The Creator God
To understand what the title “Redeemer” means, as used in the Word of God, cannot be clearly and completely understood through a casual reading from Websters’ or other dictionaries. This word “Redeemer” defines the role our Savior accepted on our behalf.
As we search the Scriptures to learn about what “redeemer” means and what our “Redeemer” accomplished for our sakes we will need to examine various Biblical books for evidence. When we are finished with our investigation, we will understand how important this ancient word is to us even today. Below are the first and second usage in God’s word of “redeem.”. The first instance is a verse in Genesis chapter 48 with Jacob recognizing how he was “redeemed“, or delivered, from evil earlier in his life. And the second verse, in Exodus chapter 6, is the Almighty telling Moses that He will “redeem“, or deliver, His people Israel from Egyptian slavery.
Genesis 48
(15) And he blessed Joseph, and said: “God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has fed me all my life long to this day,
(16) The Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, Bless the lads; Let my name be named upon them, And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
Exodus 6
(6) Therefore say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.
Dictionaries, etc.
Important Definitions
Next on our quest, we will look at three definitions from notable sources. We will look at Websters Dictionary, Strong’s Dictionary, and the Ancient Hebrew Lexicon, all well known amongst Bible students. Of course, the primary source for our search will always be the Scriptures themselves.
The Websters Dictionary primary definition for the word redeem .
Redeem
REDEE’M, v.t. [L. redimo; red, re, and emo, to obtain or purchase.]
1. To purchase back; to ransom; to liberate or rescue from captivity or bondage, or from any obligation or liability to suffer or to be forfeited, by paying an equivalent; as, to redeem prisoners or captured goods; to redeem a pledge.
The Strong’s definition for the word used as (kinsman) redeemer, ‘goel’ in Hebrew .
H1350 גּאל gâ’al gaw-al’
A primitive root, to redeem (according to the Oriental law of kinship), that is, to be the next of kin (and as such to buy back a relative’s property, marry his widow, etc.): – X in any wise, X at all, avenger, deliver, (do, perform the part of near, next) kinsfolk (-man), purchase, ransom, redeem (-er), revenger.
The Ancient Hebrew Lexicon for the word used as (kinsman) redeemer, ‘goel’ in Hebrew .
|
( common, גאל / g.a.l ) Translation: REDEEM (V) Definition: To buy back. Restore one to his original position or avenge his death. In the participle form this verb means “avenger,” as it is the role of the nearest relative to buy back one in slavery or avenge his murder. KJV Translations: redeem, redeemer, kinsman, revenger, avenger, ransom, deliver, kinsfolks, kinsman’s, part, purchase, stain, wise Strong’s Hebrew #: h.1350Note: while these three sources all agree that “redeem” means pay a ransom to get someone or something returned, we will discover as we move ahead with our study that there is more to this issue.
Law of the Kinsman Redeemer
Viewable below are three passages of Scripture. As you read them, these Scriptures will provide a witness regarding the actions of Boaz, Ruth, Naomi, and others. The Almighty God foresaw the need for instructions when family tragedies needed solutions. He provided a system whereby His people could either buy back their property or every fiftieth year (the year of Jubilee) land was returned to the original owners.
Leviticus 25
(25) ‘If one of your brethren becomes poor, and has sold some of his possession, and if his redeeming relative comes to redeem it, then he may redeem what his brother sold.
(26) Or if the man has no one to redeem it, but he himself becomes able to redeem it,
(27) then let him count the years since its sale, and restore the remainder to the man to whom he sold it, that he may return to his possession.
(28) But if he is not able to have it restored to himself, then what was sold shall remain in the hand of him who bought it until the Year of Jubilee; and in the Jubilee it shall be released, and he shall return to his possession.
(29) ‘If a man sells a house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; within a full year he may redeem it.
(30) But if it is not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house in the walled city shall belong permanently to him who bought it, throughout his generations. It shall not be released in the Jubilee.
(31) However the houses of villages which have no wall around them shall be counted as the fields of the country. They may be redeemed, and they shall be released in the Jubilee.
Leviticus 25
(47) ‘Now if a sojourner or stranger close to you becomes rich, and one of your brethren who dwells by him becomes poor, and sells himself to the stranger or sojourner close to you, or to a member of the stranger’s family,
(48) after he is sold he may be redeemed again. One of his brothers may redeem him;
(49) or his uncle or his uncle’s son may redeem him; or anyone who is near of kin to him in his family may redeem him; or if he is able he may redeem himself.
(50) Thus he shall reckon with him who bought him: The price of his release shall be according to the number of years, from the year that he was sold to him until the Year of Jubilee; it shall be according to the time of a hired servant for him.
(51) If there are still many years remaining, according to them he shall repay the price of his redemption from the money with which he was bought.
(52) And if there remain but a few years until the Year of Jubilee, then he shall reckon with him, and according to his years he shall repay him the price of his redemption.
(53) He shall be with him as a yearly hired servant, and he shall not rule with rigor over him in your sight.
(54) And if he is not redeemed in these years, then he shall be released in the Year of Jubilee—he and his children with him.
(55) For the children of Israel are servants to Me; they are My servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
Deuteronomy 25
(5) “If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the widow of the dead man shall not be married to a stranger outside the family; her husband’s brother shall go in to her, take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her.
(6) And it shall be that the firstborn son which she bears will succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel.
(7) But if the man does not want to take his brother’s wife, then let his brother’s wife go up to the gate to the elders, and say, ‘My husband’s brother refuses to raise up a name to his brother in Israel; he will not perform the duty of my husband’s brother.’
(8) Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him. But if he stands firm and says, ‘I do not want to take her,’
(9) then his brother’s wife shall come to him in the presence of the elders, remove his sandal from his foot, spit in his face, and answer and say, ‘So shall it be done to the man who will not build up his brother’s house.’
(10) And his name shall be called in Israel, ‘The house of him who had his sandal removed.’