Ransom

Ransom

Word Study

7/16/17

Places where “Ransom” appears in the KJV:

Ex. 21:30  Payment for the death sentence

Ex. 30:12  This is a census fee of 1/2 sheckel.  There is no difference in the amount to be paid whether you are rich or poor.  The census may be a number of the people to form an army since they are men of military age (v. 14)

Job 33:23-28  Payment to keep a man from entering the pit.  It is a payment to redeem a soul.

Job 36:18  A great price which is much higher than your worth.

Ps. 49:7  The price of a man’s life is truly too great for another man to pay.  Note that the ransom is paid to God.

Prov. 6:35  To make “recompense”…to make amends for a loss.  A husband will accept no payment from the man who had an adulterous affair with his wife.  It is seen as theft punishable by death (see 2 Sam. 12:5)

Prov. 13:8  “Ransom” here seems to mean “value in the eyes of the world.”

Prov. 21:18  The death of the wicked is the ransom for the lives of the righteous  (see Josh 7:24-26

Isa. 43:3  Seems to be the same principle as Prov. 21:18.  Egypt, Cush, and Seba are given as a ransom for Israel.  “Ransom” means here that with which anything is overpaid.”  Matthew Henry  Were Egypt, Cush, and Seba a subtitutionary sacrifice in place of Israel?  It certainly seems so.  At this time, Egypt, Cush, and Seba had been conquered by Nebuchadnezzar, so they may have been considered as one unit.  Cyrus received these along with the rest of the Babylonian dominions from God as consideration for delivering Israel.  “In thy stead” indicates substitution.

Hos. 13:14  Payment to satisfy Israel’s condemnation to hell.

Matt. 20:28  Jesus gave His life as a ransom for many.  “Ransom” (Strong’s #G3083) means “To liberate many from the misery and penalty of their sins.”

Mark 10:45  Repeat of the same situation in Matt. 20:28

1 Tim. 2:6  Different Greek word from Matt and Mark.  Here it is the payment for another person’s crimes.  “What is given for another as a price of redemption.”

 

Summary

In our culture the word “ransom” means pretty much one thing: a payment for the release of a hostage or hostages.  In the verses in the Old Testament where the KJV translates a Hebrew word, “ransom,” it can mean a number of things: anything from a payment in place of the death penalty (Ex. 21:30) to a simple census fee (Ex. 30:12).  In Prov. 13:8 it is used as a measure of a man’s wealth.

Most of the time, however, it generally means a payment to redeem someone to keep them from punishment.  One interesting portion of Scripture is in Isa 43:3 where it is used to describe God giving Egypt, Seba, and Cush to Cyrus, the king of Persia, as a consideration for delivering Israel.  Seems to be a national substitutionary sacrifice, these three nations as a ransom for Israel’s freedom.  Not sure on this.  I’m going to look into it further.  Lots of history to look over.

In the New Testament, two Greek words are translated as ransom:”Lytron,” which we find in both Matt 20:28 and Mark 10:45.  This word means, “to liberate many from the misery and penalty of their sins.  Here the idea of Christ’s death as a ransom.  That ransom is a sort of bail money paid to God (Prov. 49:7) in order to gain our release from the penalty we face.

The second Greek word, “antilytron,” which means something which is given in exchange for another as a price of his redemption.  “Anti” as a prefix in Greek can mean, “replacement” or “substitution” as in “antichrist” who makes himself a substitutionary Christ.  In the same way, the ransom paid for us in 1 Tim 2:6 is a substitution.  Christ for you and for me.  This idea is called the vicarious atonement.  Jesus’ death was my debt, but He paid it in my place.