ῥύομαι
To rescue
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Canonical witness: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
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What does ῥύομαι (rhýomai) mean in the Bible?
ῥύομαι (rhýomai) is a Greek word meaning "to rescue". ῥύομαι [in LXX chiefly for נָצַל hi. Points to the saving action of Christ as the answer to human bondage. This term runs through the canonical themes of Messiah, Redemption.
Meaning
Rescue through forceful extraction or removal, emphasizing deliverance from danger or evil power.
to draw to oneself, hence, to rescue, deliver: with accusative of person(s), Mat.27:43, 2Pe.2:7; id. before ἀπό, Mat.6:13, Luk.11:4 (Rec., R, mg.), 2Ti.4:18; before ἐκ, Rom.7:24, 2Co.1:10, Col.1:13, 1Th.1:10, 2Ti.3:11, 2Pe.2:9; absol., ὁ ῥυύμενος, the deliverer, Rom.11:26. Passive: before ἀπό, Rom.15:31, 2Th.3:2; before ἐκ, Luk.1:74, 2Ti.4:17.
Why This Word Matters
Points to the saving action of Christ as the answer to human bondage. 2 Timothy 4:16-18
Paul expresses confidence in God's ability to deliver His servants from evil. Romans 7:14-25
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
Indicative states a fact or reality 9×
Imperative command or strong request 2×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 3×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 2×
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 1×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 17 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Canonical Themes
Biblical Occurrences
Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.
Word Pictures (Robertson)
A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.
A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain