σωτηρία
salvation
also: deliverance, preservation, safety fuller range ↓
Full lexicon entry — Thayer's Greek Lexicon
From Thayer's Greek Lexicon
Where this word appears
See every Genitive-case word in the Greek New Testament →
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Noun
- A naming word — a person, place, thing, or idea.
Case
- Genitive
- The case of source, possession, or “of” — answers “whose / from what.”
- Accusative
- The case of the direct object and of extent.
- Nominative
- The case of the subject (and the predicate nominative).
Gender
- Feminine
- Grammatically feminine.
Number
- Singular
- One.
2 verses where G4991 appears in the Genitive case in the Book of Luke. Filtered view — show all forms. Click any verse to open its interlinear word-by-word view. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context — . Each verse’s Greek form is shown with its reference; the English is not keyword-highlighted, since the data carries no word-level English alignment. Use “Compare translations” on any verse to read it across multiple English versions. This concordance covers the Greek New Testament; Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) occurrences of this word are not indexed here.
Luke
About this entry
At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.
“salvation” is the headline sense of the Greek noun σωτηρια (sōtēría). Scripture first uses it in Luke 1:69. It appears 44 verses across 15 books of the Greek New Testament, among its moderately common vocabulary. Not a single-sense word, it carries 3 senses, among them “deliverance”, “preservation”, and “safety”. It shares a root with σωτηρ and σωτηριον. See the sense tree, 44-verse concordance, and the renderings breakdown below.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's G4991 catalogs a Greek word from the Greek New Testament.
These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Greek New Testament. What Lemma adds →
- 44
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 44 distinct verses.
- 15 / 27
- NT books
- The word appears in 15 of 27 New Testament books.
- #337
- by frequency
- Top 500 most frequent Greek words (rank 337 of 5,347 Greek words by occurrence).
View all 44 occurrences in the concordance →
By section of the New Testament
By traditional corpus
Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Some books belong to more than one corpus (Luke is in both the Gospels and the Lukan corpus, and so on), so these shares overlap and need not total 100%. Each figure is a share of the word’s 44 distinct verses.
- Pauline corpus 17 verses · 39%
- Lukan (Luke–Acts) 10 verses · 23%
- Hebrews 7 verses · 16%
- General (Catholic) Epistles 6 verses · 14%
- Gospels 5 verses · 11%
- Johannine 4 verses · 9%
- Revelation 3 verses · 7%
How translations render this word
Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).
- King James Version: Salvation 39×
- American Standard Version: Salvation 37×, Is salvation 2×, Of 2×
- Berean Standard Bible: Salvation 38×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text: Salvation 43×, Of 5×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders G4991 across 44 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 5 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 1 further occurrence.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders G4991 across 44 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 3 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders G4991 across 45 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 7 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders G4991 across 50 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 2 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Senses in Thayer's
The 3 senses Thayer's distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency or importance). The full entry — with sub-senses — is in the Lexicon Entry tab.
- deliverance, preservation, safety, salvation
- salvation as the present possession of all true Christians
- future salvation…
Word origin
Derived from σωτηρ (sōtḗr) (G4990) — savior.
Feminine of a derivative of G4990 as (properly abstract) noun; rescue or safety (physically or morally): - deliver health salvation save saving.
— Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance (1890), public domain.
Forms in the corpus
The 3 distinct written forms G4991 takes in the Greek New Testament, most frequent first — each parse links to that case’s occurrences in the concordance.
| Form | Parsing | Example | Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| σωτηρίας sōtērías | Noun, Genitive, Singular, Feminine | Luke 1:69 | 19 |
| σωτηρίαν sōtērían | Noun, Accusative, Singular, Feminine | Luke 1:71 | 18 |
| σωτηρία sōtēría | Noun, Nominative, Singular, Feminine | Luke 19:9 | 8 |
Same root — word family
Other Thayer's entries built from the same root as G4991, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.
Derives from
Derived from this word
Compare all same-root words → They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint usage
The same Greek word σωτηρια appears 104 times in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), across 100 verses in 17 books.
- 104
- LXX occurrences
- Tagged occurrences of this Greek word in the Septuagint.
- 100
- verses
- Distinct Septuagint verses containing this word.
- 17 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 17 of the 39 Old Testament books.
Sample Septuagint occurrences
- Genesis 26:31 σωτηρία
- Exodus 14:13 σωτηρία
- Judges 15:18 σωτηρία
- 1 Samuel 2:1 σωτηρία
- 2 Samuel 10:11 σωτηρία
- 2 Kings 5:1 σωτηρία
- 1 Chronicles 11:14 σωτηρία
- 2 Chronicles 6:41 σωτηρία
- Ezra 9:8 σωτηρία
- Esther 4:11 σωτηρία
- Job 2:9 σωτηρία
- Psalms 3:3 σωτηρία
Septuagint occurrences (same lexeme)
Every verse where the same Strong’s number (G4991) appears in the Greek Septuagint — showing the first 50 of 100. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context; the Greek form is the matched word — the English is not keyword-highlighted.
- Genesis 26:31 σωτηρία They rose up some time in the morning, and swore one to another. Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.
- Genesis 28:21 σωτηρία so that I come again to my father's house in peace, and Yahweh will be my God,
- Genesis 44:17 σωτηρία He said, "Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose hand the cup is found, he will be my bondservant; but as for you, go up in peace to your father."
- Genesis 49:18 σωτηρία I have waited for your salvation, Yahweh.
- Exodus 14:13 σωτηρία Moses said to the people, "Don't be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of Yahweh, which he will work for you today: for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you shall never see them again.
- Exodus 15:2 σωτηρία Yah is my strength and song, He has become my salvation: This is my God, and I will praise him; My father's God, and I will exalt him.
- Judges 15:18 σωτηρία He was very thirsty, and called on Yahweh, and said, You have given this great deliverance by the hand of your servant; and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised.
- 1 Samuel 2:1 σωτηρία Hannah prayed, and said: My heart exults in Yahweh; My horn is exalted in Yahweh; My mouth is enlarged over my enemies; Because I rejoice in your salvation.
- 1 Samuel 11:9 σωτηρία They said to the messengers who came, Thus shall you tell the men of Jabesh Gilead, Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have deliverance. The messengers came and told the men of Jabesh; and they were glad.
- 1 Samuel 11:13 σωτηρία Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day; for today Yahweh has worked deliverance in Israel.
- 1 Samuel 14:45 σωτηρία The people said to Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it: as Yahweh lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he has worked with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he didn't die.
- 1 Samuel 19:5 σωτηρία for he put his life in his hand, and struck the Philistine, and Yahweh worked a great victory for all Israel: you saw it, and did rejoice; why then will you sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?
- 2 Samuel 10:11 σωτηρία He said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the children of Ammon be too strong for you, then I will come and help you.
- 2 Samuel 15:14 σωτηρία David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for else none of us shall escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us quickly, and bring down evil on us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.
- 2 Samuel 19:3 σωτηρία The people got them by stealth that day into the city, as people who are ashamed steal away when they flee in battle.
- 2 Samuel 22:3 σωτηρία God, my rock, in him will I take refuge; My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge; My savior, you save me from violence.
- 2 Samuel 22:36 σωτηρία You have also given me the shield of your salvation; Your gentleness has made me great.
- 2 Samuel 22:47 σωτηρία Yahweh lives; Blessed be my rock; Exalted be God, the rock of my salvation,
- 2 Samuel 22:51 σωτηρία Great deliverance gives he to his king, Shows loving kindness to his anointed, To David and to his seed, forevermore.
- 2 Samuel 23:5 σωτηρία Most assuredly my house is not so with God; Yet he has made with me an everlasting covenant, Ordered in all things, and sure: For it is all my salvation, and all [my] desire, Although he doesn't make it grow.
- 2 Samuel 23:10 σωτηρία He arose, and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand froze to the sword; and Yahweh worked a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to take spoil.
- 2 Samuel 23:12 σωτηρία But he stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and killed the Philistines; and Yahweh worked a great victory.
- 2 Kings 5:1 σωτηρία Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him Yahweh had given victory to Syria: he was also a mighty man of valor, [but he was] a leper.
- 2 Kings 13:5 σωτηρία (Yahweh gave Israel a savior, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians; and the children of Israel lived in their tents as before.
- 2 Kings 13:17 σωτηρία He said, Open the window eastward; and he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot; and he shot. He said, Yahweh's arrow of victory, even the arrow of victory over Syria; for you shall strike the Syrians in Aphek, until you have consumed them.
- 1 Chronicles 11:14 σωτηρία They stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and killed the Philistines; and Yahweh saved them by a great victory.
- 1 Chronicles 16:23 σωτηρία Sing to Yahweh, all the earth; Show forth his salvation from day to day.
- 1 Chronicles 16:35 σωτηρία Say you, Save us, God of our salvation, Gather us together and deliver us from the nations, To give thanks to your holy name, To triumph in your praise.
- 1 Chronicles 19:12 σωτηρία He said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the children of Ammon be too strong for you, then I will help you.
- 2 Chronicles 6:41 σωτηρία Now therefore arise, Yahweh God, into your resting-place, you, and the ark of your strength: let your priests, Yahweh God, be clothed with salvation, and let your saints rejoice in goodness.
- 2 Chronicles 12:7 σωτηρία When Yahweh saw that they humbled themselves, the word of Yahweh came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves: I will not destroy them; but I will grant them some deliverance, and my wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.
- 2 Chronicles 20:17 σωτηρία You shall not need to fight in this [battle]: set yourselves, stand you still, and see the salvation of Yahweh with you, O Judah and Jerusalem; don't be afraid, nor be dismayed: tomorrow go out against them: for Yahweh is with you.
- Ezra 9:8 σωτηρία Now for a little moment grace has been shown from Yahweh our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.
- Ezra 9:13 σωτηρία After all that is come on us for our evil deeds, and for our great guilt, seeing that you our God have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such a remnant,
- Esther 4:11 σωτηρία All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that whoever, whether man or woman, shall come to the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law for him, that he be put to death, except those to whom the king shall hold out the golden scepter, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.
- Job 2:9 σωτηρία Then his wife said to him, "Do you still maintain your integrity? Renounce God, and die."
- Job 5:4 σωτηρία His children are far from safety, They are crushed in the gate. Neither is there any to deliver them,
- Job 11:20 σωτηρία But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, They shall have no way to flee; Their hope shall be the giving up of the spirit."
- Job 13:16 σωτηρία This also shall be my salvation, That a godless man shall not come before him.
- Job 20:20 σωτηρία "Because he knew no quietness within him, He shall not save anything of that in which he delights.
- Job 30:15 σωτηρία Terrors are turned on me. They chase my honor as the wind. My welfare has passed away as a cloud.
- Job 30:22 σωτηρία You lift me up to the wind, and drive me with it. You dissolve me in the storm.
- Psalms 3:3 σωτηρία But you, Yahweh, are a shield around me, My glory, and the one who lifts up my head.
- Psalms 3:9 σωτηρία
- Psalms 11:6 σωτηρία On the wicked he will rain blazing coals; Fire, sulfur, and scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.
- Psalms 17:3 σωτηρία You have proved my heart; you have visited me in the night; You have tried me, and found nothing; I have resolved that my mouth shall not disobey.
- Psalms 17:36 σωτηρία
- Psalms 17:47 σωτηρία
- Psalms 17:51 σωτηρία
- Psalms 19:7 σωτηρία Yahweh's law is perfect, restoring the soul. Yahweh's testimony is sure, making wise the simple.
These are occurrences of the same Greek lexeme (G4991) in the Septuagint — not a translation of any one Hebrew word. The store carries no word-level Hebrew↔Greek alignment, so no Hebrew original is asserted here. Counts come from the recovered LXX Strong's tagging — high-frequency vocabulary is well covered, while rare or late forms may be untagged — so they reflect tagged occurrences and may slightly undercount.
