoar and Eglath-shelishiyah.For they go up the ascent of Luhith weeping;For on the road to Horonaim they raise a cry of distress over their destruction.

In the day that you plant it you carefully fence it in,And in the morning you bring your seed to blossom;Yet [promising as it is] the harvest will be a heap [of ruins that passes away]In the day of sickness and incurable pain.

The nations roar on like the roaring of many waters,But God will rebuke them and they will flee far away,And be chased like chaff on the mountains before the wind,Or like whirling dust before the storm.

Who proceed down to EgyptWithout consulting Me,To take refuge in the stronghold of PharaohAnd to take shelter in the shadow of Egypt!

A thousand of you will flee at the threat of one man;You will flee at the threat of five,Until you are left like a flag on the top of a mountain,And like a signal on a hill.

Then the Assyrian will fall by a sword not of man,And a sword not of man will devour him.And he will flee from the sword [of God],And his young men will become forced labor.

At the sound of the tumult, the peoples flee;At the lifting up of Yourself nations scatter.

And the ransomed of the Lord will returnAnd come to Zion with shouts of jubilation,And everlasting joy will be upon their heads;They will find joy and gladness,And sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Get out of Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans [who reign there]!Declare with a voice of jubilation, proclaim this,Send it out to the end of the earth;Say, “The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob.”

So the redeemed of the Lord will returnAnd come with joyful shouting to Zion;Everlasting joy will be on their heads.They will obtain gladness and joy,And sorrow and sighing will flee away.

“Raise a banner toward Zion [to mark the way for those seeking safety inside Jerusalem’s walls]!Seek refuge, do not stand [immobile],For I am bringing evil from the north (the army of Babylon),And great destruction.

How long [O Lord] must I see the banner [marking the way for flight]And hear the sound of the trumpet [urging the people to run for safety]?

“Run for safety, you children of Benjamin,Out of the midst of Jerusalem!And blow a trumpet in Tekoa [in Judah]And raise a signal-fire in Beth-haccherem [near Jerusalem];For evil is looking down [with eager anticipation] from the north,And great destruction.

“The shepherds will have no way to flee,Nor the masters of the flock any [way of] escape.

“Why have I seen it?They are terrifiedAnd have turned back,And their warriors are beaten down.They take flight in hasteWithout looking back;Terror is on every side!”Says the Lord.

Do not let the swift man run,Nor the mighty man escape;In the north by the river EuphratesThey have stumbled and fallen.

“Run! Save your lives,That you may be like a juniper in the wilderness.

“Give a gravestone to Moab,For she will fall into ruins;Her cities (pastures, farms) will be desolate,Without anyone to live in them.

“Flee, turn back, dwell in the depths [of the desert to escape the judgment of Edom],O inhabitants of Dedan,For I will bring the destruction of Esau (Edom) upon himWhen I inspect and punish him.

“Damascus has become helpless;She has turned away to flee,Terror (panic) has seized her;Anguish and distress have gripped herLike a woman in childbirth.

“Flee, run far away! Dwell in the depths [of the desert],O inhabitants of Hazor,” says the Lord,“For Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has planned a course of action against youAnd devised a scheme against you.

“Wander away from the midst of BabylonAnd go out of the land of the Chaldeans;Be like the male goats [who serve as leaders] at the head of the flocks.

“Cut off the sower from BabylonAnd the one who handles the sickle at the time of harvest.For fear of the sword of the oppressorEveryone will return to his own peopleAnd everyone will flee to his own land.

Listen to the voice of the refugees who flee and escape from the land of Babylon,Proclaiming in Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God,The vengeance [of the Lord against the Chaldeans] for [plundering and destroying] His temple.

Flee out of Babylon,Let every one of you save his life!Do not be destroyed in her punishment,For this is the time of the Lord’s vengeance;He is going to pay her what she has earned.

Then the city was broken into, and all the soldiers fled. They left the city at night [as Ezekiel prophesied] passing through the gate between the two walls by the king’s garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. They fled by way of the Arabah (the Jordan Valley).

‘He shouted aloud and said this:“Cut down the tree and cut off its branches;Shake off its leaves and scatter its fruit;Let the living creatures run from under itAnd the birds fly from its branches.

Yes, those who eat his fine food will betray and destroy him (Ptolemy VI), and his army will be swept away, and many will fall down slain.

“Even the bravest among the warriors shall flee naked on that day,” says the Lord.

Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Go, you seer, run for your life [from Israel] to the land of Judah [your own country] and eat bread and live as a prophet there!

But Jonah ran away to Tarshish to escape from the presence of the Lord [and his duty as His prophet]. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish [the most remote of the Phoenician trading cities]. So he paid the fare and went down into the ship to go with them to Tarshish away from the presence of the Lord.

“And it will come about that all who see youWill shrink back and run from you and say,‘Nineveh is completely ruined!Who will grieve for her?’Where will I seek comforters for you?”

The great [judgment] day of the Lord is near,Near and coming very quickly.Listen! The [voice of the] day of the Lord!The warrior cries out bitterly [unable to fight or to flee].

“Hear this! Flee from [Babylon] the land of the north [which shall come under judgment],” declares the Lord, “for I have scattered you like the four winds of the heavens,” declares the Lord.

You will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; and you will flee just as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones (believers, angels) with Him.

Now when they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod intends to search for the Child in order to destroy Him.”

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the [divine] wrath and judgment to come?

“When they persecute you in one city [because of your faith in Me], flee to the next; for I assure you and most solemnly say to you, you will not finish going through all the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains [for refuge].

“But when you see the abomination of desolation standing [in the temple sanctuary] where it ought not to be (let the reader understand) then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.

So he began saying to the crowds who were coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath [of God that is] to come?

At that time, those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are inside the city (Jerusalem) must get out, and those who are [out] in the country must not enter the city;

Run away from sexual immorality [in any form, whether thought or behavior, whether visual or written]. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the one who is sexually immoral sins against his own body.

But as for you, O man of God, flee from these things; aim at and pursue righteousness [true goodness, moral conformity to the character of God], godliness [the fear of God], faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness.