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מָלַט

𐤌𐤋𐤈

mâlaṭ

H4422 verb

SILEX Entry

Root מלט to be smooth, to slip, to escape, to deliver

Definition

To slip away, escape, or slip out of danger; by extension, to be delivered or be saved from harm. The verb conveys both the physical act of escaping from danger and the figurative sense of being freed from distress, oppression, or peril. In causative stems, signifies causing deliverance, rescue, or release. Usage includes escaping from enemies, being saved from judgment, or helping others find safety. Additional derived meanings include causing birth (bringing forth young) and emitting (as in emitting sparks).

Semantic Range

to escape danger, to slip away, to save oneself, to be rescued, to cause to escape, to deliver, to release, to bring forth (young), to emit (sparks), to help flee, to preserve from harm

Root / Etymology

Root is מלט (m-l-ṭ). The core root meaning is 'to be smooth, slip.' The verb developed the extended sense of 'slipping away' or 'escaping,' which then gave rise to further meanings of being saved or causing deliverance. The causative (piel/hiphil) forms are especially common for 'to deliver, rescue, release.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, מָלַט appears both in the qal stem (to escape, save oneself) and the piel/hiphil stems (to deliver, cause to escape). The most frequent context is physical or metaphorical rescue or deliverance, such as fleeing from enemies (Genesis 19:17–22, Lot escaping Sodom), from danger (1 Samuel 19:12), or being delivered from trouble (Psalms and prophetic texts). It is distinct from נצל (H5337), which focuses more on extricating or pulling out, whereas מלט often depicts slipping away or movement to safety, sometimes through one's own action, sometimes with divine or human help. Occasionally, the word can refer to the successful delivery of offspring (Isaiah 66:7) or to letting something escape (Job 41:11, emitting sparks). Some translations render the term as 'save' or 'deliver,' but these may lose the nuance of 'escape' or withdrawal implied in the verb. The sense of 'speedily' or 'surely' arises in idiomatic constructions (e.g., 'escape with haste'). Over time, the word's primary meaning remained consistent, though its use in later periods may reflect broader application in figurative or spiritual deliverance.

Translation Consistency

primary "escape" 76 occurrences

The primary and most natural sense of מָלַט in context is to slip away or get free from danger. 'Escape' matches the majority of attested renderings (escaped/escape), fits both physical and figurative uses, and can accommodate causative forms (e.g. 'cause to escape' or 'escape him') while still remaining natural English. 'Deliver' is a close secondary sense but is less typical for the basic, reflexive sense of the verb.

Alternatives (19 occurrences):
"deliver" (4x) "rescue" (3x) "delivered" (3x) "slipped away" (1x) "deliverers" (1x) "saved" (1x) "alone" (1x) "laid eggs" (1x) "rescue yourselves" (1x) "rescues" (1x) "rescued" (1x) "slip away" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; properly, to be smooth, i.e. (by implication) to escape (as if by slipperiness); causatively, to release or rescue; specifically, to bring forth young, emit sparks; deliver (self), escape, lay, leap out, let alone, let go, preserve, save, [idiom] speedily, [idiom] surely.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

מלט (m-l-ṭ) — to be smooth, to slip, to escape, to deliver

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4423 מֶלֶט in the sealing-mortar
H4424 מְלַטְיָה Yah Has Delivered

Word Forms

48 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H4422-46 יִמָּלֵ֥ט yimalet HVNj3ms will escape may he slip free may he escape 13
H4422-44 יְמַלֵּ֥ט yemalet HVpi3ms deliver he will cause to escape he will cause to escape 8
H4422-34 וַ/יִּמָּלֵ֖ט vayimalet HC/VNw3ms and escaped and he slipped away and he escaped 8
H4422-18 נִמְלַ֖ט nimelat HVNp3ms escaped he slipped free he escaped 7
H4422-24 תִמָּלֵט֙ timalet HVNi2ms shall escape you will slip free you will escape 4
H4422-31 וָֽ/אִמָּ֨לְטָ֧/ה vaimaletah HC/VNw1cs/Sh and I have escaped and I slipped away and I escaped 4
H4422-06 הִמָּלֵ֣ט himalet HVNv2ms Escape Slip away! Escape! 4
H4422-10 לְ/הִמָּלֵ֣ט lehimalet HR/VNc escape to slip away to escape 2
H4422-09 אִמָּלְטָ֨ה imaletah HVNh1cs let me escape Let me slip away Let me escape 2
H4422-23 נִמְלְט֖וּ nimeletu HVNp3cp escaped they slipped away escaped 2

Occurrences in Scripture

95 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H4422-06 Genesis 19:17 הִמָּלֵ֣ט himalet HVNv2ms Escape Slip away! Escape!
H4422-06 Genesis 19:17 הִמָּלֵ֖ט himalet-2 HVNv2ms Escape Slip away! Escape!
H4422-10 Genesis 19:19 לְ/הִמָּלֵ֣ט lehimalet HR/VNc escape to slip away to escape
H4422-09 Genesis 19:20 אִמָּלְטָ֨ה imaletah HVNh1cs let me escape Let me slip away Let me escape
H4422-06 Genesis 19:22 הִמָּלֵ֣ט himalet HVNv2ms escape Slip away! Escape!
H4422-18 Judges 3:26 נִמְלַ֖ט nimelat HVNp3ms had escaped he slipped free he escaped
H4422-34 Judges 3:26 וַ/יִּמָּלֵ֖ט vayimalet HC/VNw3ms and escaped and he slipped away and he escaped
H4422-18 Judges 3:29 נִמְלַ֖ט nimelat HVNp3ms escaped he slipped free escaped
H4422-34 1 Samuel 19:10 וַ/יִּמָּלֵ֖ט vayimalet HC/VNw3ms and escaped and he slipped away and he escaped
H4422-14 1 Samuel 19:11 מְמַלֵּ֤ט memalet HVprmsa saving deliverer escaping
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