Word Study for H4224 (מַחֲבֵא)

machăbêʼ /makh-ab-ay'/ Ask about this word

Rootor מַחֲבֹא · from חָבָא

Meaninga refuge

KJV usagehiding (lurking) place.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of machăbêʼ — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word machăbêʼ, represented by H4224, is a specific term for a refuge or hiding (lurking) place. It is derived from the root word חָבָא (châbâʼ). Though it appears only 2 times in 2 unique verses, its usage highlights concepts of both divine protection and human concealment.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical occurrences, H4224 is used in two distinct contexts. In 1 Samuel 23:23, it refers to the physical "lurking places" where David hid from Saul, emphasizing secrecy and concealment. The verse connects the place H4224 to the action of hiding H2244. In contrast, Isaiah 32:2 uses the term metaphorically, prophesying that a man will be "as an hiding place from the wind," signifying a source of refuge and divine protection from life's tempests.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concept of hiding and refuge:

H2244 châbâʼ (to secrete; hide (self), do secretly): This is the root verb from which H4224 is derived. It describes the act of hiding, as when Adam and his wife "hid themselves from the presence of the LORD" Genesis 3:8.
H5643 çêther (a cover... hiding place, privily, protection, secret(-ly, place)): Used alongside H4224 in Isaiah 32:2, this word also denotes a place of protection. It is frequently used in the Psalms to describe God as a "secret place" or "hiding place" (Psalms 91:1, Psalms 32:7).
H6738 tsêl (shade, whether literal or figurative; defence, shade(-ow)): This word illustrates refuge through the metaphor of shade. It appears with H4224 in Isaiah 32:2 and is used in Psalms to describe abiding under the "shadow of the Almighty" Psalms 91:1.

Theological Significance

The conceptual weight of H4224 lies in its duality, representing both physical hiding and spiritual refuge.

Human Concealment: The use of H4224 in 1 Samuel 23:23 points to the physical act of hiding from a mortal enemy. This is reinforced by the root verb H2244, which is used to describe Adam hiding from God in the garden Genesis 3:10 and the poor of the earth hiding themselves together Job 24:4.
Divine Refuge: In Isaiah 32:2, the concept is elevated to a spiritual metaphor. A man becomes a "hiding place," a source of security and stability. This theme is expanded by related words like H5643 and H6738, which are used to describe God as a protective refuge Psalms 32:7 and a sheltering "shadow" Psalms 91:1.
A Place of Security: Whether physical or spiritual, the term points to a place of safety. The promise in Isaiah is of a man who will be a refuge, a covert, and like the shadow of a great rock in a weary land Isaiah 32:2. Similarly, God is a hiding place who preserves from trouble Psalms 32:7.

Summary

In summary, while appearing only twice, H4224 machăbêʼ captures a powerful dual concept. It can describe a physical, tactical "lurking place" for someone in hiding, as well as a metaphorical "hiding place" that offers spiritual refuge and protection. Its meaning is deepened by its association with words for the act of hiding H2244 and other terms for divine shelter like çêther H5643 and tsêl H6738, illustrating the biblical contrast between hiding from a threat and hiding in a source of strength.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 2 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

מַּחֲבֹאִים
מַחֲבֵא

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 2 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in 1 Samuel and Isaiah (1 verse each); never once in the other 37.

1 Samuel

Isaiah

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.