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Alphabetical Attributes of God: Deliverer

For those following the Alphabetical Attributes of God series, we are finally at the fifth installment. This post will focus on the letter D. The descriptive word for the King of Kings is "deliverer". If you haven't yet checked out the previous installments, I encourage you here:

  • The Attributes of God,

  • The Attributes of God: Letter A

  • The Attributes of God: Letter B

  • The Attributes of God: Letter C

Contextual Evidence for the Alphabetical Attributes of God: Deliverer Part 1


There are two meanings on which the word "deliver" hinges in the Old Testament. The first is used in a non-theological sense meaning to "deliver over" and then the second usage describes the nature of people delivered. "Natan" (Hebrew, meaning "give over into the possession or power of another") is used over 1,200 times in the Old Testament alone. It has been used to distinguish the giving over of objects as seen in the examples below.

  • Books (2 Chronicles 34:15)

  • Money (2 Kings 12:15)

  • Horses (2 Kings 18:23)

  • Goods (Ester 6:9)

The more common usage of the word describes the functionality of people being delivered over as in Deuteronomy 1:2.


Case Evidence Part 2


There are four Hebrew words used to describe the second meaning of "deliver," referring to the acts of God delivering His people over from their enemies. These enemies were nations, agriculture issues such as famines, biological issues such as death, and an eternal spiritual issue of the grave.


  • "nasal" ("draw out," "snatch away")

  • "palat" ("make an escape")

  • "malat" ("to cause to escape")

  • "halas" ("to draw out")

  • "yasa" ("to save")


These words describe the acts as seen in the scripture below.

  • Nations: 1 Samuel 17:37, 2 Kings 20:6

  • The wicked: Psalm 7:2, Psalm 17:13, Psalm 18:16-19, Psalm 59:2, Psalm 69:14, Psalm 79:4

  • Famine: Psalm 33:19

  • Death: Psalm 22:19-21

  • The grave: Psalm 56:19, Psalm 86:13, Hosea 13:14

Please see Exodus 3:8, Exodus 6:6, and Exodus 18:10 for the account of the pilgrimage from Egypt after God rescued the Israelites from the Egyptian nation and tyranny.


New Testament Contextual Evidence Part 1


As in the Old Testament, the same meaning of "deliver" are seen in the New Testament. The Greek word "paradidomai" means to "deliver over." The following examples are employed from Scripture below.

  • People: Matthew 5:25, Matthew 18:34, Matthew 20:19

  • Goods: Matthew 25:19

This Greek word is also used by Jesus to portray the nature of His death in Matthew 20:18, Mark 10:33, and Luke 9:34. "Paradidomai" was also used to describe how doctrine was delivered to others in the following scripture:

  • Mark 7:13

  • Acts 6:14

  • Romans 6:17

  • 1 Colossians 11:2

Case Evidence in New Testament Part 2


The case for Christ as the deliverer is seen in the Greek words "Rhuomai" ("rescue") and "exaireo" ("take out of"). These are used in the context of ideas of danger/distress.

Please see the following Scripture references:

  • 2 Peter 2:9

  • Acts 12:11