### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **pâlaṭ**, represented by `{{H6403}}`, is a primitive root that primarily means **to slip out or escape**. It appears 25 times across 23 unique verses in the Bible. Causatively, its meaning extends to the act of deliverance, encompassing ideas like carrying someone away to safety, causing them to escape, or even the physical act of calving.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical usage, `{{H6403}}` is most frequently a declaration of God's power to rescue. The Psalms are rich with this term, where God is personally acclaimed as "my deliverer" ([[Psalms 18:2]]; [[Psalms 40:17]]; [[Psalms 70:5]]). This deliverance is often sought from specific threats, such as "the strivings of the people" [[Psalms 18:43]], "the deceitful and unjust man" [[Psalms 43:1]], or the hand of the wicked [[Psalms 71:4]]. Beyond divine rescue, the word can describe a physical action, like a cow that successfully "calveth" [[Job 21:10]] or a lion that will "carry it away safe" [[Isaiah 5:29]], illustrating the core concept of a successful escape or extraction.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words provide a fuller picture of deliverance and safety:
* `{{H5337}}` **nâtsal** (to snatch away): This term often appears alongside `{{H6403}}` and emphasizes a forceful rescue. God is the one who can "deliver" His people out of the hand of their enemies when they turn to Him [[1 Samuel 7:3]].
* `{{H3467}}` **yâshaʻ** (to free or succor): This word highlights the outcome of deliverance: being made safe and free. It is often paired with `{{H6403}}`, as seen when the LORD is called upon to "save" those He delivers ([[Psalms 37:40]]; [[Psalms 71:2]]).
* `{{H4686}}` **mâtsûwd** (a net, or... a fastness): Often translated as "fortress," this word describes the place of safety to which one is delivered. It is used in tandem with `{{H6403}}` to describe the LORD as both "my fortress, and my deliverer" ([[Psalms 18:2]]; [[Psalms 144:2]]).
* `{{H6412}}` **pâlîyṭ** (a refugee; fugitive): This noun is derived directly from `{{H6403}}` and refers to one who has escaped. In [[Ezekiel 7:16]], both words are used together to describe those who escape judgment.
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H6403}}` is centered on God's role as a personal rescuer.
* **Divine Deliverer:** The repeated title "my deliverer" establishes God not as a distant force, but as an active agent who intervenes on behalf of the needy and the poor ([[Psalms 40:17]]; [[Psalms 70:5]]). This deliverance is an act of God's righteousness [[Psalms 31:1]].
* **Rescue from Wickedness:** The deliverance promised through `{{H6403}}` is specifically from human evil and opposition. God is the one who delivers the psalmist's soul from the wicked [[Psalms 17:13]] and from the strivings of the people [[2 Samuel 22:44]].
* **Deliverance as a Condition of Trust:** The action of `{{H6403}}` is directly linked to the faith of the individual. God delivers those who trust in Him [[Psalms 22:4]] and who have set their love upon Him [[Psalms 91:14]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H6403}}` is a vital term that moves from the literal idea of "slipping away" to the profound theological truth of divine deliverance. It characterizes God as an intimate and powerful rescuer who answers the cries of the faithful. The word illustrates that true escape from life's greatest dangers—be they enemies, injustice, or strife—is found in the direct intervention of God, who is a fortress for His people and their personal deliverer.
TRV