Word Study for G4506 (ῥύομαι)

rhýomai /rhoo'-om-ahee/ Ask about this word

Meaningmiddle voice of an obsolete verb, akin to ῥέω (through the idea of a current; compare ῥύσις); to rush or draw (for oneself), i.e. rescue

KJV usagedeliver(-er).

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of rhýomai — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word rhýomai, represented by G4506, means to rescue or deliver. It appears 19 times across 16 unique verses in the Bible. Its base definition, derived from the idea of a current, suggests a forceful action of rushing to draw someone to safety, highlighting a proactive and personal rescue.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, G4506 is used to describe God's intervention in various circumstances. It is a central plea in the Lord's Prayer, asking God to "deliver us from evil" Matthew 6:13. The term describes a profound spiritual rescue, as seen in the statement that God has "delivered us from the power of darkness" Colossians 1:13. It also applies to physical and circumstantial peril, as when Paul recounts that "out of them all the Lord delivered me" from persecutions 2 Timothy 3:11 and that he "was delivered out of the mouth of the lion" 2 Timothy 4:17. In a prophetic context, it identifies Christ as the "Deliverer" who would come from Sion Romans 11:26.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the scope of divine deliverance:

G4982 sṓzō (to save, i.e. deliver or protect): This term often appears alongside G4506, highlighting a comprehensive act of salvation. For example, the Lord will deliver Paul from evil and preserve him for His heavenly kingdom 2 Timothy 4:18.
G3179 methístēmi (to transfer, i.e. carry away, depose or (figuratively) exchange, seduce): This shows that deliverance is not just a rescue from something, but a relocation to somewhere else. Believers are delivered from darkness and translated into the kingdom of God's Son Colossians 1:13.
G1743 endynamóō (to empower): This word connects God's deliverance with His enabling power. Paul states that the Lord stood with him and strengthened him, which led to his being delivered from the lion's mouth 2 Timothy 4:17.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G4506 is significant, revealing key aspects of God's relationship with humanity.

A Continuous Divine Action: Deliverance is not a one-time event. God is presented as the one "Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us" 2 Corinthians 1:10. This establishes a pattern of past, present, and future rescue.
Rescue from Specific Perils: The term is used to describe rescue from a range of threats, including spiritual bondage ("the power of darkness" in Colossians 1:13), personal trials ("temptations" in 2 Peter 2:9), mortal danger ("the mouth of the lion" in 2 Timothy 4:17), and the internal struggle with sin ("the body of this death" in Romans 7:24).
The Foundation of Hope and Service: Being delivered from enemies enables believers to "serve him without fear" Luke 1:74. This act of rescue is the basis for confident trust that God knows how to deliver the godly 2 Peter 2:9 and will deliver His people from every evil work 2 Timothy 4:18.

Summary

In summary, G4506 defines more than a simple escape. It portrays an active and powerful divine rescue, a drawing away from imminent peril. From deliverance from the "power of darkness" Colossians 1:13 to the plea for rescue from "evil" Matthew 6:13, the word frames God as the ultimate Deliverer. It establishes a foundation for the believer's security, trust, and service, rooted in the certainty that God is both willing and able to rescue His people.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 18 occurrences, inflected in 11 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Aorist Middle Or Passive Deponent Indicative 3rd Singular 4×
Future Middle Deponent Indicative 3rd Singular 4×
Aorist Middle Deponent Imperative 2nd Singular 2×
Aorist Middle Deponent Imperative 3rd Singular 1×
Aorist Passive Indicative 1st Singular 1×
Aorist Passive Participle Accusative Plural Masculine 1×
Aorist Passive Subjunctive 1st Plural 1×
Aorist Passive Subjunctive 1st Singular 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Infinitive 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Participle Accusative Singular Masculine 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Accusative: The direct object of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Future: Action yet to take place.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Middle: The subject acts on or for itself.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Middle Deponent: Middle in form but active in meaning.
Passive Deponent: Passive in form but active in meaning.
Middle Or Passive: Can be read as middle or passive; context decides.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Imperative: A command or entreaty.
Subjunctive: Possibility or purpose — "might", "should".
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 16 verses across 9 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Romans and 2 Timothy (3 verses each); never once in the other 18.

Matthew

Luke

Romans

2 Corinthians

Colossians

1 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians

2 Timothy

2 Peter

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.