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obligation is selfimposed through the establishment of the covenantal relationship; cf. Ps.
20:9). In other instances the judicial obligation is in view: “He [the Lord’s anointed king]
shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break
in pieces the oppressor” (Ps. 72:4). In this passage the word in synonymous parallelism to
is
, “to see that legal justice is executed.” Very often the psalmist has in
view the spiritual aspect of God’s eternal covenant. This is clear in passages such as Ps.
86, where David confesses that, although the ruler of Israel, he is humbled (godly), and
that, although enjoying kingly wealth, he is needy (trusting in God). On the basis of these
spiritual conditions he prays for God’s covenantal response: “Preserve my soul; for I am
holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee” (Ps. 86:2). The blessings
sought here are both eternal (Ps. 86:11-13) and temporal (Ps. 86:14-17).
B. Nouns.
$
(
, 3444), “salvation.” This word appears about 78 times and refers
primarily to God’s acts of help which have already occurred and been experienced. In
Gen. 49:18 (the first biblical occurrence), the word includes the idea of “salvation”
through divinely appointed means and from inequity. In 1 Sam. 14:45
$
is used of
a human act: “And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this
great salvation in Israel?” The word is used infrequently of deliverance and/or help
effected by things (Isa. 12:3).
The noun
$
also means “salvation.” It occurs about 34 times. The word is
frequently joined with responses of thanksgiving and rejoicing (Judg. 15:18—the first
occurrence; 1 Sam. 11:13).
$
, therefore, is sometimes rendered “deliverance”
(Judg. 15:18), “victory” (2 Sam. 19:2), as well as “salvation” (Isa. 45:17). The idea of
“salvation” is that of preservation from threatened, impending, and perhaps deserved
danger and suffering.
$
is used in a few instances of a human act: “Where no
counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety” (Prov.
11:14).
The noun
which occurs 36 times, signifies that which God will do in man’s
behalf (2 Sam. 22:3), or that which has been done by Him for man (2 Sam. 22:36). In two
instances this word means simply the general absence of oppression and need (Job 5:4,
11). The word may be translated as “salvation” or “safety.”
The noun
occurs only once to mean “saving acts” (Ps. 68:20).
SAVOR
A. Noun.
(
, 7381), “savor; smell; fragrance; aroma.” Of the 61 appearances of this
word, 43 refer specifically to sacrifices made to God and appear in Genesis-Numbers and
Ezekiel.
This word refers to the “scent or smell” of a person or thing: “And he [Jacob] came
near, … and he [Isaac] smelled the smell of his raiment …” (Gen. 27:27). In Song of Sol.
1:12
signifies the “fragrance” of perfume and in Song of Sol. 2:3 the “fragrance” of
a flower. This word is used of a bad “smell” in Exod. 5:21: “… Because ye have made
our savor to be abhorred [have made us odious] in the eyes of Pharaoh.…” Most