verb
fugamō
Strong’sG5343
I flee, escape, shun
stem fug-29 times in the New Testamentin 11 of 27 books10 forms occur
What it means
A plain-English reading of the word, with the lexicons it draws on — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, and Liddell-Scott-Jones — right below it, in full.
AI Summary
φεύγω means to flee or run away, literally taking flight from danger, an enemy, or a threatening situation 1234. It is used of people fleeing a scene, escaping capture, or running off in fear, and can be followed by phrases meaning "into," "from," or "out of" a place 1.
By extension, the word also means to shun or avoid something, used of deliberately keeping away from sin, wrongdoing, or temptation rather than pursuing it — in this sense it stands opposite to "pursuing" something 12.
Strong's also notes a further, more figurative nuance in which the word can describe something vanishing 2.
Sources: 1 Abbott-Smith 2 Strong's 3 LSJ 4 Dodson. Condensed by anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 on 2026-09-23 — it may still misstate what these say; check them yourself if it matters to you.
The lexicons it was drawn from, in full:
Abbott-Smith — the 1922 lexicon entry, in full
φεύγω
[in LXX chiefly for נוּס, also for בּרח, etc.;]
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G5343 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidfyoo'-go
to run away (literally or figuratively); by implication, to shun; by analogy, to vanish
Fromapparently a primary verb;
King Jamesescape, flee (away).
James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — the classical dictionary this word appears in
Refs 8th c.BC+infinitive φευγέμεν, φευγέμεναι, Refs; imperfect ἔφευγον Refs 8th c.BC+: future φεύξομαι Refs 8th c.BC+; also φευξοῦμαι in Refs 5th c.BC+ (but uncertain where found in Attic dialect Prose, Refs 5th c.BC+; φευξεῖται is uncertain reading in Refs 4th c.BC+; future active ἐκ-φεύξω only late, variant in Refs 5th c.BC+aorist ἔφῠγον, Ionic dialect φύγεσκον Refs 8th c.BC+: perfect πέφευγα Refs 5th c.BC+; optative πεφεύγοι Refs 8th c.BC+, participle πεφευγότες Refs 8th c.BC+; participle perfect passive πεφυγμένος in active sense, Refs 8th c.BC+; Epic dialect πεφυζότες (compare φύζα) Refs 8th c.BC+; Aeolic dialect πεφύγγων, see at {φυγγάνω}:—middle, μὴ φεύγησθε Anon.Hist. in Refsaorist 1 δια-φεύξασθαι Decrees Refs 5th c.BC+
I absolutely, flee, take flight, opposed to διώκω, Refs 8th c.BC+; ἐκ πολέμοιο, ἐκ θανάτοιο, Refs 8th c.BC+; ἐπὶ Σάρδεων, ἐπὶ τὸν Ἑλικῶνα, Refs 8th c.BC+ ran the course full swiftly, Refs 5th c.BC+; φ. τὴν παρὰ θάλασσαν (i.e. ὁδόν) flee by the shore route, Refs 5th c.BC+; for φυγῇ φεύγειν, seeRefs
I.2 present and imperfect tenses properly express only the purpose or endeavour to get away: hence participle φεύγων is added to the compound Verbs καταφεύγω, ἐκφεύγω, προφεύγω, to distinguish the attempt from the accomplishment, βέλτερον, ὃς φεύγων προφύγῃ κακὸν ἠὲ ἁλώῃ it is better that one should flee and escape than stay and be caught, Refs 8th c.BC+
I.3 φ. εἰς.. have recourse to.. take refuge in.., ἐς τοὺς ἀφώνους μάρτυρας Refs 5th c.BC+
I.4 with infinitive, shun or shrink from doing, Refs 5th c.BC+; with infinitive omitted, φεύγουσι γάρ τοι χοἱ θρασεῖς shrink back, Refs 5th c.BC+
II with accusative, flee, avoid, escape, Ἕκτορα Refs 8th c.BC+; ἔφυγον κακόν, εὗρον ἄμεινον, formula used by μύσται, Refs 4th c.BC+; with modal dative, φ. ὄνειδος λόγοις, ἀμαχανίαν ἔργῳ, Refs 5th c.BC+; avoid, shun, χρὴ.. φεύγειν τὰ παχύνοντα Refs 2nd c.AD+; φόνον φ. flee the consequences of the murder, Refs 8th c.BC+; οὐδεμία [πόλις] πέφευγε (sed perhaps to be read ἀπέφυγε) δουλοσύνην πρὸς Ἱπποκράτεος at the hands of.., Refs 5th c.BC+: participle perfect passive also retains the accusative in Refs 8th c.BC+ in periphrastic phrases, μοῖραν δ᾽ οὔ τινά φημι πεφυγμένον ἔμμεναι ἀνδρῶν Refs 8th c.BC+ — but in passive sense, τὸ πάραυτα πεφυγμένον κακόν Epicur. [prev. cited]
II.b seek to avoid, shirk, στρατείαν Refs 4th c.BC+; so in aorist, ἢν φύγῃ τις, ζημιοῦν Refs 5th c.BC+
II.2 of things, ἡνίοχον φύγον ἡνία escaped, slipped from his hands, Refs 8th c.BC+; τὸ φεῦγον the part which slips, Refs 8th c.BC+
II.2.b of wine, 'go off', turn sour, Refs
III flee one's country, Refs 8th c.BC+; οἱ φεύγοντες the exiles, Refs 8th c.BC+; ἐξ Ἀθηνέων, ἐκ τῆς πατρίδος, Refs 5th c.BC+
III.2 φ. ὑπὸ Σκυθέων to be expelled, driven out by.. Refs 5th c.BC+: but especially to be exiled, φ. ὑπὸ τοῦ δήμου Refs 5th c.BC+; φ. ἐξ Ἀρείου πάγου by their sentence, Refs 5th c.BC+
III.3 absolutely, go into exile, live in banishment, Refs 5th c.BC+; φ. ἀειφυγίαν to be banished for life, Refs; φεόγειν Ἀμφίπολιν ἀειφυγίην Refs 4th c.BC+; but also ἐν ἀειφυγίᾳ Refs 5th c.BC+; φεύγοντες being in exile, opposed to φυγόντες having gone into exile, Refs 5th c.BC+; with play on words, “μέχρι τίνος φεύξῃ, Ἀρκαδίω; καὶ ὅς, ἔς τ᾽ ἂν τοὺς ἀφίκωμαι οἳ οὐκ ἴσασι Φίλιππον” Refs 4th c.BC+
IV as law-term (mostly in present and imperfect, butRefs 5th c.BC+, to be accused or prosecuted at law: ὁ φεύγων the accused, defendant, Refs 5th c.BC+; with accusative, φ. γραφάς, δίκην, Refs 5th c.BC+; the crime being added in genitive, φόνου δίκην φ. Refs 5th c.BC+; more frequently with genitive only, φ. φόνου to be charged with murder, Refs 5th c.BC+; with genitive of the penalty, ἐὰν.. φεύγῃ δεσμῶν Refs 3rd c.BC+; also περὶ θανάτου φ. Refs 5th c.BC+; ἀσεβείας φ. ὑπό τινος is accused of impiety by.., Refs 5th c.BC+; rarely of things, τὸ φεῦγον ψήφισμα the decree that is on its defence, the decree in question, Refs 5th c.BC+ has the older sense, flee from a charge, quit one's country on account of a charge.
IV.2 plead in defence, δεῖ τοί σε φεύγειν.. ὡς οὐκ ἔχουσι κῦρος [οἱ νόμοι] Refs 4th c.BC+; ἔφευγε μὴ εἰδέναι pleaded ignorance, Refs 5th c.BC+, (Cf. Latin fugio, Gothic biugan 'bend', etc.)
H. G. Liddell, R. Scott, H. S. Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon (9th ed., 1925–1940) — digitised by the Perseus Digital Library and corrected and expanded by Tyndale House, Cambridge, via STEPBible-Data's TFLSJ table, CC BY 4.0. Covers all of Greek literature, not just the Bible.
Translated as
Every occurrence, sorted by the English it was actually given — the evidence for what the word means, not a gloss of it.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain — berean.bible.
Biblang forms
What the New Testament actually uses, first — the whole system this verb is built from is one click further down.
| Form and the Greek behind it | What it is | Usually | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| fugatōφεύγει | happening now · he/she/itpresent active indicative 3rd person singular | flee | 2× |
| fugetiφεύξεται | will happen · he/she/itfuture middle indicative 3rd person singular | flee | 1× |
| fugeliφεύξονται | will happen · theyfuture middle indicative 3rd person plural | flee | 1× |
| fugataἔφυγεν | happened · he/she/itaorist active indicative 3rd person singular | fled | 5× |
| fugalaἔφυγον | happened · theyaorist active indicative 3rd person plural | fled | 7× |
| fugaveiaφύγητε | happened · yeaorist active subjunctive 2nd person plural | escape | 1× |
| fugasōrφεῦγε | happening now · youpresent active imperative 2nd person singular | flee | 3× |
| fugavōrφεύγετε | happening now · yepresent active imperative 2nd person plural | flee | 3× |
| fugalōrφευγέτωσαν | happening now · theypresent active imperative 3rd person plural | flee | 3× |
| fugaraφυγεῖν | happened · the “to …” formaorist active infinitive | flee | 3× |
Every form the New Testament uses, in paradigm order. What the system can build beyond them — the whole of this verb, whether the text happens to use it or not — is in the tables below.
Every form the system can build — all 172, by mood, including the ones the New Testament never uses
Statements — indicative mood, 16 occurrences
the subject acts active voice
| Who person | happening now present | was happening imperfect | will happen future | happened aorist | has happened perfect | had happened pluperfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | fugamō | fugame | fugami | fugama | fugamē | fugamelē |
| you 2nd person singular | fugasō | fugase | fugasi | fugasa | fugasē | fugaselē |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | fugatō2×φεύγει | fugate | fugati | fugata5×ἔφυγεν | fugatē | fugatelē |
| we 1st person plural | fuganō | fugane | fugani | fugana | fuganē | fuganelē |
| ye 2nd person plural | fugavō | fugave | fugavi | fugava | fugavē | fugavelē |
| they 3rd person plural | fugalō | fugale | fugali | fugala7×ἔφυγον | fugalē | fugalelē |
acts on itself, or is acted on middle or passive voice
| Who person | happening now present | was happening imperfect | has happened perfect | had happened pluperfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | fugomō | fugome | fugomē | fugomelē |
| you 2nd person singular | fugosō | fugose | fugosē | fugoselē |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | fugotō | fugote | fugotē | fugotelē |
| we 1st person plural | fugonō | fugone | fugonē | fugonelē |
| ye 2nd person plural | fugovō | fugove | fugovē | fugovelē |
| they 3rd person plural | fugolō | fugole | fugolē | fugolelē |
acts on or for itself middle voice
| Who person | will happen future | happened aorist |
|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | fugemi | fugema |
| you 2nd person singular | fugesi | fugesa |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | fugeti1×φεύξεται | fugeta |
| we 1st person plural | fugeni | fugena |
| ye 2nd person plural | fugevi | fugeva |
| they 3rd person plural | fugeli1×φεύξονται | fugela |
May, might — subjunctive mood, 1 occurrence
the subject acts active voice
| Who person | happening now present | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | fugameiō | fugameia | fugameiē |
| you 2nd person singular | fugaseiō | fugaseia | fugaseiē |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | fugateiō | fugateia | fugateiē |
| we 1st person plural | fuganeiō | fuganeia | fuganeiē |
| ye 2nd person plural | fugaveiō | fugaveia1×φύγητε | fugaveiē |
| they 3rd person plural | fugaleiō | fugaleia | fugaleiē |
acts on itself, or is acted on middle or passive voice
| Who person | happening now present | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | fugomeiō | fugomeiē |
| you 2nd person singular | fugoseiō | fugoseiē |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | fugoteiō | fugoteiē |
| we 1st person plural | fugoneiō | fugoneiē |
| ye 2nd person plural | fugoveiō | fugoveiē |
| they 3rd person plural | fugoleiō | fugoleiē |
acts on or for itself middle voice
| Who person | happened aorist |
|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | fugemeia |
| you 2nd person singular | fugeseia |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | fugeteia |
| we 1st person plural | fugeneia |
| ye 2nd person plural | fugeveia |
| they 3rd person plural | fugeleia |
Commands — imperative mood, 9 occurrences
the subject acts active voice
| Who person | happening now present | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|
| you 2nd person singular | fugasōr3×φεῦγε | fugasar | fugasēr |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | fugatōr | fugatar | fugatēr |
| ye 2nd person plural | fugavōr3×φεύγετε | fugavar | fugavēr |
| they 3rd person plural | fugalōr3×φευγέτωσαν | fugalar | fugalēr |
acts on itself, or is acted on middle or passive voice
| Who person | happening now present | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|
| you 2nd person singular | fugosōr | fugosēr |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | fugotōr | fugotēr |
| ye 2nd person plural | fugovōr | fugovēr |
| they 3rd person plural | fugolōr | fugolēr |
acts on or for itself middle voice
| Who person | happened aorist |
|---|---|
| you 2nd person singular | fugesar |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | fugetar |
| ye 2nd person plural | fugevar |
| they 3rd person plural | fugelar |
Wishes — optative mood, no occurrences
the subject acts active voice
| Who person | happening now present | happened aorist |
|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | fugamoiō | fugamoia |
| you 2nd person singular | fugasoiō | fugasoia |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | fugatoiō | fugatoia |
| we 1st person plural | fuganoiō | fuganoia |
| ye 2nd person plural | fugavoiō | fugavoia |
| they 3rd person plural | fugaloiō | fugaloia |
acts on itself, or is acted on middle or passive voice
| Who person | happening now present |
|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | fugomoiō |
| you 2nd person singular | fugosoiō |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | fugotoiō |
| we 1st person plural | fugonoiō |
| ye 2nd person plural | fugovoiō |
| they 3rd person plural | fugoloiō |
acts on or for itself middle voice
| Who person | happened aorist |
|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | fugemoia |
| you 2nd person singular | fugesoia |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | fugetoia |
| we 1st person plural | fugenoia |
| ye 2nd person plural | fugevoia |
| they 3rd person plural | fugeloia |
The “to …” form — infinitive, 3 occurrences
| Who is acting voice | happening now present | will happen future | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| the subject acts active voice | fugarō | fugari | fugara3×φυγεῖν | fugarē |
| acts on itself, or is acted on middle or passive voice | fugorō | fugorē | ||
| acts on or for itself middle voice | fugeri | fugera |
Used as an adjective — participle, no occurrences
| Who is acting voice | happening now present | will happen future | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| the subject acts active voice | fugarōntos | fugarintos | fugarantos | fugarēntos |
| acts on itself, or is acted on middle or passive voice | fugorōntos | fugorēntos | ||
| acts on or for itself middle voice | fugerintos | fugerantos |
Each is given in the form it takes as a subject. From there a participle carries the ordinary noun endings, in every case, number and gender — so these four columns are the whole of what the verb contributes.
How every form is built — the slots that make them
fug is this word in every one of its forms. The slots after it make all the rest.
same in every form varies — every value shown
Words built on the same stem
Other words sharing the exact same stem — not merely related in meaning.
Where it appears
Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.
29 occurrences, every one of them listed
fugatō“flee”happening now · he/she/itpresent active indicative 3rd person singular2×
John 10:12… erchorōnton kai afiēkatō teim probateim kai fugatō kai tos lukos harpazatō auteim kai …… coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf pounces on them …
Revelation 9:6“flee”… heuriskali auton, kai epithumali apothnēskara kai fugatō tos thanatos apo autoiu.… will not find it; they will long to die, but death will escape them.
fugeti“flee”will happen · he/she/itfuture middle indicative 3rd person singular1×
James 4:7… theo; antistēavar de to diabolo, kai fugeti apo vu;… Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
fugeli“flee”will happen · theyfuture middle indicative 3rd person plural1×
John 10:5allotrio de ouk mē akolouthali alla fugeli apo autou, hoti ouk oidalē toiu …… a stranger; in fact, they will flee from him because they do not …
fugata“fled”happened · he/she/itaorist active indicative 3rd person singular5×
Mark 14:52“fled”tos de kataleiparantos tan sindonan gumnos fugata.but he pulled free of the linen cloth and ran away naked.
Acts 7:29fugata de Mōusos en to logo houto, …At this remark, Moses fled to the land of Midian, where …
Revelation 12:6kai tas gunaikas fugata eis tan erēman, hopou echatō ekei …And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had …
Revelation 16:20“fled away”kai pantas nēsas fugata, kai oreim ouk heuriskila.Then every island fled, and no mountain could be found.
Revelation 20:11… epi autou, hou apo teu prosōpeu fugata tas gēas kai tos ouranos, kai …… seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place …
fugala“fled”happened · theyaorist active indicative 3rd person plural7×
Matthew 8:33“fled”tois de boskarōntois fugala, kai apercharantois eis tan polan apangelala …Those tending the pigs ran off into the town and reported all this …
Matthew 26:56… tote tois mathētois pantois afiēkarantois auton fugala.… all the disciples deserted Him and fled.
Mark 5:14Kai tois boskarōntois autoin fugala kai apangelala eis tan polan kai …Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town …
Mark 14:50kai afiēkarantois auton fugala pantois.Then everyone deserted Him and fled.
Mark 16:8“fled”kai exercharantais fugala apo teu mnēmeieu, echate gar autain …So the women left the tomb and ran …
Luke 8:34Horarantois de tois boskarōntois tem genarēntem fugala kai apangelala eis tan polan kai …… pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town …
Hebrews 11:34sbennuala dunamian pureu, fugala stomeim machairau, dunamila apo astheniau, genila …quenched the raging fire, and escaped the edge of the sword; who …
fugaveia“escape”happened · yeaorist active subjunctive 2nd person plural1×
Matthew 23:33ofioir gennēmeim echidnaiu, pōs fugaveia apo tau krisiau tau geennau?… brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell?
fugasōr“flee”happening now · youpresent active imperative 2nd person singular3×
Matthew 2:13… paidiem kai tan mētēran autou kai fugasōr eis Aiguptan, kai asōr ekei heōs …… the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I …
1 Timothy 6:11Sis de, ō anthrōpor theou, houteim fugasōr; diōkasōr de dikaiosunan, eusebeian, pistian, agapan, …But you, O man of God, flee from these things and pursue righteousness …
2 Timothy 2:22tain de neōterikain epithumiain fugasōr, diōkasōr de dikaiosunan, pistian, agapan, eirēnan …Flee from youthful passions and pursue righteousness …
fugavōr“flee”happening now · yepresent active imperative 2nd person plural3×
Matthew 10:23… diōkaleiō vin en ta pola houta, fugavōr eis tan heteran; amēn gar legamō …… they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. Truly I tell …
1 Corinthians 6:18fugavōr tan porneian; pantem hamartēmem hem ean …Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin …
1 Corinthians 10:14Dioper, agapētoir mu, fugavōr apo tau eidōlolatriau.Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
fugalōr“flee”happening now · theypresent active imperative 3rd person plural3×
Matthew 24:16tote tois en ta Ioudaia fugalōr epi teim oreim,… let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
Mark 13:14… noatōr, tote tois en ta Ioudaia fugalōr eis teim oreim,… let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
Luke 21:21tote tois en ta Ioudaia fugalōr eis teim oreim, kai tois en …… let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in …
fugara“flee”happened · the “to …” formaorist active infinitive3×
Matthew 3:7… autoi; Gennēmeim echidnaiu, tinos hupodeikata vi fugara apo tau mellarōntau orgau?… of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Luke 3:7… autou; Gennēmeim echidnaiu, tinos hupodeikata vi fugara apo tau mellarōntau orgau?… of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Acts 27:30toiu de nautoiu zētarōntoiu fugara ek teu ploieu kai chalarantoiu tan …Meanwhile, the sailors attempted to escape from the ship. Pretending to lower …