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WORD STUDY: VERB
Jacob Michael Miro
Introduction
The story of Exodus begins with Israel outside the land of promise in the midst of
political turmoil. The pharaoh understands Israel in purely political terms as those who are not
Egyptians and impose a threat to Egypt. Rather than expel Israel, the Pharaoh chooses to enslave
them in order to build store cities for his wealth1. It is within the harsh circumstances of the
Egyptians killing any male born to the Israelites, that Moses is born. As Moses grows up, he tries
to convince the Pharaoh to release the Israelites.
When Pharaoh refuses, God promises to harden Pharaoh’s heart (Ex. 4:21; 7:3) and
causes plagues to sweep through the nation. When the tenth plague comes and kills every
firstborn male of Egypt (including the Pharaoh’s), he finally expels Israel. However, as we will
examine in Exodus 14:26-31, this is not the end of the Pharaoh’s threat to Israel. Pharaoh “sends
earth’s most powerful army after this ragtag band of freed slaves”2. However, he is unsuccessful
in destroying God’s people. Through the parting of the sea, Israel is delivered and the Pharaoh’s
chariotry and men drown.
Select Only the Most Important Word(s) for Study
Roden states, that “verbs are the life, heart, and soul of a language”3 which is supported
in the usage of the word “saved” in Exodus 14:26-31. Throughout history the children of Israel
1 Hess, Richard S. The Old Testament : A Historical, Theological, and Critical Introduction. Grand Rapids.
Baker Academic. 2016. 67.
2 Ibid., 69.
3 Roden, Chet. 2016. Elementary Biblical Hebrew. San Diego, CA: Cognella Academic Publishing. 78.
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were persistently disobedient and dishonoring God. However, the hand of God remained over
His chosen people as he protected them, provided for them, and fulfilled the promises He made
with His covenant. Exodus 14:30 depicts the fatherly love of God for His people as, “the Lord
saved Israel that day from the hands of the Egyptians”. Through the physical salvation from the
Egyptians, the Israelites were provided salvation through God’s promise of restoring their land.
Determine the Hebrew Word from Which the English Word Was Derived and the Hebrew
Verb Stem
The root word translated as “saved” is the Hebrew word yâsha (ʻעַׁשָ י). Depending on the
context of the word, the word עַׁשָ י can be found in either the Niphal or the Hiplil form. When the
subject is receiving the action, the word is found in the Niphal form. In Niphal, the word can be
translated as “to be liberated, be saved, be delivered” or “to be saved (in battle), be victorious”4.
Whereas when the subject is doing the action, such as saving, the word is found in the Hiplil
form. In Hiplil, the word can be translated as “to save, deliver, to save from moral troubles and to
give victory to”5. For the context of our scripture passage, God is saving the Israelites from the
Egyptians meaning we are in the Hiplil form.
List All the English Words Used for that Hebrew Root
According to the Blue Letter Bible, עַׁשָ י appears 205x within the King James Version
across 13 various forms. Strong’s Accordance translated them in the following manner: save
(149x), saviour (15x), deliver (13x), help (12x), preserved (5x), salvation (3x), avenging (2x), at
all (1x), avenged (1x), defend (1x), rescue (1x), safe (1x), victory (1x). The translation used in
4 “H3467 - Yāša - Strong’s Hebrew Lexicon (Kjv).” n.d. Blue Letter Bible. Accessed September 11, 2023. ʿ
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h3467/kjv/wlc/0-1/.
5 Ibid.
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Exodus 14:30 is the most used translation of עַׁשָ י. It is also important to note that some of these
translations are nouns instead of verbs due to the context of the Scripture.
Note Any Changes in Meaning if the Verb Changes Stem
As noted previously, the meaning of עַׁשָ י will change depending on the form used, Niphal
or Hiplil. When someone is receiving the action, the Niphal form is used. When someone is
doing the action, the Hiplil form is used.
Consider How the Contextual Settings Influenced Each of the English Word Choices
Depending on the context of the Scripture, the translation of עַׁשָ י determines what English
word is used. The entire passage reenforces that salvation comes through God alone which is
why I believe the translation of “salvation” used three times within the King James Version
translation is rather accurate. Whether it was through supernatural or physical salvation, it was
always in God’s plan to save Israel. In David Guzik’s commentary he included the following
remark, “The drowned Egyptian soldiers stand for an old way of life in slavery, now gone
forever. Somehow the sight of those dead bodies was the concrete sign that salvation and a new
life for Israel were now assured.”6. God could have just parted the sea to show His authority over
nature and protection for His children, but he went a step further in showing His glory by
drowning the Egyptians.
Conclusion
6 Guzik, David. 2015. “Enduring Word Bible Commentary Exodus Chapter 14.” Enduring Word. December 16,
2015. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/exodus-14/.
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In conclusion, the Hebrew verb עַׁשָ י occurs in Exodus 14:26-31 in order to enforce that
God fulfilled the covenant by protecting and providing for the people of Israel despite their
disobedience. The fatherly act of protecting ones children is exemplified through the saving of
the Israelites, and further depicted in the New Testament with the crucifixion of Christ. The
salvation found in God protects us from the wickedness of the world and from facing the storms
alone.
Bibliography
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Guzik, David. 2015. “Enduring Word Bible Commentary Exodus Chapter 14.” Enduring Word.
December 16, 2015. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/exodus-14/.
“H3467 - Yāša - Strong’s Hebrew Lexicon (Kjv).” n.d. Blue Letter Bible. Accessed September ʿ
11, 2023. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h3467/kjv/wlc/0-1/.
Hess, Richard S. The Old Testament : A Historical, Theological, and Critical Introduction. Grand
Rapids. Baker Academic. 2016.
Roden, Chet. 2016. Elementary Biblical Hebrew. San Diego, CA: Cognella Academic
Publishing.
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