WG: Salvation (Hebrew)¶
Overview¶
The Hebrew salvation concept is built on the root י-ש-ע (y-sh-ayin), meaning "to be wide, open, free." Five words from this root cover the verbal action, three noun forms, and one hapax derivative. Together they appear in 342 unique verses across the OT.
Word Group Members¶
| Strong's | Word | Transliteration | POS | Occurrences | Role in Concept | Library Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H3467 | יָשַׁע | yasha | verb | 198 | The action: to save, deliver | TODO(need H3467 study) |
| H3444 | יְשׁוּעָה | yeshuah | f. noun | 76 | Abstract state: salvation as condition/gift | H3444-yshuwah.md |
| H3468 | יֶשַׁע | yesha | m. noun | 35 | Concrete safety: deliverance, liberty | TODO(need H3468 study) |
| H8668 | תְּשׁוּעָה | teshuah | f. noun | 32 | The rescue event: help, deliverance, victory | TODO(need H8668 study) |
| H4190 | מוֹשָׁעָה | moshaah | f. noun | 1 | Hapax: deliverance (Psa 68:20) | TODO(need H4190 study) |
Relationships¶
Shared Root¶
All five words derive from the root י-ש-ע (y-sh-ayin). Yeshuah (H3444) is a feminine passive participle of yasha (H3467) — literally "something saved." Yesha (H3468) is the masculine noun form. Teshuah (H8668) adds the tav-prefix, emphasizing the act/event of rescue.
Co-occurrence (appear in same verses)¶
| Word A | Word B | Shared Verses | Typical Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| H3468 yesha | H3467 yasha | 3 | "The God of my rock... the horn of my yesha" + "he saveth" (2Sa 22:3) |
| H8668 teshuah | H3467 yasha | 3 | "The LORD saved Israel... Jonathan wrought a great teshuah" (1Sa 14:45) |
| H3444 yeshuah | H3467 yasha | 1 | "He will save us... we have waited for him, and he will save us" + yeshuah (Isa 25:9) |
The low direct co-occurrence between the nouns shows they occupy distinct register/genre niches rather than appearing together. The verb yasha serves as the connective thread.
LXX Overlaps¶
| Hebrew Words | Shared Greek | Co-occ Totals | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| yeshuah + teshuah + yesha + yasha | σωτηρία (G4991) | 38+25+14+12 = 89 | All four map to the same Greek noun |
| yeshuah + yesha | σωτήριον (G4992) | 34+8 = 42 | Concrete/adjectival form |
| yesha + yasha | σωτήρ (G4990) | 11+6 = 17 | Personal "savior" — agent noun |
Greek collapses all four Hebrew words into the soteria/soterion/soter family, erasing the register and nuance distinctions.
Roles in the Concept¶
- Action: yasha (H3467) — the verbal act of saving/delivering (198v)
- State: yeshuah (H3444) — salvation as abstract condition or divine gift (76v)
- Safety: yesha (H3468) — the concrete state of being safe/free (35v)
- Event: teshuah (H8668) — the specific rescue or victory event (32v)
- Rare: moshaah (H4190) — deliverance, hapax in Psa 68:20
Key Passages Where Multiple Group Words Appear Together¶
- Isa 25:9 — yeshuah + yasha: "This is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us [yasha]; this is the LORD... we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation [yeshuah]"
- 2Sa 22:3 — yesha + yasha: "The God of my rock... the horn of my salvation [yesha]... my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour [yasha]; thou savest me [yasha] from violence"
- 1Sa 14:45 — teshuah + yasha: "Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation [teshuah] in Israel?... he hath wrought with God this day"
Generated from: gather_word_group_data.py, search_strongs.py Last updated: 2026-05-18