תְּשׁוּעָה
𐤕𐤔𐤅𐤏𐤄
tᵉshûwʻâh
H8668 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A condition or act of deliverance from danger, oppression, or distress; the state of being saved or rescued. תְּשׁוּעָה most frequently refers to deliverance granted by a higher power—especially by the God of Israel—whether in personal, communal, or national crises. Its semantic range includes physical rescue, military or political deliverance from enemies, broader states of safety or security, and, in later periods, the more abstract sense of salvation.
Semantic Range
deliverance from danger, rescue from oppression, military victory, safety, security, help in distress, (later) spiritual or eschatological salvation
Root / Etymology
Root: ישׁע (y-š-ʿ) meaning 'to save, deliver, rescue.' The noun תְּשׁוּעָה is a feminine formation, structurally distinct from the more common יְשׁוּעָה (yeshûʿâh). There is an alternative orthographic form תְּשֻׁעָה. Occasionally etymologically connected (in earlier lexica) to the root שׁוע (š-w-ʿ, 'to cry for help'), but modern scholarship primarily relates it to ישׁע. The shift from verb to noun preserves the concept of rescue or deliverance, emphasizing the resulting state or the act of deliverance itself.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, תְּשׁוּעָה is used predominantly to denote acts of YHWH's deliverance of the Israelites, particularly in military or existential crisis (e.g., Judges, Psalms). Its usage is most common in poetic and liturgical compositions, where it expresses the transition from distress to safety attributed to divine intervention. At times, it is used for deliverance supplied by individuals (e.g., a judge or king). The term can overlap semantically with יְשׁוּעָה (yeshûʿâh), though יְשׁוּעָה develops stronger associations with personal or eschatological salvation in later biblical and post-biblical literature. English translations render תְּשׁוּעָה as 'deliverance,' 'salvation,' 'help,' or 'victory,' but these do not always convey the breadth of possible applications (from physical rescue to national triumph). In prophetic and post-exilic contexts, the term sometimes broadens to encompass spiritual rescue or hope for future restoration. In later periods and translation traditions, particularly in Greek (LXX: σωτηρία), the word influenced evolving notions of 'salvation,' but this is a development beyond its core classical Hebrew usage. Caution should be used to distinguish first-temple, exilic, and later religious readings.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or תְּשֻׁעָה; from שָׁוַע in the sense of יָשַׁע; rescue (literal or figurative, persons, national or spiritual); deliverance, help, safety, salvation, victory.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ישע (y-š-ʿ) — to save, to deliver, to rescue
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1954 | הוֹשֵׁעַ | in Deliverance |
| H1955 | הוֹשַׁעְיָה | Yahweh has saved |
| H3091 | יְהוֹשׁוּעַ | in YHWH-saves |
| H3442 | יֵשׁוּעַ | to Yeshua |
| H3443 | יֵשׁוּעַ | and Yeshua |
Word Forms
12 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8668-05 |
תְּשׁוּעָ֖ה | teshuah | HNcfsa |
salvation | deliverance | 13 |
H8668-06 |
תְּשׁוּעַ֖ת | teshuat | HNcfsc |
salvation | deliverance of | 4 |
H8668-07 |
תְּשׁוּעָתֶֽ/ךָ | teshuatekha | HNcfsc/Sp2ms |
your salvation | your deliverance | 3 |
H8668-01 |
הַ/תְּשׁוּעָ֥ה | hateshuah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the victory | the deliverance | 3 |
H8668-02 |
לִ/תְשׁוּעָ֑ה | liteshuah | HR/Ncfsa |
for salvation | for deliverance | 2 |
H8668-09 |
וּ֝/תְשׁוּעָ֗ה | uteshuah | HC/Ncfsa |
and victory | and deliverance | 2 |
H8668-08 |
תְּשׁוּעָתִֽ/י | teshuati | HNcfsc/Sp1cs |
my salvation | my deliverance | 2 |
H8668-04 |
לִ/תְשׁוּעָתְ/ךָ֣ | liteshuatekha | HR/Ncfsc/Sp2ms |
for Your salvation | for your deliverance | 1 |
H8668-12 |
וּ/תְשׁוּעָתִ֖/י | uteshuati | HC/Ncfsc/Sp1cs |
and my salvation | and my deliverance | 1 |
H8668-03 |
לִ/תְשׁוּעַ֖ת | liteshuat | HR/Ncfsc |
for the salvation | for deliverance-of | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
34 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8668-01 |
Judges 15:18 | הַ/תְּשׁוּעָ֥ה | hateshuah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the deliverance | the deliverance |
H8668-05 |
1 Samuel 11:9 | תְּשׁוּעָ֖ה | teshuah | HNcfsa |
deliverance | deliverance |
H8668-05 |
1 Samuel 11:13 | תְּשׁוּעָ֖ה | teshuah | HNcfsa |
deliverance | deliverance |
H8668-05 |
1 Samuel 19:5 | תְּשׁוּעָ֤ה | teshuah | HNcfsa |
deliverance | deliverance |
H8668-01 |
2 Samuel 19:3 | הַ/תְּשֻׁעָ֜ה | hateshuah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the victory | the deliverance |
H8668-05 |
2 Samuel 23:10 | תְּשׁוּעָ֥ה | teshuah | HNcfsa |
salvation | deliverance |
H8668-05 |
2 Samuel 23:12 | תְּשׁוּעָ֥ה | teshuah | HNcfsa |
a victory | deliverance |
H8668-05 |
2 Kings 5:1 | תְּשׁוּעָ֖ה | teshuah | HNcfsa |
deliverance | deliverance |
H8668-05 |
2 Kings 13:17 | תְּשׁוּעָ֤ה | teshuah | HNcfsa |
of victory | deliverance |
H8668-05 |
2 Kings 13:17 | תְּשׁוּעָ֣ה | teshuah-2 | HNcfsa |
of victory | deliverance |