Bible Dictionary
Fugitive
A fugitive is one who flees from danger, bondage, punishment, or military defeat, or who wanders without settled rest. The term is applied to fugitives, refugees, deserters, and those escaping oppression.
Definition
A fugitive is one who flees from danger, bondage, punishment, military defeat, or duty, or one who wanders without settled rest. Biblical terms include a refugee, deserter, escaped person, and breaker away in flight.
Biblical Usage
The word describes Cain’s wandering, people escaping danger or bondage, those deserting to an enemy, and persons fleeing from political or military disaster.
Historical Background
The supplied material reflects several Hebrew roots meaning to escape, waver, fall, or flee. These terms account for the range of meanings represented by “fugitive” in English translations.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Gen. 4:12, 14, a rover or wanderer (Heb. n’a); Judg. 12:4, a refugee, one who has escaped (Heb. palit); 2 Kings 25:11, a deserter, one who has fallen away to the enemy (Heb. nophel); Ezek. 17:21, one who has broken away in flight (Heb. mibrah); Isa. 15:5; 43:14, a breaker away, a fugitive (Heb. beriah), one who flees away.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>fu'-ji-tiv (paliT, from palaT, "to escape"; na`, from nua`, "to waver"; nophel, from naphal, "to fall"; bariach, beriach and mibhrach, from barach, "to flee"):</p><p>One who flees from danger (Isa 15:5; Eze 17:21); escapes from bondage ( /APC 2Macc 8:35 (as adjective)); deserts from duty (Jud 12:4; 2Ki 25:11 the King James Version; compare /APC Judith 16:12 the King James Version), or wanders aimlessly (Ge 4:12,14).</p>