מִקְלָט
𐤌𐤒𐤋𐤈
miqlâṭ
H4733 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A place of refuge; specifically, a designated location where a person who has unintentionally killed another (manslaughter, without intent or premeditation) may flee to escape revenge from the victim's kin. The term is primarily used to refer to the 'cities of refuge,' which serve as sanctuaries providing legal and physical protection until trial or adjudication. In general, the word denotes a site of asylum or shelter from retribution within the legal and cultic framework of ancient Israelite society.
Semantic Range
place of refuge, asylum, legal sanctuary for unintentional manslayer, city of refuge
Root / Etymology
Root: קלט (q-l-ṭ, etymology uncertain). The root qlt is rare in Biblical Hebrew and occurs only in derived forms. The form מִקְלָט (miqlâṭ) is a masculine noun of place with the prefixed mem, typically denoting a location, derived from the otherwise rare root. The basic root meaning is thought to be 'to receive, to take in, to gather in' (though unattested in most dictionaries outside this noun), so the derived noun denotes a place that takes in or receives someone.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term מִקְלָט occurs exclusively in contexts relating to 'cities of refuge' (עָרֵי מִקְלָט, ʿarê miqlâṭ) established in the Torah (Num 35, Deut 19, Joshua 20) for the protection of those who commit unintentional manslaughter; these were not general places of sanctuary for all crimes. The institution reflected societal needs for justice and restraint in the cycle of blood vengeance, and was restricted to Israelites and resident aliens under Israelite jurisdiction. The term begins to appear in the late Pentateuchal and Deuteronomistic sources and is not attested in early poetry or prophetic literature. In later Jewish tradition and rabbinic literature, these legal and ritual aspects were elaborated further, but the biblical use remains tightly linked to manslaughter and judicial asylum. English translations often render it simply as 'refuge,' but the term's legal specificity in the biblical context is not always fully reflected in these translations. This nuance distinguishes מִקְלָט from broader terms for 'shelter' (e.g., מַחֲסֶה, מָעוֹן), which may refer to general protection (divine or earthly) rather than to designated legal asylum in cases of homicide. The term did not refer to places of religious sanctuary in the general ancient Near Eastern sense.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from קָלַט in the sense of taking in; an asylum (as a receptacle); refuge.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
קלט (q-l-ṭ) — receive, take in, gather in
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4733-03 |
מִקְלָ֖ט | miqelat | HNcmsa |
of refuge | receiving-place | 8 |
H4733-04 |
מִקְלָט֖/וֹ | miqelato | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
of his refuge | his refuge-place | 5 |
H4733-01 |
הַ/מִּקְלָ֔ט | hamiqelat | HTd/Ncmsa |
of refuge | the receiving-place | 4 |
H4733-02 |
לְ/מִקְלָ֖ט | lemiqelat | HR/Ncmsa |
for refuge | to a refuge-place | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
20 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4733-01 |
Numbers 35:6 | הַ/מִּקְלָ֔ט | hamiqelat | HTd/Ncmsa |
refuge | the receiving-place |
H4733-03 |
Numbers 35:11 | מִקְלָ֖ט | miqelat | HNcmsa |
refuge | receiving-place |
H4733-02 |
Numbers 35:12 | לְ/מִקְלָ֖ט | lemiqelat | HR/Ncmsa |
for refuge | to a refuge-place |
H4733-03 |
Numbers 35:13 | מִקְלָ֖ט | miqelat | HNcmsa |
refuge | receiving-place |
H4733-03 |
Numbers 35:14 | מִקְלָ֖ט | miqelat | HNcmsa |
of refuge | receiving-place |
H4733-02 |
Numbers 35:15 | לְ/מִקְלָ֑ט | lemiqelat | HR/Ncmsa |
for refuge | to a refuge-place |
H4733-04 |
Numbers 35:25 | מִקְלָט֖/וֹ | miqelato | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
of his refuge | his refuge-place |
H4733-04 |
Numbers 35:26 | מִקְלָט֔/וֹ | miqelato | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
of his refuge | his refuge-place |
H4733-04 |
Numbers 35:27 | מִקְלָט֑/וֹ | miqelato | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
of his refuge | his refuge-place |
H4733-04 |
Numbers 35:28 | מִקְלָט/וֹ֙ | miqelato | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
of his refuge | his refuge-place |