Deliverer
DELIVERER (THE) (מְגַלֵּט, מוֹשִֽׁיעַ, מַצִּֽיל; ρυόμενος; λυτρωτής, G3392. One who rescues and removes from danger).
The word tr. “deliverer” in the KJV and also in the RSV OT are participles with a causative meaning. The root of mep̱allēṭ means to “escape.” This form signifies “one who makes a way of escape.” The word is used in this sense to refer only to God. A typical v. is Psalm 40:17, “Thou art my help and my deliverer.”
The word môshîa’ is from the root to “save” and means “one who saves.” It is used in this sense to refer to judges whom God raised up to deliver His people. It is often used of God and tr. savior (e.g., Isa 43:11).
The word maṩṩîl is from the root nāṩal to “deliver.” It also is used with other trs. as in Psalm 7:2 to “rescue” (KJV “deliver”).
All of these words are from common roots and can refer to both physical and spiritual deliverance.
The word lytrōtēs (Acts 7:35) is not used in secular writings. It is from the root meaning to “ransom” or “redeem” and refers to Moses’ work of delivering God’s people from Egypt.
The word ryómenos is a participle from a root meaning “save” or “deliver.” It also is used for physical as well as spiritual salvation.
Of special importance is Romans 11:26 which promises that a Deliverer will come from Zion. This is taken by some to predict the salvation of national Israel. Others refer it to spiritual Israel. The quotation is from Isaiah 59:20 where the Heb. says that a Redeemer will come to Zion. The word used for Redeemer is go’ēl which often is used in the OT to refer to a kinsman who redeems a relative from poverty or who avenges a relative’s murder. The word is used often of God as the Redeemer of the helpless. The NT quotation follows the LXX of Isaiah verbatim except for the preposition. The LXX preposition is eneken; the NT is ek; the Hebrew is le. It is possible that these three renderings can all be satisfied by tr., “A Deliverer shall come for the sake of Zion.” Or the tr. “Redeemer” would be quite appropriate in Romans as in Isaiah.
Bibliography
Commentaries in loc. and of special interest on Romans 11:26: J. Murray, Romans, New International (1965), II, 96-99.