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חָסָה

𐤇𐤎𐤄

châçâh

H2620 verb

SILEX Entry

Root חסה to seek refuge, to take shelter, to flee for protection

Definition

To seek refuge, protection, or shelter, especially by turning to a person, place, or deity for safety. In a metaphorical or spiritual sense, to rely on, take confidence in, place trust, or find security in one considered powerful to help. The core meaning is to actively seek shelter from danger or distress, whether in a literal (e.g. against physical threat) or figurative sense (trust, confidence in a protector).

Semantic Range

to seek shelter, to take refuge (from danger), to find protection (especially in a person or deity), to rely on for safety, to trust for deliverance, to place one's confidence in for protection

Root / Etymology

Root חסה meaning 'to take refuge, seek shelter, trust.' Derives from the conceptual act of seeking physical protection, often generalized to relational or divine trust. Distinguished from other roots of trust, such as בָּטַח (bāṭaḥ), which has a more general sense of 'to trust, feel secure.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

חָסָה primarily conveys the notion of actively seeking shelter or protection, rather than simply possessing trust. It is often used in poetic and liturgical contexts to depict the act of taking refuge in YHWH: individuals, groups, and sometimes nations flee to YHWH as a place of protection from harm, oppression, or judgment (e.g., Psalms, Ruth). In narrative contexts, its use is less common, and it rarely appears for mundane or physical acts of taking shelter (for which other verbs might be used). In contrast to בָּטַח, which designates an inner attitude of confidence or trust, חָסָה emphasizes the motion or turning towards a protecting power. Over biblical history, especially in post-exilic and Second Temple literature, חָסָה retains the imagery of taking divine refuge although the phraseology can broaden to encompass faith or hope. Later English translations, particularly those influenced by theological traditions, sometimes render חָסָה simply as 'trust,' but this can obscure its connotation of 'seeking shelter' or 'coming under protection.' The term does not inherently denote hope (for which קָוָה or יָחַל are used), nor is it synonymous with legal asylum or sanctuary in the technical sense.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; (compare בָּטַח); to flee for protection; figuratively, to confide in; have hope, make refuge, (put) trust.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חסה (ḥ-s-h) — seek refuge, take shelter, flee for protection

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2621 חֹסָה Protected One
H2622 חָסוּת and the refuge-trust
H4268 מַחֲסֶה place of refuge
H4271 מַחְסֵיָה Yah-Is-Refuge

Word Forms

19 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2620-03 חָסִ֑יתִי chasiti HVqp1cs I have taken refuge I sought refuge 8
H2620-07 אֶחֱסֶה echeseh HVqi1cs I take refuge I will seek refuge 4
H2620-08 הַ/חֹסִ֥ים hachosim HTd/Vqrmpa who take refuge the refuge-seekers 3
H2620-09 לַ/חֲס֥וֹת lachasot HR/Vqc to take refuge to seek refuge 3
H2620-05 חֹ֥סֵי chosey HVqrmpc those who take refuge refuge-seekers of 3
H2620-04 חֲס֣וּ chasu HVqv2mp take refuge Seek refuge! 2
H2620-10 לַ/חֹסִ֣ים lachosim HRd/Vqrmpa for those who take refuge to the refuge-seekers 2
H2620-01 חָסָ֪יָה chasayah HVqp3fs has taken refuge she sought refuge 1
H2620-18 יֶחֱסֶה yecheseh HVqi3ms takes-refuge he seeks refuge 1
H2620-02 חָסָ֥יוּ chasayu HVqp3cp in whom they took refuge they sought refuge 1

Occurrences in Scripture

37 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2620-02 Deuteronomy 32:37 חָסָ֥יוּ chasayu HVqp3cp in whom they took refuge they sought refuge
H2620-04 Judges 9:15 חֲס֣וּ chasu HVqv2mp take refuge Seek refuge!
H2620-07 2 Samuel 22:3 אֶחֱסֶה echeseh HVqi1cs I take refuge I will seek refuge
H2620-08 2 Samuel 22:31 הַ/חֹסִ֥ים hachosim HTd/Vqrmpa who take refuge the refuge-seekers
H2620-19 Isaiah 14:32 יֶחֱס֖וּ yechesu HVqi3mp will-find-refuge they will seek refuge
H2620-16 Isaiah 30:2 וְ/לַ/חְס֖וֹת velachesot HC/R/Vqc and to take refuge and to seek refuge
H2620-15 Isaiah 57:13 וְ/הַ/חוֹסֶ֥ה vehachoseh HC/Td/Vqrmsa but-the-one-who-takes-refuge and the refuge-seeking one
H2620-05 Nahum 1:7 חֹ֥סֵי chosey HVqrmpc those who take refuge refuge-seekers of
H2620-13 Zephaniah 3:12 וְ/חָס֖וּ vechasu HC/Vqq3cp and they shall trust and they sought refuge
H2620-05 Psalms 2:12 ח֥וֹסֵי chosey HVqrmpc those who take refuge refuge-seekers of
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