Lexical Summary
yesha: Salvation, deliverance, safety, welfare
Original Word:יֶשַׁע
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:yesha`
Pronunciation:yeh-shah
Phonetic Spelling:(yeh'-shah)
KJV: safety, salvation, saving
NASB:salvation, safety, saving
Word Origin:[fromH3467 (יָשַׁע - save)]
1. liberty, deliverance, prosperity
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
safety, salvation, saving
Or yeshai {yay'-shah}; fromyasha'; liberty, deliverance, prosperity -- safety, salvation, saving.
see HEBREWyasha'
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
yashaDefinitiondeliverance, rescue, salvation, safety, welfare
NASB Translationsafety (3), salvation (31), saving (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Isaiah 51:5 , also ; —
Psalm 20:7 4t.;
Job 5:11 4t.; suffix
2 Samuel 22:3 11t., + 14 t. suffixes; —
safety, welfare, prosperity2 Samuel 23:5;Psalm 12:6;Job 5:4,11.
salvation, i.e. primarily physical rescue, by God, often with added spiritual idea:Isaiah 62:11;Psalm 69:14;Psalm 85:8;Psalm 85:10;salvation from GodPsalm 50:23; used as infin. with accusativeHabakkuk 3:13 (twice in verse) (see Ew§ 239 a); accordingly Yahweh ismy light and my salvationPsalm 27:1;Psalm 95:1;Psalm 18:3 =2 Samuel 22:3;Isaiah 17:10;Micah 7:7;Habakkuk 3:18;Psalm 18:47 =2 Samuel 22:47;Psalm 24:5;Psalm 25:5;Psalm 27:9;Psalm 65:6;Psalm 79:9;Psalm 85:5;1 Chronicles 16:35;Psalm 18:36 =2 Samuel 22:36;Psalm 62:8; ""Isaiah 45:8;Isaiah 51:5;Isaiah 61:10;Psalm 51:14joy of thy salvationPsalm 132:16her priests will clothe with salvation.
victory:Psalm 20:7the mighty deeds of the victory of his right hand.
Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Scopeיֶשַׁע (yeshaʿ) denotes deliverance, rescue, safety, and welfare granted by the covenant God. The word assumes danger, oppression, or guilt from which only divine intervention can set the worshiper free. Though used in military, political, and personal settings, its ultimate horizon is spiritual: the comprehensive well-being flowing from the LORD’s faithful love.
Occurrences and Distribution
About thirty-six appearances span the Torah, Former Prophets, Writings, and Prophets, clustering in songs of victory and prayers of trust. Key concentrations are found in Deuteronomy (the Song of Moses), second-temple historical liturgies (1 Chronicles 16), royal thanksgiving psalms (Psalms 18; 24; 27; 62), wisdom literature (Job 5), and Isaiah’s prophetic oracles. This breadth shows that salvation is not an episodic event but a continuous thread in Israel’s story.
Redemptive-Historical Context
1. Exodus Pattern: The earliest echoes recall the Red Sea deliverance, where the LORD alone “has become my salvation” (Exodus 15:2; cf.Psalm 118:14, same confession).
2. Conquest and Kingdom: David’s retrospective song—“The LORD lives, and blessed be my Rock! And may God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted” (2 Samuel 22:47)—sets the standard for kingly gratitude.
3. Exile and Return: In post-exilic worship the Levites cry, “Deliver us, O God of our salvation” (1 Chronicles 16:35), linking temple praise with national restoration.
4. Prophetic Hope: Isaiah envisions a day when Zion will “draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3), projecting yeshaʿ into universal, everlasting relief.
Key Texts Illustrating the Term
•Deuteronomy 32:15: Israel’s apostasy is exposed by her contempt for “the Rock of his salvation.”
•2 Samuel 22:3: “My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge… the horn of my salvation,” marrying military imagery to personal trust.
• Psalms 62:1–2: “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation.”
•Jonah 2:9: From the fish’s belly the prophet proclaims, “Salvation belongs to the LORD!”—a concise theology of yeshaʿ.
Theological Significance
1. Divine Initiative: Salvation is God’s prerogative; humanity contributes nothing but need.
2. Covenant Loyalty: Yeshaʿ is rooted in hesed. The same LORD who obligates obedience also promises rescue when His people repent.
3. Holistic Deliverance: Physical safety, political liberation, and moral cleansing are integrated, prefiguring the New Testament’s comprehensive soteria.
4. Exclusivity and Universality: While centered on Israel, yeshaʿ anticipates global blessing (Isaiah 49:6).
Christological Dimensions
The name Jesus (Yeshuaʿ, “Yahweh saves”) embodies יֶשַׁע. The angel’s announcement—“You are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21)—ties the infant Messiah to the ancient promise. New Testament writers echoJonah 2:9 when they declare, “Salvation is found in no one else” (Acts 4:12), presenting Christ as the final Rock of our salvation (1 Corinthians 10:4).
Prophetic and Eschatological Outlook
Isaiah 33:2 pleads, “Be our arm every morning, our salvation in time of distress,” blending daily dependence with ultimate hope. Zechariah’s vision of a humble King riding a donkey ushers in “salvation” (Zechariah 9:9), a scene fulfilled on Palm Sunday. Revelation culminates with the heavenly multitude crying, “Salvation belongs to our God” (Revelation 7:10), proving that the Old Testament theme finds its consummation in the Lamb’s triumph.
Liturgical and Devotional Usage
Psalms employ yeshaʿ to shape worship:
• Assurance: “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” (Psalms 27:1).
• Petition: “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation” (Psalms 51:12).
• Community Praise: “Lift up your heads… and the King of glory will come in” (Psalms 24:7), sung when carrying the ark.
These texts guided temple choirs, synagogue readings, and now church hymnody, teaching believers to seek and celebrate divine deliverance.
Socio-Historical Background
Ancient Near Eastern kings styled themselves “saviors,” but Israel rejected human self-exaltation, insisting, “He alone is my salvation.” The term also colors legal proceedings: judges “deliver” the oppressed (2 Kings 17:39), mirroring God’s saving justice. Military alliances, famine relief, and personal crises all became theaters for demonstrating that true security resides only in the LORD.
Practical Ministry Implications
• Evangelism: Ground gospel proclamation in the biblical storyline of yeshaʿ—God saves sinners by grace through faith.
• Pastoral Care: Encourage the afflicted with the Psalms’ language of rescue, affirming that present trials cannot nullify divine salvation.
• Social Action: Pursue holistic help (physical, emotional, spiritual) as an outworking of God’s saving character.
• Worship Planning: Integrate readings and songs that echo yeshaʿ to shape congregational confidence.
Related Concepts and Terms
yashaʿ (to save, Strong’s 3467) – verbal root
yeshuʿah (salvation, Strong’s 3444) – cognate noun
môshiaʿ (savior, Strong’s 3467 with participial mem) – agent of salvation
rock, refuge, horn – frequent metaphors accompanying yeshaʿ
See Also
Psalm 3:8;Psalm 62:6;Isaiah 25:9;Luke 2:30;Romans 1:16;Ephesians 2:8
Forms and Transliterations
בְּ֝יֵ֗שַׁע בְּיֵ֣שַׁע בישע וְ֝יֶשְׁעֲךָ֗ וְ֭יִשְׁעִי וישעי וישעך יִ֝שְׁעִ֗י יִ֫שְׁעֶ֥ךָ יִשְׁע֑וֹ יִשְׁעִ֑י יִשְׁעִ֔י יִשְׁעִ֗י יִשְׁעִ֣י יִשְׁעִ֥י יִשְׁעִֽי׃ יִשְׁעֵ֑נוּ יִשְׁעֵ֔ךְ יִשְׁעֵ֔נוּ יִשְׁעֵ֖ךְ יִשְׁעֵ֗נוּ יִשְׁעֵֽנוּ׃ יִשְׁעֶ֑ךָ יִשְׁעֶֽךָ׃ יִשְׁעֽוֹ׃ יֵ֣שַׁע יֶ֑שַׁע יֶ֔שַׁע יֶ֗שַׁע יֶֽשַׁע׃ ישע ישע׃ ישעו ישעו׃ ישעי ישעי׃ ישעך ישעך׃ ישענו ישענו׃ לְיֵ֖שַׁע לְיֵ֣שַׁע לישע מִיֶּ֑שַׁע מישע bə·yê·ša‘ bəyêša‘ beYesha lə·yê·ša‘ ləyêša‘ leYesha mî·ye·ša‘ mîyeša‘ miYesha veyeshacha Veyishi wə·yeš·‘ă·ḵā wə·yiš·‘î wəyeš‘ăḵā wəyiš‘î ye·ša‘ yê·ša‘ yeša‘ yêša‘ Yesha yiš‘êḵ yiš‘eḵā yiš‘ênū yiš‘î yiš‘ōw yiš·‘e·ḵā yiš·‘ê·nū yiš·‘êḵ yiš·‘î yiš·‘ōw yishEch yishEcha yishEnu yishI yishO
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