Greek word · G1295

διασῴζω

diasōzō

to save

To bring safely through, to rescue completely, to get someone to safety. It is used of people preserved through a danger such as illness, a journey or a shipwreck.

Appears 8 times in 8 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

δια-σώζω

[in LXX for מָלַט, יָשַׁע, etc. ;]

to bring safely through a danger: Luke 7:3, Acts 27:43; before πρός, Acts 23:24. Pass., to come safe through: Acts 28:1; ἐπὶ τ. γῆν, Acts 27:44; ἐκ τ. θαλάσσης, Acts 28:4; δι᾽ ὕδατος, 1 Peter 3:20; of sickness, to recover: Matthew 14:36.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of 1 Peter 3:20

Range of meaning

To bring safely through, to rescue completely, to get someone to safety. It is used of people preserved through a danger such as illness, a journey or a shipwreck.

Against the English

BSB, KJV, WEB, YLT and NIV say "were saved." ESV and NASB say "were brought safely through," which captures the dia- prefix. NLT says "saved from drowning in that terrible flood," which drops "through water."

How it drifted

In church use 'saved' usually means eternal salvation. Here the verb first means survival: coming out alive. Peter goes on to build a theological comparison on it, but the base sense is rescue from death.

Used elsewhere in the period

Acts 23:24 (bringing Paul safely to Felix); 27:43–44; 28:1, 4 (shipwreck survivors reaching land). Josephus uses it of escape from danger. The Greek Old Testament uses it for preservation (e.g. Genesis 19:19 variants; Jonah 1:6).

From the study of 4 Maccabees 4:14

Range of meaning

'To bring safely through, preserve, rescue completely'. The prefix dia- adds the idea of passing through a danger and coming out the other side. It is used for surviving shipwreck, illness, battle or a perilous journey.

Against the English

'Saved' is a fair gloss. But in a religious text many modern readers hear 'saved' as spiritual or eternal salvation, which this word does not mean here.

How it drifted

Christian use of 'saved' for conversion and eternal salvation colours the English word. The Greek verb here is physical: he came through alive.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the New Testament it is used for Paul being 'brought safely' to Felix (Acts 23:24) and for those 'brought safely through' the shipwreck to land (Acts 27:43–44; 28:1, 4). 1 Peter 3:20 uses it of Noah's family 'brought safely through water'. It is common in the Septuagint and in papyri for safe arrival or survival.

From the study of Acts 28:4

Range of meaning

To bring safely through a danger, to rescue completely, to get someone safely to the end of a dangerous passage. It is often used of escaping shipwreck or reaching shore safely. In medical contexts it can mean bringing someone through an illness (Luke 7:3).

Against the English

"Saved," "escaped" (KJV, WEB), "saved out of" (YLT). "Escaped" loses the passive: in the Greek, Paul was brought through. That leaves room to ask who rescued him.

Used elsewhere in the period

Common in Hellenistic Greek for surviving a voyage or battle. Josephus (Life 15) uses it for his own survival of a shipwreck on the way to Rome. In Acts 27–28 Luke uses it four times in quick succession (27:43, 44; 28:1, 4).

Where it appears

Matthew · 1

  1. Matthew 14:36 διεσώθησαν.¶ were cured.

    and begged Him just to let them touch the fringe of His cloak. And all who touched Him were healed.

    Here: 'They were brought safely through', meaning fully restored to health. The prefix dia- ('through') makes it stronger than plain 'saved' or 'healed'. It is the word for coming through danger alive, and here it means a complete cure. The passive form leaves God or Jesus as the unnamed one who acts.

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 7:3 διασώσῃ He may save

    When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to ask Him to come and heal his servant.

Acts · 5

  1. Acts 23:24 διασώσωσιν they may bring [him] safely

    Provide mounts for Paul to take him safely to Governor Felix.”

  2. Acts 27:43 διασῶσαι to save

    But the centurion, wanting to spare Paul’s life, thwarted their plan. He commanded those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land.

  3. Acts 27:44 διασωθῆναι being saved

    The rest were to follow on planks and various parts of the ship. In this way everyone was brought safely to land.

  4. Acts 28:1 διασωθέντες having been saved

    Once we were safely ashore, we learned that the island was called Malta.

  5. Acts 28:4 διασωθέντα having been saved

    When the islanders saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “Surely this man is a murderer. Although he was saved from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.”

    Here: "Though brought safely through" the sea. The dia- prefix carries the idea of getting all the way through a danger. Luke has used this word again and again for the shipwreck survivors (27:43, 44; 28:1). The islanders see the escape as only a delay.

1 Peter · 1

  1. 1 Peter 3:20 διεσώθησαν were saved

    who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In the ark a few people, only eight souls, were saved through water.

    Here: Aorist passive: they were brought safely through. The prefix dia- ("through") pictures coming out alive on the far side of danger. It is the same verb used for shipwreck survivors reaching land in Acts 27:44 and 28:1.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.