Lexical Summary
miqlat: Refuge, asylum
Original Word: מִקְלָט
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: miqlat
Pronunciation: mik-LAHT
Phonetic Spelling: (mik-lawt')
KJV: refuge
NASB: refuge
Word Origin: [from H7038 (קָלַט - stunted) in the sense of taking in]
1. an asylum (as a receptacle)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
refuge
From qalat in the sense of taking in; an asylum (as a receptacle) -- refuge.
see HEBREW qalat
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom an unused word
Definitionrefuge, asylum
NASB Translationrefuge (20).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(P Chronicles); —
asylum-cities Numbers 35:11,13,14,
Numbers 35:6;
Joshua 20:2, so
1 Chronicles 6:42;
1 Chronicles 6:52 (but read according to ""
Joshua 21:13,21, so Be Kau Kit), (after )
Numbers 35:12,15;
Joshua 20:3; construct in phrase
Joshua 21:13,21,27,32,38 (Gi;
Joshua 21:36 van d. H. Baer); suffix of refugee,
Numbers 35:25,26,27,28,32.
Topical Lexicon
Definition and Conceptמִקְלָט (miqlat) denotes a place of refuge, especially the six Levitical “cities of refuge” instituted by the LORD through Moses. These urban sanctuaries functioned as havens for anyone who killed another person unintentionally, shielding the manslayer from the “avenger of blood” until impartial judgment could be rendered (Numbers 35:11–12).
Biblical Occurrences
The noun appears twenty times, all within narratives that regulate and rehearse Israel’s system of asylum (Numbers 35; Joshua 20–21; 1 Chronicles 6). The first cluster (Numbers 35) lays down the divine legislation; the second (Joshua 20–21) records Joshua’s faithful implementation; the final mentions (1 Chronicles 6:57, 67) catalog Levitical allotments in post-exilic memory. Each use underscores the covenant community’s responsibility to administer both justice and mercy.
Divine Provision of Mercy
The cities of refuge embody the LORD’s concern for due process and the sanctity of life. While murder demanded capital punishment (Genesis 9:6; Numbers 35:16–21), inadvertent manslaughter called for protection until a fair trial. “These cities will be a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands trial before the congregation” (Numbers 35:12). In a culture deeply rooted in clan honor, this legislation curbed blood-feud vengeance and upheld measured jurisprudence.
Legal and Ritual Framework
1. Eligibility: Both Israelite and resident alien were equally covered (Numbers 35:15), illustrating a universal standard of justice within Israel’s borders.
2. Procedure: The manslayer fled to the nearest miqlat, declared his case at the city gate, and was received under provisional shelter (Joshua 20:4).
3. Trial: The congregation determined culpability; if found innocent of premeditation, the manslayer returned to the refuge (Numbers 35:24–25).
4. Duration: Residence continued “until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil” (Numbers 35:25). Only then could the fugitive safely return home (35:28).
5. Ransom Prohibited: No financial settlement could purchase early release (Numbers 35:32), preventing the wealthy from manipulating justice.
Geographical Distribution
Six cities, three west and three east of the Jordan, ensured accessibility within a day’s journey from any point in the land (Deuteronomy 19:3 implies maintained roads). They were strategically placed among Levitical towns (Joshua 21:13, 21, 27, 32, 38) so that priestly oversight would preserve the sanctity and legal integrity of the asylum.
• Kedesh in Galilee (Naphtali)
• Shechem in the hill country (Ephraim)
• Kiriath Arba (Hebron) in the Negev (Judah)
• Bezer in the wilderness (Reuben)
• Ramoth in Gilead (Gad)
• Golan in Bashan (Manasseh)
Priestly and Atonement Themes
Residence lasted until the high priest’s death, a provision linking sanctuary to priesthood and atonement. The passing of the anointed mediator marked a reset for the offender and the land, hinting at substitutionary patterns later fulfilled in Christ, the ultimate High Priest whose death liberates sinners permanently (Hebrews 7:23–27).
Typological Significance
The cities prefigure the gospel refuge found in Jesus Christ:
• Urgency and Accessibility: “We who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be strongly encouraged” (Hebrews 6:18) echoes the flight to miqlat.
• Equality at the Gate: Jew and Gentile alike find safety by faith.
• Shelter from Judgment: In Christ, believers are shielded from divine wrath until final vindication.
• Security Bound to Priesthood: Safety endures as long as the High Priest lives; Christ’s indestructible life guarantees eternal refuge.
Pastoral and Discipleship Applications
1. Evangelism: The motif supplies ready gospel imagery—Christ as the accessible, appointed refuge for the repentant.
2. Church Life: Congregations, like Levitical cities, are to be places of confessed sin, restorative discipline, and protection for the vulnerable.
3. Social Ethics: The statute champions fair trials, protection of the innocent, and limits on personal vengeance—principles still vital in Christian engagement with civil justice.
4. Assurance: Believers plagued by guilt may recall that their “city” is not a mere place but a Person whose priestly intercession never ceases.
Key References for Study
Numbers 35:6; 35:11–15; 35:25–28, 32
Joshua 20:2–6; 21:13, 21, 27, 32, 38
1 Chronicles 6:57, 67
These passages collectively reveal the heart of God: righteous, merciful, and ultimately redemptive—pointing forward to the perfect refuge found in His Son.
Forms and Transliterations
הַמִּקְלָ֔ט הַמִּקְלָ֛ט המקלט לְמִקְלָ֑ט לְמִקְלָ֔ט לְמִקְלָ֖ט למקלט מִקְלַ֣ט מִקְלַ֧ט מִקְלָ֖ט מִקְלָט֑וֹ מִקְלָט֔וֹ מִקְלָט֖וֹ מִקְלָטוֹ֙ מקלט מקלטו ham·miq·lāṭ hammikLat hammiqlāṭ lə·miq·lāṭ lemikLat ləmiqlāṭ mikLat miklaTo miq·lā·ṭōw miq·laṭ miq·lāṭ miqlaṭ miqlāṭ miqlāṭōw
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