καταφεύγω (katapheugō)
katapheugō
to flee
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb katapheugō means to flee for refuge, emphasizing not just the act of running away but the successful arrival at safety. It combines the intensifier kata- with phugeō (to flee), suggesting a decisive movement toward a place of shelter. In Acts 14:6, Paul and Barnabas use this word when they escape persecution in Lystra by fleeing to Lycaonia, highlighting the urgency and finality of their retreat.
Hebrews 6:18 employs it metaphorically to describe believers seeking refuge in God’s promise. Here, the aorist tense underscores the certainty of reaching that safe haven. Unlike simple flight, this term implies finding protection after danger has been confronted. Translators often render it as “flee for refuge” to capture both the motion and the destination.
This word appears only twice in the New Testament, yet its usage reveals a pattern: physical escape in Acts and spiritual assurance in Hebrews. The sources note that early Christian readers would have recognized this dual sense—running from harm while trusting in divine protection.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When danger feels close and options seem limited, this word reminds us that fleeing is not always an act of defeat. In Acts, Paul and Barnabas used it to describe their urgent escape from persecution, moving decisively toward safety in Lycaonia. It captures the physical reality of seeking shelter when the situation becomes too intense to endure.
Hebrews takes this same image and applies it to our spiritual life. Here, it describes believers who have fled for refuge to hold onto God’s promise. The emphasis is on the successful arrival at a place of protection. It suggests that turning to God’s word is like running into a fortress where we are secure from the storms outside.
This dual meaning offers comfort in both hard times and moments of doubt. Whether you are facing external pressure or internal anxiety, the call is to move toward the safety found in divine faithfulness. You do not have to stand alone against every threat; there is a place of rest prepared for those who seek it.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- they fled1×
- having fled for refuge1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- κατέφυγον1×
- καταφυγόντες1×
Key Verses
-
Acts 14:6
they became aware of it and fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra, Derbe, and the surrounding region.
This verse shows the word used in a literal sense, describing the apostles' urgent physical escape from persecution to find safety in neighboring cities.
-
Hebrews 6:18
that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to take hold of the hope set before us.
Here the term is used metaphorically to describe believers seeking spiritual security by holding fast to God's unchanging promise as their refuge.