4655. miphlat
Lexical Summary
miphlat: Refuge, Escape

Original Word: מִפְלָט
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: miphlat
Pronunciation: mif-LAHT
Phonetic Spelling: (mif-lawt')
KJV: escape
NASB: place of refuge
Word Origin: [from H6403 (פָּלַט - deliver)]

1. an escape

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
escape

From palat; an escape -- escape.

see HEBREW palat

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from palat
Definition
an escape or (place of) escape
NASB Translation
place of refuge (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
מִפְלָט noun [masculine] escape (Hup Bae) or place of escape (We Du); — Psalm 55:9 si vera 1.; ᵐ5 Che מְפַלֵּט deliverer.

מְּלִי, מְּלָיָה see פלא.

פלך (√ of following; compare Arabic II. be round (especially hemispherical), whirl of spindle, so Assyrian pilakku; Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew; ᵑ7 מֶּ לֶךְ circuit, district; Assyrian also pilku, district).

Topical Lexicon
Definition and Core Idea

A concrete or figurative “escape, refuge, shelter” that delivers a person from danger and places him in safety.

Biblical Occurrence

Psalm 55:8 is the sole appearance. In a psalm of David composed under crushing betrayal, the king cries, “I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the raging wind and tempest”. The term pictures a secure location David believes he could reach if only he possessed wings like a dove (Psalm 55:6-7).

Historical and Cultural Background

In the Ancient Near East, “escape” often meant flight to a walled city, a high crag, or a fortified wilderness stronghold. David himself had hidden in caves such as Adullam and Engedi (1 Samuel 22–24), experiences that shaped his vocabulary of refuge. While מִפְלָט is distinct from מִקְלָט (miqlat, “city of refuge”), the concept overlaps: both envisage a protected zone where the pursued are safe from avengers. The imagery would resonate with Israelites who lived amid political intrigue, regional warfare, and blood-revenge customs.

Theological Significance

1. God as Ultimate Refuge

David’s longing for an earthly shelter is inseparable from his confidence that God is that shelter. Other psalms reinforce the truth: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble” (Psalm 46:1). The single usage of מִפְלָט thus contributes to the broader biblical portrait of the Lord as the only reliable place of safety.

2. Deliverance in Covenant History

From the exodus (“stand still and see the salvation of the LORD,” Exodus 14:13) to the return from exile, Yahweh repeatedly provides a “way of escape.” מִפְלָט in Psalm 55 anchors David’s personal plea within that covenant storyline.

3. Christological Fulfillment

Jesus Christ embodies the refuge anticipated in the psalm. He invites, “Come to Me, all you who are weary” (Matthew 11:28), and His atoning death rescues believers from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10). Hebrews 6:18—“we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us”—echoes the flight imagery and declares its fulfillment in the Gospel.

Intercanonical Parallels

Psalm 91:2 “He is my refuge and my fortress.”
Proverbs 18:10 “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”
1 Corinthians 10:13 “God… will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it.”

Together these texts trace a canonical thread: God not only provides a haven but also the means to reach it.

Ministry and Pastoral Application

• Counseling: Psalm 55 speaks to those wounded by betrayal. Direct sufferers to the reality that refuge is relational before it is locational; it is found in the Lord Himself.
• Preaching: Contrast false refuges (wealth, power, substances) with the sure shelter offered by God.
• Intercession: The term encourages believers to pray both for deliverance from external threats and for inner peace while storms still rage.

Worship and Devotional Use

Psalm 55 can shape corporate lament and personal devotion. Singing or reciting the psalm trains the heart to run to God first when turmoil rises. Incorporating the language of “escape” into prayers reinforces dependence on divine protection.

Eschatological Dimension

The final deliverance for which David yearned finds consummation in the New Jerusalem, where nothing unclean or threatening shall enter (Revelation 21:27). The “escape” theme therefore stretches from temporal rescue to eternal security.

Key Takeaways

• מִפְלָט emphasizes the reality and accessibility of divine shelter.
• Its single Old Testament occurrence carries weight by linking David’s personal crisis to the whole biblical doctrine of refuge.
• The term ultimately directs readers to Jesus Christ, the permanent sanctuary for all who flee to Him in faith.

Forms and Transliterations
מִפְלָ֣ט מפלט mifLat mip̄·lāṭ mip̄lāṭ
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Psalm 55:8
HEB: אָחִ֣ישָׁה מִפְלָ֣ט לִ֑י מֵר֖וּחַ
NAS: I would hasten to my place of refuge From the stormy
KJV: I would hasten my escape from the windy
INT: hasten to my place wind the stormy

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 4655
1 Occurrence


mip̄·lāṭ — 1 Occ.

4654b
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