Bible Word Study
נִיס
nîyç · fugitive
נִיס
fugitive
Definition
The Hebrew noun נִיס (nîyç) refers to a 'fugitive' or 'one who flees,' specifically someone escaping from danger or judgment. It is derived from the verb נוּס (nûs), meaning 'to flee.' The word appears only once in the Old Testament, in Jeremiah 48:44, where it describes those trying to escape the divine judgment pronounced against Moab. In this context, it carries the sense of a terrified escapee with no safe refuge, emphasizing the inescapable nature of God's wrath.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only in Jeremiah 48:44, within a prophecy of judgment against Moab. The context is one of sudden terror and calamity, where even the fugitive (נִיס) who escapes one peril falls into another. Its singular usage paints a vivid picture of complete and inescapable destruction, where flight is ultimately futile.
Etymology
נִיס is a noun derived directly from the common Hebrew root נוּס (nûs, H5127), which means 'to flee,' 'to take flight,' or 'to escape.' This root appears frequently in the Old Testament for fleeing from battle, danger, or God's presence (e.g., Jonah 1:3). The noun form נִיס specifically denotes the person who is doing the fleeing—the escapee or refugee.
Semantic Range
Though used only once, נִיס is theologically significant as it illustrates a key theme in the prophets: the futility of escaping God's ordained judgment. In Jeremiah 48:44, it underscores that human flight cannot provide salvation from divine wrath. This enriches the reading of judgment passages, highlighting that true refuge is found not in flight, but in turning to the Lord (cf. Psalm 46:1). In the ancient Near East, becoming a fugitive was a common consequence of military defeat or royal disfavor. Such individuals were often vulnerable, without legal protection or means of support. The term would evoke an image of desperation and peril, which Jeremiah uses to powerfully convey the completeness of Moab's coming devastation. פָּלִיט (pālîṭ, H6412) — a more common term for 'escapee' or 'survivor,' often with a nuance of being delivered from danger (e.g., Genesis 14:13). בָּרַח (bāraḥ, H1272) — a verb meaning 'to flee' or 'to run away,' focusing on the action rather than the person.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]