Original Word: מִסְתָּר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: mictar
Pronunciation: mis-tawr'
Phonetic Spelling: (mis-tawr')
KJV: secret(-ly, place)
NASB: hiding places, secret, secret places, concealment, hiding place
Word Origin: [from H5641 (סָתַר - hide)]

1. (properly) a concealer, i.e. a covert

secretly, place

From cathar; properly, a concealer, i.e. A covert -- secret(-ly, place).

see HEBREW cathar

Word Origin
from sathar
Definition
a secret place, hiding place
NASB Translation
concealment (1), hiding place (1), hiding places (4), secret (2), secret places (2).

מִסְתָּר noun [masculine] secret place, hiding place; — absolute ׳מ Psalm 10:9; Habakkuk 3:14; usually plural מִסְתָּרִים Jeremiah 13:17 6t.; suffix מִסְתָּרָיו Jeremiah 49:10; —

1 secret place(s), concealed from view, Jeremiah 13:17; where treasures are stored Isaiah 45:3.

2 hiding-place(s):

a. for protection Jeremiah 23:24; Jeremiah 49:10.

b. for perpetration of crime, especially murder: Psalm 10:8 ("" מַאֲרָב), simile of lion Psalm 10:9, Psalm 17:12, compare Habakkuk 3:14; Psalm 64:5; of ׳י lying in wait Lamentations 3:10 (as a lion).

Meaning and Thematic Overview

מִסְתָּר (mistar) consistently points to a concealed or secret place. Scripture employs the term both negatively—where the wicked hide to ambush or imagine they can evade judgment—and positively—where God shelters His people or stores up blessings that will be revealed in His time. Through every occurrence, the word underscores the tension between human secrecy and divine omniscience.

Occurrences and Contexts

Psalm 10:8–9; 17:12; and 64:4 depict violent men “lurking in ambush” within a mistar, picturing predatory secrecy. Isaiah 45:3 turns the image around, promising Cyrus “treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places,” revealing God’s sovereign purpose even in concealed realms. Jeremiah uses the term both for personal lament (13:17) and cosmic exposure (23:24; 49:10). Lamentations 3:10 and Habakkuk 3:14 present the hidden place in poetic judgment imagery. Collectively, the ten texts form a balanced portrait: what sinners use for cover, God transforms into a stage for either discipline or deliverance.

The God Who Sees the Secret

Jeremiah 23:24 is the theological axis: “Can a man hide in secret places where I cannot see him?” declares the LORD. Human secrecy is no match for divine omnipresence. The verse does not merely threaten exposure; it asserts covenant faithfulness. God’s penetrating sight guarantees that evil will not ultimately prosper nor faithful tears remain unnoticed (Jeremiah 13:17).

Human Implications: Accountability in Hidden Places

In the Psalms, the mistar is the haunt of unjust aggressors. “He lies in wait in secret like a lion in his thicket” (Psalm 10:9). The Spirit-inspired songwriter unmasks the hunter’s presumption: what is hidden from human eyes is fully open before God. The motif equips the Church to warn against hidden sin—reminding believers that private compromises become public consequences under heaven’s gaze (compare Numbers 32:23).

Comfort and Refuge

The same term that exposes sin also conveys safety. Psalm 17:12 juxtaposes the enemy’s lair with the closing prayer for protection in the shadow of God’s wings (verse 8). The text urges believers to flee from man-made hiding places to God’s appointed refuge. Isaiah 45:3 amplifies comfort: the Lord holds “hidden riches” for His anointed, pledging resources beyond present sight. The verse emboldens faith-driven obedience, trusting provision that may currently be concealed.

Prophetic and Eschatological Nuances

Habakkuk 3:14 envisions divine arrows “to pierce the heads of the villages as they storm forward to scatter me, gloating as though ready to devour the wretched in secret.” The prophet anticipates a future unveiling where God avenges every covert assault on His people. Jeremiah 49:10 extends the theme to Edom: “But I will strip Esau bare; I will uncover his secret places.” National pride collapses when the Lord removes protective cover, foreshadowing the ultimate judgment of the nations.

Practical Ministry Applications

1. Personal integrity: Pastors and teachers employ mistar to call congregations to walk in openness before God (Psalm 139:23–24), dismantling hidden sin through confession and accountability.
2. Counseling comfort: Jeremiah’s “weeping in secret” validates unseen grief, encouraging sufferers that their tears are recorded (Psalm 56:8).
3. Evangelistic appeal: The certainty that God “sees in secret” undergirds the call to repentance, assuring listeners that nothing disqualifies them beyond the reach of grace, yet nothing excuses unrepentant secrecy.
4. Intercession: Isaiah 45:3 inspires prayer for unrevealed resources—financial, relational, spiritual—that God might disclose to fulfill His mission.

Christological Foreshadowing

Though mistar is Hebrew, its truth converges with Jesus’ teaching: “For nothing is hidden that will not be disclosed” (Luke 8:17). The Gospels reveal the incarnate Son as the ultimate Treasure once concealed but now manifest (Colossians 2:3). Believers therefore live coram Deo—in the presence of the One who has already turned the grave, the darkest mistar of all, into the empty tomb of victory.

Summary

מִסְתָּר threads through Scripture as both warning and invitation. The hidden places of human scheming become arenas for divine justice; the secret chambers of sorrow become sanctuaries of divine attention; and the unrevealed treasures of God await faithful obedience. From ambush to asylum, the word guides believers to exchange counterfeit cover for the true shelter found only in the all-seeing, all-sufficient Lord.

בְּמִסְתָּרִ֥ים בְּמִסְתָּרִֽים׃ בַּֽ֭מִּסְתָּרִים בַּמִּסְתָּ֨ר ׀ בַּמִּסְתָּֽר׃ בַּמִּסְתָּרִ֛ים בַּמִּסְתָּרִ֣ים במסתר במסתר׃ במסתרים במסתרים׃ מִסְתָּרִ֑ים מִסְתָּרָ֔יו מסתריו מסתרים bam·mis·tā·rîm bam·mis·tār bammisTar bammistār Bammistarim bammistārîm bə·mis·tā·rîm bemistaRim bəmistārîm mis·tā·rāw mis·tā·rîm mistaRav mistārāw mistaRim mistārîmInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts