O LORD, how long shall I cry for help,
Habakkuk 1:2
and you will not hear?
Or cry to you “Violence!”
and you will not save?
Habakkuk complains that amidst the violence around him, God will not save. What is salvation? What does it mean to be “saved”? This is a common theological word within Christianity, but what do we mean by that? What does the Bible mean by that?
Outside the Bible, how do you use the word “save”? I think of saving files on my computer. I save money. A Doctor performs a life-saving surgery. A fireman saves someone from a burning building. We use this word in a wide range of contexts. The Bible functions similarly.
Salvation in the Hebrew Bible
The word used in this verse is ישׁע (yasha). This is a common word throughout the Bible. While we imbue it with deep, theological meaning, it is rooted in everyday life. It carries the idea of deliverance, victory, and safety. In the Hebrew Bible, it is predominantly focused on safety in this world, like: “Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved (yasha) them out of the hand of those who plundered them” (Judges 2:16).
The first use of this verb is by Moses after he fled Egypt and met some women tending flocks: “The shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and saved (yasha) them, and watered their flock” (Exodus 2:17). The next time we see the word is on the shore of the Red Sea after the people had crossed safely: “Thus the LORD saved (yasha) Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore” (Exodus 14:30).
There are multiple noun forms from this verb, all based on the core idea of salvation and deliverance. One of those is יְשׁוּעָה (yeshua). Before crossing the Red Sea, “Moses said to the people, ‘Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation (yeshua) of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent'” (Exodus 14:13-14). After reaching the opposite shore, the people burst into song, exclaiming the Lord “has become my salvation (yeshua)” (Exodus 15:2).
Yeshua is first used in Genesis 49:18. In the middle of Jacob blessing his sons, after his words over Dan, he adds, “I wait for your salvation, O LORD.” Is this a physical or spiritual deliverance? While the Hebrew focuses on the physical world, it can certainly embody a spiritual meaning as well. When Isaiah exclaims, “Behold, God is my salvation” (Isaiah 12:2a), he’s looking at the well-being of the nation in multiple dimensions.
A person who saves or delivers (a savior or deliverer) is a מוֹשִׁיעַ (moshia). “But when the people of Israel cried out (za’ak, mentioned last week) to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer (moshia) for the people of Israel, who saved (yasha) them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother” (Judges 3:9). Most of the time, however, this term describes God: “I, I am the LORD, / and besides me there is no savior (moshia)” (Isaiah 43:11).
Another noun is תְּשׁוּעָה (te’shua), which means deliverance or victory, generally in a military context. It’s first used by Samson: “You have granted this great salvation (te’shua) by the hand of your servant” (Judges 15:18). “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory (te’shua) belongs to the LORD” (Proverbs 21:31).
With salvation so important to the people, it isn’t surprising to find a number of names in the Bible which use yasha. Some of the most prominent ones in the Hebrew Bible are Joshua (The LORD saves), Elisha (God is salvation), and Isaiah (salvation of the LORD).
Salvation the New Testament
When the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek, the most common word used (including in Habakkuk 1:2) is σῴζω (sōzō), which means to save or deliver someone from harm or illness. For instance, it describes three healings in Luke 8. First, “the demon-possessed man had been healed (sōzō)” (Luke 8:36). Then he said to a woman who had been bleeding: “Daughter, your faith has made you well (sōzō)” (Luke 8:48). Finally, he said he would heal the synagogue ruler’s daughter after she died: “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well (sōzō)” (Luke 8:50).
It also commonly is associated with salvation from death. When there was a storm on the Sea of Galilee, the disciples cried out “Save us, Lord!” (Matthew 8:25). When Peter attempted to walk on water and began sinking, he cried out, “Lord, save me” (Matthew 14:30). When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the people cried, “Hosanna!” which is a transliteration of the Hebrew Hoshia an (הוֹשִׁ֘יעָ֥ה נָּ֑א, “Save us!” from Psalm 118:25). At the cross, people harassed Jesus, asking him to save himself (Matthew 27:42, 49).
When Jesus was born, God instructed his parents to name him. Why was this name chosen? An angel explained to Joseph: “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21) “Jesus” comes from the Greek which is derived from the Hebrew Yeshua. His name is salvation!
When Zacchaeus encounters Jesus, Jesus exclaims, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:9-10). Notice the play on words: salvation/Jesus has come to his house. Clearly, this was not about saving Zacchaeus from physical danger. There was a deep spiritual salvation that was working in him.
When the apostle Paul wrote, he focused on the saving activity of God. God has saved us from our sins (Romans 5:9). “For by grace you have been saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8). Just as the people of Israel were saved out of Egypt despite not having done anything to deserve it, so God’s gift of salvation is available to all who will receive it. It was only after they were saved that God gave them instructions on how to live. Likewise, God did not save us from sin only to continue living as we already have. It expects a transformation.
To Ponder…
I could go on with more examples, but you’ve now seen a range of uses of salvation. From what do you or someone you know need to be saved?
We saw examples where people are healed, using the term “save”. If you substituted “save” into those verses in Luke 8, does that give a different flavor to the passage? Why or why not?
What does it mean to be saved from a disease or disaster? What does it mean to be saved from sin? How does physical and spiritual salvation go hand in hand?