The meaning of Deliver in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
de-liv'-er (natsal, nathan; rhuomai, paradidomi): Occurs very frequently in the Old Testament and represents various Hebrew terms. The English word is used in two senses, (1) "to set free," etc., (2) "to give up or over."
(1) The word most often translated "deliver" in the first sense is natsal, meaning originally, perhaps, "to draw out." It is used of all kinds of deliverance (Genesis 32:11; Psalms 25:20; Psalms 143:9, etc.; Jeremiah 7:10; Ezekiel 3:19, etc.; Zephaniah 1:18, etc.). The Aramaic netsal occurs in Daniel 3:29; Daniel 6:14; Daniel 8:4, Daniel 8:7; yasha', "to save," in Judges 3:9, Judges 3:31 the King James Version, etc.; malaT, "to let or cause to escape," in Isaiah 46:2, "recover," etc. In the New Testament rhuomai, "to rescue," is most frequently translated "deliver" in this sense (Matthew 6:13 the King James Version, "Deliver us from evil"); katargeo, "to make useless" or "without effect" (Romans 7:6 the Revised Version (British and American), "discharged"). In the New Testament "save" takes largely the place of "deliver" in the Old Testament, and the idea is raised to the spiritual and eternal.
(2) For "deliver" in the sense of "give over, up," etc., the most frequent word is nathan, the common word for "to give" (Genesis 32:16; Genesis 40:13 the King James Version; Exodus 5:18). Other words are maghan (Hosea 11:8, the King James Version and the English Revised Version "How shall I deliver thee Israel?" i.e. "How shall I give thee up?" as in the first clause of the verse, with a different word (nathan), the American Standard Revised Version "How shall I cast thee off?"), yehabh, Aramaic (Ezra 5:14). In the New Testament paradidomi, "to give over to," is most frequent (Matthew 5:25; Matthew 11:27, "All things have been delivered (given or made over) unto me of my Father"; Mark 7:13; Luke 1:2; I Timothy 1:20, etc.); charizomai, "to grant as a favor" (Acts 25:11, Acts 25:16 the King James Version).
(3) Yaladh, "to bring forth," is also rendered "deliver" in the sense of childbirth (Genesis 25:24; Exodus 1:19, etc.). In the New Testament this sense is borne by tikto (Luke 1:57; Luke 2:6; Revelation 12:2, Revelation 12:4), and gennao (John 16:21).
In the Revised Version (British and American) there are many changes, such as, for "deliver," "restore" (Genesis 37:22; Genesis 40:13; Exodus 22:26; Deuteronomy 24:13); for "delivered," "defended" (I Chronicles 11:14); for "cannot deliver thee," "neither .... turn thee aside" (Job 36:18); for "betray," "betrayed" we have "deliver," "delivered up," etc. (Matthew 10:4 margin; Mark 13:12; Mark 14:10 f.; Luke 21:16); for "delivered into chains," "committed to pits" (II Peter 2:4, margin "some ancient authorities read chains"; compare The Wisdom of Solomon 17:17); "Deliver us from evil," omitted in Luke 11:4, margin "Many ancient authorities add but deliver us from the evil one (or, from evil)."
W. L. Walker
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