Fled for refuge (2703) katapheugo

Have fled for refuge (2703) (katapheugo from katá = intensifier or down + pheugo = flee) means to flee down or away. To flee away to some place for refuge. The only other NT use of katapheugo is by Luke in Acts describing the results of Paul's preaching of the gospel in Iconium (2 Timothy 3:12-note)... And when an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and the Jews with their rulers, to mistreat and to stone them, 6 they became aware of it and fled (katapheugo) to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe, and the surrounding region and there they continued to preach the gospel. (Acts 14:5-7) Vincent has the following note on katapheugo... Only Heb 6:17 and Acts 14:6. The cpd verb is well rendered by KJV, since, as distinguished from the simple pheugein = to flee, it expresses flight to a definite place or person for safety. Hence often used in connection with an altar or a sanctuary. The distinction between the simple and the compound verb is illustrated in Hdt. iv. 23, where, speaking of the barbarous tribe of the Iyrcae, he says, “Whoever flees (pheugon) and betakes himself for refuge (kataphuge) to them, receives wrong from no one.” So Xen: “Conon fled (eppeuge) in swift vessels, and betakes himself for refuge (katapheugei) to Mitylene.” Katapheugo is used in the Septuagint (LXX) to describe fleeing to cities of refuge (Dt 4:42;19:5; Jos 20:9). Then Moses set apart three cities across the Jordan to the east, that a manslayer might flee there, who unintentionally slew his neighbor without having enmity toward him in time past; and by fleeing LXX = katapheugo) to one of these cities he might live (Deut 4:41-42) "Now this is the case of the manslayer who may flee there and live: when he kills his friend unintentionally, not hating him previously-- as when a man goes into the forest with his friend to cut wood, and his hand swings the axe to cut down the tree, and the iron head slips off the handle and strikes his friend so that he dies-- he may flee (LXX = katapheugo) to one of these cities and live (Deut 19:4-5) And beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, they designated Bezer in the wilderness on the plain from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh. These were the appointed cities for all the sons of Israel and for the stranger who sojourns among them, that whoever kills any person unintentionally may flee (LXX = katapheugo) there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood until he stands before the congregation. (Joshua 20:8-9) In the OT God had provided not one but several cities of refuge to assure that one could find refuge in the time of need. In the same way today, God sent His Son to provide refuge for any and all who are needy and would seek Him in simple trust. Wuest writes that in this passage katapheugo... speaks of the sinner fleeing for refuge from the penalty of sin, to the High Priest who has offered atonement for him and his sin. His only hope is in his High Priest, the Messiah. (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans or Logos) In a sense Jewish believers could possibly have seen these cities of refuge as a shadow of their perfect Refuge, their High Priest, Who had entered within the veil as a Forerunner. We will never know whether God can hold us until in desperation we run to Him for refuge. Numbers 35 describes an interesting spiritual parallel between the city of refuge and the High Priest in the OT and the strong encouragement we as partakers of Christ can experience through exercise of faith and patience. Note what happens when the manslayer went outside the boundary of the city of refuge! And the congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the hand of the blood avenger, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he fled; and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil. 26 'But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the border of his city of refuge to which he may flee, 27 and the blood avenger finds him outside the border of his city of refuge, and the blood avenger kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood 28 because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest the manslayer shall return to the land of his possession. (Numbers 35:25-28) The first use of katapheugo is by Lot who in the context of the imminent destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah requested... now behold, this town is near enough to flee to, and it is small. Please, let me escape (LXX = katapheugo) there (is it not small?) that my life may be saved." 21 And he said to him, "Behold, I grant you this request also, not to overthrow the town of which you have spoken. (Genesis 19:20-21) Christ is our Refuge. We have already been carried into court, and at the trial we were found guilty. We were all sinners and all sentenced to die. As believers, we can run into our Refuge (cf "cities of refuge") where we are safe, for He Himself has paid the penalty for our sins. Dear saint, are you caught in the miry clay, the slough of despond, etc? Fear not, your Refuge is a firm foundation. You might consider reading (and singing) the songs of the great old hymn How Firm a Foundation by John Rippon How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word! What more can He say than to you He hath said, You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled? In every condition, in sickness, in health; In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth; At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea, As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be. Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed, For I am thy God and will still give thee aid; I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand. When through the deep waters I call thee to go, The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow; For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless, And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress. When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie, My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply; The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine. Even down to old age all My people shall prove My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love; And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn, Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne. The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose, I will not, I will not desert to its foes; That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I’ll never, no never, no never forsake IN LAYING HOLD OF THE HOPE SET BEFORE US: kratesai (AAN) tes prokeimenes (PMPFSG) elpidos: (1Kings 2:28; Proverbs 3:18; 4:13; 27.5" class="scriptRef">Isaiah 27:5; 56:4; 64:7; 1Timothy 6:12) (Colossians 1:5,23,27; 1Ti 1:1) (Heb 12:1,2; Romans 3:25) Notice the balanced theology of the writer. In the first section this verse he lays a firm foundation (God's sovereignty and specifically His immutability) and in this section outlines the believer's responsibility to lay hold of these great truths. Practical theology! God has a refuge of hope for you to run into and be safe dear discouraged reader. Laying hold (2902) (krateo from kratos) means to seize and cling to that which has been taken hold of. The idea is to hold in one's hand, holding fast so as not to discard or let go. In the context of the present verse, krateo could mean to hold on to something one already has or to reach out and grasp something one does not yet have. Which one is favored depends on whether one interprets hope as the act of hoping or the object hoped for. Vine notes that The verb krateo, which is rendered “hold fast” in Hebrews 4:14 (see note = let us hold fast), is here in the aorist, or point, tense, and indicates a decisive act. (Vine, W. Collected writings of W. E. Vine. Nashville: Thomas Nelson or Logos) The hope set before us - both a present and a future aspect. We can have confidence or absolute assurance that we will safely enter the into the Kingdom of Heaven. This certainty that God will do us good in the future (= "hope") should feed and renew our mind so that we hold fast no matter what storm the Lord is allowing us to go through, for our good and for His glory. Hope causes us to hang in there! The Haven of Rest Words by Henry L. Gilmour (play) My soul in sad exile was out on life’s sea, So burdened with sin and distressed, Till I heard a sweet voice, saying, "Make Me your choice"; And I entered the Haven of Rest! I've anchored my soul in the haven of rest, I'll sail the wide seas no more. The tempest may sweep o'er the wild, stormy deep In Jesus, I'm safe evermore.

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Fled for refuge (2703) katapheugo

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