5437. phugé
Lexical Summary
phugé: Escape, flight, fleeing

Original Word: φυγή
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: phugé
Pronunciation: foo-GAY
Phonetic Spelling: (foog-ay')
KJV: flight
NASB: flight
Word Origin: [from G5343 (φεύγω - flee)]

1. a fleeing, i.e. escape

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
flight.

From pheugo; a fleeing, i.e. Escape -- flight.

see GREEK pheugo

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from pheugó
Definition
flight
NASB Translation
flight (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 5437: φυγή

φυγή, φυγῆς, (φεύγω), from Homer down, flight: Matthew 24:20; Mark 13:18 Rec.

Topical Lexicon
Occurrence in the New Testament

Matthew 24:20 is the single New Testament passage employing this term: “Pray that your flight will not occur in winter or on the Sabbath”. Spoken by Jesus during the Olivet Discourse, it describes the urgent evacuation that will follow “the abomination of desolation” (Matthew 24:15).

Prophetic Setting

Jesus is addressing disciples on the Mount of Olives about events that will befall Jerusalem and culminate in His return. The command to pray concerning the timing of their flight links human responsibility (prayerful dependence) with divine sovereignty over historical events. It echoes Old Testament judgments where God’s people were urged to flee impending wrath (Genesis 19:17; Jeremiah 6:1).

Historical Background

1. First-century Judea was bounded by strict Sabbath-day travel limits (Acts 1:12). A flight on that day could leave faithful Jews torn between obedience to Mosaic Law and the necessity of rapid escape, intensifying distress.
2. Winter rains turned wadis into torrents and rendered roads treacherous, further complicating evacuation and exposing refugees to hardship (Ezra 10:9).

Many scholars see partial fulfillment in the Roman siege of Jerusalem (A.D. 66-70), when Christians traditionally heeded Jesus’ warning and escaped across the Jordan to Pella. Yet the scope of the discourse points beyond 70 A.D. to a final tribulation preceding Christ’s visible return (Matthew 24:29-31).

Theological Themes

• Vigilance: The term stresses readiness for sudden upheaval (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:6).
• Prayerful Dependence: Believers are to ask God even about the circumstances surrounding distress, demonstrating that nothing is too practical for prayer (Philippians 4:6).
• Mercy in Judgment: The Lord invites prayer that judgment be tempered—that the faithful might not be overwhelmed by external factors like climate or ceremonial obligation (Habakkuk 3:2).

Cross-Biblical Motifs of Flight

• Deliverance of the righteous (Psalm 55:6-8).
• Flight to mountains as refuge (Genesis 19:17; Judges 6:2; Revelation 12:6).
• Prophetic warnings urging escape from doomed cities (Jeremiah 51:6; Luke 21:21).

Ministry Significance

1. Pastoral Preparation: Church leaders should prepare believers for persecution and instability, teaching both spiritual readiness and prudent planning (Proverbs 22:3).
2. Mission Strategy: “Flight” occasions dispersion that spreads the gospel (Acts 8:1-4), reminding the church that apparent setbacks serve the advance of God’s kingdom.
3. Holiness and Liberty: Sabbath concerns reveal the tension between ceremonial observance and life-preserving mercy—a theme resolved in Christ, “Lord of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:8).

Practical Application for Believers Today

• Pray for favorable conditions in times of crisis, trusting God’s care over details.
• Maintain spiritual alertness; cultivate habits that allow rapid, obedient response to God’s leading.
• Hold material possessions lightly, echoing Lot’s haste to leave Sodom (Luke 17:32).
• Encourage one another with the promise that even end-time distress is under Christ’s authority (John 16:33).

Key Biblical References for Further Study

Genesis 19:17; Psalm 55:6-8; Isaiah 30:15; Jeremiah 51:6; Matthew 24:15-22; Luke 21:21-23; Acts 8:1-4; Revelation 12:6.

Forms and Transliterations
φυγη φυγή φυγὴ φυγήν φυγής φυή φυήν φυλάγματα φυλάγματά phuge phugē phyge phygē phygḕ
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Matthew 24:20 N-NFS
GRK: γένηται ἡ φυγὴ ὑμῶν χειμῶνος
NAS: But pray that your flight will not be in the winter,
KJV: that your flight be not
INT: might be the flight of you in winter

Strong's Greek 5437
1 Occurrence


φυγὴ — 1 Occ.

5436
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