'Saviour' is the tr. in OT of the Hiph. ptcp. (VTiD) of VB>' (so Jg 3»'», Is 19-'° 43", and often); 1 in NT and LXX of jurrjp, from ffiij'ki.
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SALVATION, SAVIOUR
SALVATION, SAVIOUR
ii. The Idea. — The root idea in salvation is delit:errnice. In every case some danger or evil is presupposed, in rescue from whicli salvation con- sists. Since in ])rimitive times one of the greatest dangers to be feared is defeat in battle, salvation is often used in OT in the sense of ' victory ' {e.g. Ex 15», IS 11" KV 'deliverance,' 19' KV 'vic- tory,' Ps 2u' RVm 'victory'), and successful warriors are called ' saviours (e.g. Jg o'-" ", Neh &"). But this is only one modification of a much broader usage. Men are said to be saved from trouble (Ps 34», Is 33», Jer 14» 30' ; of. 1 S 10", Ps 107"- '"), enemies (2 S S'^), violence (2 S 22^ Ps 50= 'bloodthirsty men'), reproach (Ps 57'), exile (Ps 106-", Jer 30" 46-'', Zee 8'), death (Ps 6\ cf. v.»), sin (Ezk SG-^ cf. Ps 130", Mt 1='). Since all deliverance comes from God, He is frequently spoken of as 'SaWour'(so esp. in Deutero- Isaiah 43'" 45'°-''^ 43»> 60" 63» ; but also Jer I4», Hos 13\ 2 S 22', Ps 106-'). The name ' Saviour ' is often applied to God in the Apocrypha {e.g. Ad. Est 15^, Bar 4-, Jth 9", Wis 16", Sir 51", 1 Mac 4'" ; cf. 3 Mac 6-9- ^ 7'", Ps-Sol 3' 8'» 16* 17"). It is less frequent in NT, being found only in Lk 1", 1 Ti 1> 2' 4'», Tit 1' 2'», Jude '''. Elsewhere in NT the title is .applied only to Jesus Christ (so Lk 2" and often). With the growth of the Messianic idea we lind the tendency to use the words 'save' and 'salvation' in a technical theological sense of the deliverance to be brought in with the Messianic age {e.g. Jer 23*) or at the last day (Is 25''). This usage, which is common in the Apocalyptic literature {e.g. Enoch 62'" 99'", Apoc. Bar 68', 2 Es 8' ; cf. Ps-Sol 10" 12'), reappears in NT in such passages as Mt 10'- 24"- *• and parall., Ro IP" 13", 1 Co 3'^ 2 Ti 4«> RV, He 9.,._ I p 15.1..W fi,,. ^,ord is still used, however, in NT as in OT, in the wider sense of deliverance from f rouble (so Ja 5" of the healing of the sick, and ii.'ten in the Gospels). With the deepening sense of moral evil, ' salvation ' acquires a more jirofound ethical and spiritual meaniiiir. It in- cludes deliverance from sin itself as well as from the various evils which are the consequence of sin, and so comes to stand, in the spiritual realm as well as in the temporal, for a present experience as well as for a future expectation. The growth of this deeper meaning will become apparent aa we pass to a brief review of the history, iii. History of the Idea.—
The Sources. — In the present state of Biblical criticism, any attempt, to trace the development of a theological conception must be provisional. As a p.art of general history, the history of doctrine is dependent for its sources upon the results reached in the wider disci])line, and the uncertainty which still obtains as to the date and authorship of many UT passaijres {e.g. Psalms) hinders the theoloi^ian in his attempt at constructive statement. On the other hand, the student of doctrine haa an advantage over the general hlstori.an. For there is an inner logic of ideas which is quite independent of time and place. And it is often possible by the aid of this logic to trace the origin and development of conce^itions, even where external e\idence as to their history is lackmir or uncertain. In the present article the general results of Bitjlical criticism are presupposed. It is assumed thai the idea of salvation has hod a history, the broad outlines of uhich we can truce, and that the record of this history is preserved for us in the Biblical writings, which, to«:ether with the contemporaneous Apocryphal and Pseud- eplgraphical literature, constitute our sources. In what follows we shall give the different steps in the development of the idea in their natural order, even if the particular passages which illustrate a special usage be themselves of later or of uncertain lata.
1. In the Old Testament. — The most signal in- stance of the Divine salvation in the early history of Israel, and the one which made the deepest impression on the national memory, was the de- liverance from Eg3'pt. The prophetic historian in the Pentateuch (J) relates witli triumph how 'J" saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egjqitians ; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upoL the seashore' (Ex 14"'). The same glorious deliverance is celebrated in Pb 106 (cf. esp. w.'- *• '").
In these ]).assages we have the simplest meaning ol 'salvation.' It is deliverance from jiresent danger or trouble, more especially from defeat in battle. J" is the Saviour of Israel, because He is the ona from whom such deliverance conies. 'J" is my strength and my song,' sings the author of the Song of Moses (Ex 15-), 'and he is become my salvation.' And the context makes clear the sense in which this salvation is to be understood. 'J' is a man of war, J" is his name' (v.', cf. the title /' Sabauth, 'J" of Hosts,' i.e. according to what La probably the best interpretation, J" the God of the armies of Israel). The use of ' salvation ' in this sense of victory in battle is frequent in the UT, esp. in the historical books. In the time of th« judges J" raised up '.saviours' in the persons of Othniel (Jg S'-*) and of Ehud (3"). He sent Gideon to save Israel (0'^- ", cf. vv.'"-"), and required him to reduce his force to 300 men, lest Israel should say, ' mine own hand hath saved me ' (7-). In the time of their distress at Apliek the people send in haste to fetch the ark from ShUoh, ' that it may come among us and save us out of the hand of our enemies' (1 S 4'). With the growth of the national life the importance of such deliverance increases. J " made Saul to be king that he might save the people from the Philistines (1 S 9'*), and tlie same is true of David after him (2 S 3" ' By the hand of . . . David I will save . . . Israel out of the hand of the Philistines and out of the hand of all their enemies ' ; cf. also 2 K 14^). This view of J" as the Saviour of Israel in battle finds classic expression in the Deuteronomic code (Dt 20- ■*) : ' And it shall be, when ye come nigh unto the battle, tliat the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, and shall say unto them. Hear, O Israel, ye draw nigh this day unto battle against your enemies : let not j'our lieart faint ; fear not, nor tremble, neither be ye affrighted at them ; for J " your Goil is he that goeth with j'ou, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.'