Quick Definition
I save, heal
Strong's Definition
to save, i.e. deliver or protect (literally or figuratively)
Derivation: from a primary (contraction for obsolete , "safe");
KJV Usage: heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
σῴζω (others, σῴζω (cf. WH. Introductory § 410; Meisterhans, p. 87)); future σώσω; 1 aorist ἔσωσα; perfect σέσωκα; passive, present σώζομαι; imperfect ἐσωζομην; perfect 3 person singular (Act_4:9) σέσωσται and (according to Tdf.) σέσωται (cf. Kühner, 1:912; (Photius, under the word; Rutherford, New Phryn., p. 99; Veitch, under the word)); 1 aorist ἐσώθην; 1 future σωθήσομαι; (σῶς 'safe and sound' (cf. Latinsanus; Curtius, § 570; Vanicek, p. 1038)); from Homer down; the Sept. very often for δεωΔΡιςΗ , also for ξΔμΕΜθ, πΔφΕΜμ, and δΔφΔΜιμ, sometimes for ςΘζΗψ; to save, to keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction (opposed to ἀπόλλυμι, which see); Vulg.salvumfacio (orfio),salvo (salvifico, libero, etc.);
a. universally, τινα, one (from injury or peril); to save a suffering one (from perishing), e. g. one suffering from disease, to make well, heal, restore to health: Mat_9:22; Mar_5:34; Mar_10:52; Luk_7:50 (others understand this as including spiritual healing (see b. below)); Luk_8:48; Luk_17:19; Luk_18:42; Jas_5:15; passive, Mat_9:21; Mar_5:23; Mar_5:28; Mar_6:56; Luk_8:36; Luk_8:50; Joh_11:12; Act_4:9 (cf. Buttmann, § 144, 25); . to preserve one who is in danger of destruction, to save (i. e. rescue): Mat_8:25; Mat_14:30; Mat_24:22; Mat_27:40; Mat_27:42; Mat_27:49; Mar_13:20; Mar_15:30; Luk_23:35; Luk_23:37; Luk_23:39; passive, Act_27:20; Act_27:31; 1Pe_4:18; τήν ψυχήν, (physical) life, Mat_16:25; Mar_3:4; Mar_8:35; Luk_6:9; Luk_9:24 and R G L in ; σῴζειν τινα ἐκ with the genitive of the place, to bring safe forth from, Jud_1:5; ἐκ τῆς ὥρας ταύτης, from the peril of this hour, Joh_12:27; with the genitive of the state, ἐκ θανάτου, Heb_5:7; cf. Bleek, Brief an d. Heb_2:2, p. 70f; (Winers Grammar, § 30, 6 a.; see ἐκ, I. 5).
b. to save in the technical biblical sense; negatively, to deliver from the penalties of the Messianic judgment, Joe_2:32 (); to save from the evils which obstruct the reception of the Messianic deliverance: ἀπό τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν, Mat_1:21; ἀπό τῆς ὀργῆς namely, τοῦ Θεοῦ, from the punitive wrath of God at the judgment of the last day, Rom_5:9; ἀπό τῆς γενεάς τῆς σκολιᾶς ταύτης, Act_2:40; ψυχήν ἐκ θανάτου (see θάνατος, 2), Jas_5:20; (ἐκ πυρός ἁρπάζοντες, Jud_1:23) positively, to make one a partaker of the salvation by Christ (opposed to ἀπόλλυμι, which see): hence, σῴζεσθαι and ἐισέρχεσθαι εἰς τήν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ are interchanged, Mat_19:25, cf. Mat_19:24; Mar_10:26, cf. Mar_10:25; Luk_18:26, cf. Luk_18:25; so σῴζεσθαι and ζωήν αἰώνιον ἔχειν, Joh_3:17, cf. Joh_3:16. Since salvation begins in this life (in deliverance from error and corrupt notions, in moral purity, in pardon of sin, and in the blessed peace of a soul reconciled to God), but on the visible return of Christ from heaven will he perfected in the consummate blessings of ὁ αἰών ὁ μέλλων, we can understand why τό σῴζεσθαι is spoken of in some passages as a present possession, in others as a good yet future: as a blessing beginning (or begun) on earth, Mat_18:11 Rec.; Luk_8:12; Luk_19:10; Joh_5:34; Joh_10:9; Joh_12:47; Rom_11:14; 1Co_1:21; 1Co_7:16; 1Co_9:22; 1Co_10:33; 1Co_15:2; 1Th_2:16; 2Th_2:10; 2Ti_1:9; Tit_3:5; 1Pe_3:21; τῇ ἐλπίδι (dative of the instrument) ἐσώθημεν (aorist of the time when they turned to Christ), Rom_8:24; χάριτι ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι διά τῆς πίστεως, Eph_2:5 (cf. Buttmann, § 144, 25), 8; as a thing still future, Mat_10:22; Mat_24:13; (Mar_13:13); Rom_5:10; 1Co_3:15; 1Ti_2:15; Jas_4:12; τήν ψυχήν, Mar_8:35; Luk_9:24; ψυχάς, Luk_9:56 Rec.; τό πνεῦμα, passive, 1Co_5:5; by a pregnant construction (see εἰς, C. 1, p. 185b bottom), τινα εἰς τήν βασιλείαν τοῦ κυρίου αἰώνιον, to save and transport into etc. 2Ti_4:18 (ἡ εὐσέβεια ἡ σωζουσα εἰς τήν ζωήν αἰώνιον, 4Ma_15:2; many examples of this construction are given in Passow, vol. ii., p. 1802{a} ; (cf. Liddell and Scott, under the word II. 2)). universally: (Mar_16:16); Act_2:21; Act_4:12; Act_11:14; Act_14:9; Act_15:1,(); f; Rom_9:27; Rom_10:9; Rom_10:13; Rom_11:26; 1Ti_2:4; 1Ti_4:16; Heb_7:25; Jas_2:14; ἁμαρτωλούς, 1Ti_1:15; τάς ψυχάς, Jas_1:21; οἱ σῳζόμενοι, Rev_21:24 Rec.; Luk_13:23; Act_2:47; opposed to οἱ ἀπολλύμενοι, 1Co_1:18; 2Co_2:15 (see ἀπόλλυμι, 1 a. β'.). (Compare: διασῴζω, ἐκσῴζω.)
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
σῴζω sōzō 106x
to save, rescue; to pre serve safe and unharmed, Mat_8:25 ; Mat_10:22 ; Mat_24:22 ; Mat_27:40 ; Mat_27:42 ; Mat_27:49 ; 1Ti_2:15 ; σῴζειν εἰς ,
to bring safely to, 2Ti_4:18 ;
to cure, heal, restore to health, Mat_9:21-22 ; Mar_5:23 ; Mar_5:28 ; Mar_5:34 ; Mar_6:56 ;
to save, preserve from being lost, Mat_16:25 ; Mar_3:4 ; Mar_8:35 ;
σῴζειν ἀπό , to deliver from, set free from, Mat_1:21 ; Joh_12:27 ; Act_2:40 ;
in NT to rescue from unbelief, convert, Rom_11:14 ; 1Co_1:21 ; 1Co_7:16 ;
to bring within the pale of saving privilege, Tit_3:5 ; 1Pe_3:21 ;
to save from final ruin, 1Ti_1:15 ;
p ass. to be brought within the pale of saving privilege, Act_2:47 ; Eph_2:5 ; Eph_2:8 ;
to be in the way of salvation, 1Co_15:2 ; 2Co_2:15 heal; rescue; save.
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
σώζω
(on the more accurate σῴζω , v. WH , Intr., § 410; 131., § 3, 1-3),
[in LXX chiefly for H3467 hi ., also for H4422 ni ., H5337 ni ., etc.;]
to save from peril, injury or suffering: Mat_8:25 , Mar_13:20 , Luk_23:35 , al. ; τ . ψυχήν , Mat_16:25 , al. ; seq . ἐκ , Joh_12:27 , Heb_5:7 , Jud_1:5 ; of healing, restoring to health: Mat_9:22 , Mar_5:34 , al. In NT, esp . of salvation from spiritual disease and death, in which sense it is "spoken of in Scripture as either
(1) past,
(2) present, or
(3) future, according as redemption, grace, or glory is the point in view.
Thus
(1) Rom_8:24 , Eph_2:5 ; Eph_2:8 , 2Ti_1:9 , Tit_3:5 ;
(2) Act_2:47 , 1Co_1:18 ; 1Co_15:2 , 2Co_2:15 ;
(3) Mat_10:22 , Rom_13:11 , Php_2:12 , Heb_9:28 " (Vau. on Rom_5:9 ). Seq . ἀπό , Mat_1:21 , Act_2:40 , Rom_5:9 ; ἐκ , Jas_5:20 , Jud_1:23 ( cf. Cremer , 532 ff .).
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
σῴζω (~ σώζω ) [page 620]
(for the ι subscript see WH Intr . .2 . p. 314, Blass-Debrunner Gr . § 26) is used like the English save with a variety of application, as the following miscellaneous exx. show PSI IV. 405 .13 (iii/B.C.) ἀντιλαβοῦ αὐτῶν καθ᾽ ὁπ̣όσ̣ον δύνηι εἰς τὸ σώιζεσθαι αὐτούς , P Hib I. 77 .7 (B.C. 249) συντετάγμεθα γὰρ . . . [τοῖς θε ]ο̣ι̣ͅς̣ [τὰ ] ἱερὰ σωθήσεσθαι καθὰ καὶ πρότερον , for we have received instructions that the sacred revenues (?) are to be preserved for the gods as in former times, P Amh II. 35 .32 (B.C. 132) ἐπεὶ οὖν σέσωσαι ἐν τῆι ἀρρωστίαι ὑπὸ τοῦ Σοκνοπαῖτος θεοῦ μεγάλου , since, therefore, your life has been saved in sickness by the great god Socnopaeus, P Tebt I, 56 .11 (late ii / B.C.) σῶσαι ψυχὰς πολλάς (from famine), ib . II. 302 .16 (A.D. 71 2) τινων βιβλίων σ ]ωζομένω [ν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ , certain documents preserved at the temple, BGU II. 423 .8 (ii/A.D.) (= Deissmann LAE 2 , p. 179) μου κινδυνεύσαντος εἰς θάλασσαν ἔσωσε εὐθέως , when I was in danger at sea he saved me immediately (cf. Mat_14:30 f. ), P Oxy I. 33 verso v. 12 (interview with an Emperor late ii/A.D. π̣[ρῶτον μὲν Καῖσαρ ἔ ]σωσε Κλεοπάτρ [αν ] ἐκράτησεν βασι [λείας , in the first place Caesar saved Cleopatra s life when he conquered her kingdom, ib . VI. 935 .7 (iii/A.D.) θεῶν συνλαμβανόντων . . ὁ ἀδελφὸς . . σώζεται καὶ [ὑγι ]αίνει , with the assistance of heaven our brother is safe and well (Edd.), ib . XII. 1414 .22 (A.D. 270 5) σω̣ζ̣ο̣υ̣ ἡμῖν , πρύτανι , καλῶς ἄρχις , save yourself for us, prytanis; excellent is your rule (Edd.), ib . XIV. 1644 .2 (iii/A.D.) σε προσαγορεύω εὐχόμενός σε σώζεσθαι πανοικησίᾳ καὶ εὐ διάγειν , I salute you, praying that you may be preserved and prosper with all your household (Edd.), and ib . I. 41 .23 (acclamations to a praefect at a public meeting iii/iv A.D.) δεόμ [ε ]θα , καθολικαί , σῶσον πόλιν τοῖς κυρίοις , we beseech you, ruler, preserve the city for our lords (Edd.).
We may add from the inscrr. Syll 521 (= 3 717) .89 (B.C. 100 99) δι [ε ]τήρησεν πάντας ὑγιαίνοντας καὶ σωζομένους , ib . 762 (= .3 1130) .1 (after B.C. 167) σωθεὶς ἐκ πολλᾶν καὶ μεγάλων κινδύνων . . θεοῖς συννάοις . . χαριστήριον , OGIS 69 .4 (Ptol.) σωθεὶς ἐγ μεγάλων κινδύνων ἐκπλεύσας ἐκ τῆς Ἐρυθρᾶς θαλάσσης : cf. ib . 70 .4 , 71 .3 , and see Lumbroso Archiv viii. p. 61.
For σῴζειν εἰς , as in 2Ti_4:18 , cf. Syll 255 (= .8 521) .26 (iii/B.C.) διὰ τούτους σέσωιστα [ι ] τὰ αἰχμάλωτα σώματα εἰς τὴν [ἰ ]δίαν ἀπαθῆ .
The adj. σῶς is seen in such passages as BGU IV. 1106 .31 (B.C. 13) ἅ τε ἐὰν λάβῃ ἢ πιστευθῇ σῶα συντηρήσιν (= σειν ), P Lond 301 .13 (A.D. 138 161) (= II. p. 257) παραδω̣[σω ] τὸν γόμον σῶον καὶ ἀκακούργητον , I will hand over the freight safe and unharmed, and BGU III. 892 .20 (iii/A.D.) περιστερίδια ἑξήκ [οντα ] σ̣ῶα καὶ ὑγιῆ , sixty pigeons safe and sound.
For the relation of σῴζω to the Jewish-Aramaic ΰηι see Wellhausen Einleitung in die drei ersten Evangelien , p. 33, and note the important article by W. Wagner άber σώζειν und seine Derivata im Neuen Testament in ZNTW vi. (1905), p. 205 ff.
Liddell-Scott — Intermediate Greek Lexicon
σώζω [Etym: σῶς] "to save, keep": of persons, "to save from death, keep alive, preserve", Hom. , attic of things, "to keep safe, preserve", Hom. :—Mid. "to keep or preserve for oneself", Soph. , etc. "to keep, observe, maintain" laws, etc., Trag. :—Pass., Thuc. "to keep in mind, remember", Eur. , Plat. :—so in Mid., Soph. , Plat. with a sense of motion to a place, "to bring one safe to", τὸν δ᾽ ἐσάωσεν ἐς ποταμοῦ προχοάς Od. ; σω. τινὰ πρὸς ἤπειρον Aesch. :—in Pass. "to come safe, escape to" a place, ἐς οἶκον Hdt. ; ἐπὶ θάλατταν Xen. "to carry off safe, rescue from" danger, ἐκ πολέμου Il. ; ἐκ θανάτοιο Od. ; ἀπὸ στρατείας Aesch. :—c. gen., ἐχθρῶν σῶσαι χθόνα "to rescue" the land from enemies, Soph. ; Pass., σωθῆναι κακῶν Eur. c. inf., αἵ σε σώζουσιν θανεῖν "who save" thee "from" dying, id=Eur. absol., τὰ σώσοντα "what is likely to save", Dem.
STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Greek Lexicon
σώζω (on the more accurate σῴζω, see WH, Intr., §410; Bl., §3, 1-3),
[in LXX chiefly for ישׁע hi., also for מלט ni., נצל ni., etc. ;]
to save from peril, injury or suffering: Mat.8:25, Mrk.13:20, Luk.23:35, al.; τ. ψυχήν, Mat.16:25, al.; before ἐκ, Jhn.12:27, Heb.5:7, Ju 5; of healing, restoring to health: Mat.9:22, Mrk.5:34, al. In NT, esp. of salvation from spiritual disease and death, in which sense it is "spoken of in Scripture as either (1) past, (2) present, or (3) future, according as redemption, grace, or glory is the point in view. Thus (1) Rom.8:24, Eph.2:5, 8 2Ti.1:9, Tit.3:5; (2) Act.2:47, 1Co.1:18, 15:2, 2Co.2:15; (3) Mat.10:22, Rom.13:11, Php.2:12, Heb.9:28" (Vau. on Rom.5:9). Seq. ἀπό, Mat.1:21, Act.2:40, Rom.5:9; ἐκ, Jas.5:20, Ju 23 (cf. Cremer, 532ff.).
(AS)
📖 In-Depth Word Study
Save, heal, make well or whole (4982) sozo
God.
Saved (4982) (sozo) has the basic meaning of rescuing one from great peril. Additional nuances include to protect, keep alive, preserve life, deliver, heal, be made whole.
Sozo -106x in 99 verses in NAS - Mt 1:21; 8:25; 9:21, 22; 10:22; 14:30; 16:25; 19:25; 24:13, 22; 27:40, 42, 49; Mk 3:4; 5:23, 28, 34; 6:56; 8:35; 10:26, 52; 13:13, 20; 15:30, 31; 16:16; Lk 6:9; 7:50; 8:12, 36, 48, 50; 9:24; 13:23; 17:19; 18:26, 42; 19:10; 23:35, 37, 39; Jn 3:17; 5:34; 10:9; 11:12; 12:27, 47; Acts 2:21, 40, 47; 4:9, 12; 11:14; 14:9; 15:1, 11; 16:30, 31; 27:20, 31; Ro 5:9, 10; 8:24; 9:27; 10:9, 13; 11:14, 26; 1Co 1:18, 21; 3:15; 5:5; 7:16; 9:22; 10:33; 15:2; 2Co 2:15; Eph 2:5, 8; 1Th 2:16; 2Th 2:10; 1Ti 1:15; 2:4, 15; 4:16; 2Ti 1:9; 4:18; Titus 3:5; Heb 5:7; 7:25; Jas 1:21; 2:14; 4:12; 5:15, 20; 1Pe 3:21; 4:18; Jude 1:5, 23
Sozo is translated in NAS: bring...safely, 1; cured, 1; ensure salvation, 1; get, 1; get well, 2; made well, 5; made...well, 6; preserved, 1; recover, 1; restore, 1; save, 36; saved, 50; saves, 1; saving, 1.
Click for list of the uses of sozo in the non-apocryphal Septuagint (Lxx).
Sozo is sometimes used of physical deliverance from danger of perishing (see Mt 8:25; Mt 14:30; Lk 23:35; Acts 27:20, 27:31), physical healing from sickness (Mt 9:21, 22; Mk 5:23, Acts 4:9), and deliverance from demonic possession (Lk 8:36).
More often sozo refers to salvation in a spiritual sense as illustrated in the following passages: Matthew recorded the angel's conversation with Joseph declaring
"She (Mary) will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save (sozo) His people from their sins." (Mt 1:21)
Here sozo is equated with deliverance from sins (guilt and power of) with Jesus' name being a transliteration of Joshua meaning "Jehovah is salvation".
Jesus warned His disciples "And you will be hated by all on account of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved (sozo)." (Mt 10:22, cf Mt 24:13) Note it is not one's endurance (self effort or works) that save them but that one is able to endure because of the fact that they are saved. Again Jesus was teaching His disciples about salvation and declared
"it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." And when the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, "Then who can be saved?" (Mt 19:24, 25)
Here He equated entrance into the kingdom of God with being saved. In explaining to His disciples and the multitudes what it meant to come after Him, denying self, taking up one's cross and following Him, Jesus declared that
"whoever wishes to save (referring to one's physical life) his life shall lose it (eternally); but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's shall save (spiritually) it (eternally)." (Mk 8:34)
Jesus speaking to a
"woman in the city who was a sinner" (Lk 7:37) "said to her ""Your sins have been forgiven" (Lk 7:48) and then
"Your faith has saved (sozo) you; go in peace." (Lk 7:50).
In these passages Jesus equates sozo with forgiveness of sins, confession of faith and experiencing peace! In a parable explaining the role of the Word of God and the character of the "soil" in salvation, Jesus taught that
"those (people) beside the road are those who have heard (the seed, the Word, the Gospel); then the devil comes (Mark's gospel adds "immediately", "at once") and takes away (present tense - continually) the word from their heart, so that they may not believe and be saved." (Lk 8:12)
Observe that one cannot be saved unless he believes the word and that merely hearing (and even assenting to the veracity) of the word does not result in salvation.
NET Bible notes add that
"The word of Jesus has the potential to save if it germinates in a person’s heart, something the devil is very much against."
Jesus addressing the repentant Zaccheus declaring for all to hear
"Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham (who by faith was reckoned righteousness - Ge 15:6). For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost (this word speaks of eternal ruin, destitution and spiritual death)." (Lk 19:9,10)
Jesus taught that
"God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him." (Jn 3:17) One is saved (only) by entering "through Christ" as He amplified later explaining "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture."
Peter explained to his Jewish audience how one could avoid the terrifying and dreadful Day of the LORD's wrath, quoting Joel 2:32 and declaring
that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. (Acts 2:21)
Peter later made it very clear that
there is salvation in no (absolute negative - no exception clauses) one else; for there is no other name (Jesus) under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)
The Philippian jailer summed up spiritual salvation asking Paul and Silas
Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household. (Acts 16:31).
He saved us is aorist tense which records the saving act as a past fact. The us here is all who have accepted salvation in Christ. We now possess salvation "past tense" (see table below comparing the "three tenses" of salvation), each of us having been saved at a certain point in time in the when we confessed
with (our) mouth Jesus as Lord, and (believed) in (our) heart that God raised Him from the dead (Ro 10:9 -note)
God rescued us from great, grave danger, John recording that
"he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (Jn 3:18) and that "he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (Jn 3:36).
He delivered us that we might be
"made complete" in Christ (Col 2:10-note) "for of His fulness we have all received, and grace upon grace." (Jn 1:16).
Christ lives to protect us
by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1Pe 1:5-note)
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