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and went after strange gods (Jer. 5:7). Used in parallelism with “to enrich” in Ezek.
27:33,
implies something of enriching as well: “… Thou filledst many people; …
thou didst enrich the kings of the earth.…”
TO SAVE
A. Verb.
(
, 3467), “to help, deliver, save.” Outside Hebrew this word is attested
only in Moabite. It appears in all periods of Hebrew (including post-biblical Hebrew) and
in biblical Hebrew about 205 times. The verb occurs only in the causative and passive
stems.
Essentially the word means “to remove or seek to remove someone from a burden,
oppression, or danger.” In Exod. 2:17 (the first appearance of this verb)
signifies
to remove someone from a burden or job: “… Moses stood up and helped them, and
watered their flock.” The word is frequently used of removing or seeking to remove
someone from the danger of defeat: “And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua … saying,
slack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us …”
(Josh. 10:6). This is a request to preserve them from possible death. The real danger is
not yet upon them but soon will be. The Gibeonites see in Israel their only help.
'
is used in other situations as when Jephthah tells the Ephraimites that they had
been summoned to the war at a crucial time but did not respond and “delivered me not
out of their [children of Ammon] hands” (Judg. 12:2). Here the emphasis is “set free,” or
“liberate,” in other words, to remove someone from a condition already upon him.
Militarily the word can also be used of “helping,” emphasizing the union of forces so as
to forge a single and stronger fighting unit. This is no last-ditch stand for the unit being
helped. So Joab told Abishai: “If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help
me …” (2 Sam. 10:11). Also, compare: “So the Syrians feared to help [to serve as an ally
of] the children of Ammon any more” (2 Sam. 10:19).
In the realm of justice and civil law
represents an obligation on the part of
anyone who hears an outcry of one being mistreated: “For he [the rapist] found her [the
one he was about to rape] in the field, and the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none
to save her” (Deut. 22:27; cf. 28:29). Therefore, one may appeal especially to the king as
the one obligated to help maintain one’s rights: “And when the woman of Tekoah spake
to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king”
(2 Sam. 14:4; cf. 2 Kings 6:26). The king also “delivered” his people from subjection to
their enemies (1 Sam. 10:27; Hos. 13:10). Jeremiah says of the messianic king: “In his
days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely …” (23:6). Here
is
paralleled by “dwell safely,” a phrase which identifies the meaning of
as “to be
preserved from danger.” Ultimately, God is the Great King who “goeth with you, to fight
for you against your enemies, to save you [deliver you from danger]” (Deut. 20:4), and
the Judge of all Israel.
The word appears in many prayer petitions: “Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God …”
(Ps. 3:7). This is a combination, therefore, of military emphasis (a prayer for deliverance
from some enemy by forceful interference) and judicial emphasis (a prayer for that which
is the petitioner’s due and the obligation of the one petitioned—in God’s case the