Redeemer

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

(See Ransom .) Redeem, Hebrew Padhah and Gaal . The Goel , nearest of kin, had three rights:

(1) To purchase back the forfeited inheritance for an Israelite who, through poverty, had sold his land; as Boaz ("Might In Him"; The Name Of One Of The Two Temple Pillars; A Type Of Christ) did for Ruth ( Ruth 4:3-5); or to hold land in possession for an impoverished kinsman until the year of Jubilee, when it should revert to the original owner ( Leviticus 25:10;  Leviticus 25:13-16;  Leviticus 25:24-28). Antitypically, man the heir of all things bartered his magnificent birthright for vanity; Christ, by assuming our manhood, became our Go'El , and saved us from being disinherited forever ( Hebrews 2:9-15); the full restoration of the inheritance is to be at "the times of restitution of all things" ( Acts 3:21;  Matthew 19:28), the grand last Jubilee ( Isaiah 61:2-4); ushered in, as the Israelite Jubilee, with the great trumpet ( Revelation 11:15;  1 Corinthians 15:52;  1 Thessalonians 4:16;  Isaiah 27:13).

(2) The Goel ransomed his kinsman from bondage to the foreigner ( Leviticus 25:47-49). So man sold himself to Satan's bondage; Jesus has (At The Price Of His Precious Blood,  1 Peter 1:18-19 ) Ransomed "The Lawful Captive Delivered" (  Isaiah 49:24 ) .

(3) The Goel avenged the death of his slain kinsman as a point of honor. So our Redeemer "through death has destroyed Satan (Man'S "Murderer From The Beginning",  John 8:44 ) who had the power of death," and has delivered us from everlasting "bondage" to him ( Hebrews 2:14-15;  Hosea 13:14). Our Boaz has not "left off His kindness to the living and to the dead" ( Ruth 2:20); translated  Job 19:25-27 "I know that my Redeemer (Vindicator, Avenger; Redressing My Wrongs On Satan Their Inflicter) liveth, and that He shall arise the Last ( 1 Corinthians 15:45;  Revelation 1:17) above the dust (With Which Is Mingled Man'S Crumbling Body:  1 Corinthians 15:20 ;  1 Corinthians 15:23 ;  Romans 8:23 ;  Ephesians 1:14 ) , and though after my skin (Is Destroyed) this (Body) is destroyed, yet from my flesh ( Mibesari ; As From A Window,  Song of Solomon 2:9 ) shall I see God, whom I shall see for myself (On My Side) , no longer estranged" ( Zar ) from me.

The redemption of our now weak body will be our grand vindication from present wrongs such as Job's. As the body (Not Merely The Soul) was the sufferer, the body's restoration in incorruption must be the vindication; this alone would disprove the imputation of guilt thrown on Job because of its sufferings. Job elsewhere hoped for the resurrection after his being "hidden in the grave" for a time ( Job 14:13-15;  John 5:21-26;  John 5:28;  Isaiah 26:19-21;  Psalms 17:15). The Egyptian myth of Osiris and his son Horus in the "Ritual of the Dead" strikingly confirms the primitive revelation of the promised Redeemer, of which it is the corruption. Horus as Ra was "creator"; as Τeti , the "redeemer from the power" of Αpophis the "serpent", and of Τyphoon the "hippopotamus", representatives of the evil being; as Νets , Horus is "the deliverer of the justified".

Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary

One of the blessed names of our Lord Jesus Christ: and sweetly doth the Holy Ghost bear witness to it—"For thy Maker is thine husband, the Lord of hosts is his name: and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; the God of the whole earth shall he be called." ( Isaiah 54:5)

In considering the peculiarity of this character of Christ, so as to endear him to the heart of his people, it will be sufficient to observe that what constitutes redemption, in the entire accomplishment of it, could be wrought by none but Christ himself. It is the personal and peculiar fitness of the Lord Jesus to the office of Redeemer, that forms the special greatness and importance of the work itself; for if it could be shewn, or ever supposed, that any other beside Christ had been competent, it, would have lessened the dignity, the personal dignity, and glory of the Son of God, and reduced the infinite value of redemption itself. But as none but the Son of God could perform it, so in that performance the value and efficacy of it is heightened beyond all the conceptions the imagination can form of it.

We shall set this in a clear point of view, if we consider what forms the great and leading characters of redemption, in the contemplation of which the glory of Christ will appear abundantly striking as the great Redeemer.

And first, the very idea of redemption is to buy out, or deliver, what was lost or forfeited, and this by giving a full and equivalent value for it. Thus when Abraham made a purchase of a burying-place from the sons of Heth, it is said that he weighed and gave "four hundred shekels of silver, current money of the merchant." ( Genesis 23:16) Now such was the redemption by the Lord Jesus Christ of our nature. He gave what might be called current money, that is a full and rich equivalent: yea, more than an equivalent, when for the sins and transgressions of his people he paid for it with the price of his blood. (See  1 Peter 1:18-19)

But the great work of redemption did not rest here. Jesus by his merciful undertaking not only re deemed us from sin, in buying out our mortgaged and forfeited inheritance, but he redeemed our long lost privileges. We were not only justly exposed by nature, and by practice, to the wrath and displeasure of Almighty God, but our whole nature was under the dominion and influence of sin; and none short of Christ could buy us out. The Son of God, therefore, by price and by power accomplished both those purposes of salvation; and not only delivered us from the wrath to come, but brought us into the privileges of a purchased inheritance. Yea, he induced in us a new nature, in taking away the natural enmity of our hearts, and making us "willing in the day of his power." And lastly, having delivered us from all evil, and brought us into all good, he hath accomplished the whole purposes of redemption, so as to obtain favour and peace with God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Such are the outlines of redemption, and such the wonderful work which the Son of God hath in our nature accomplished by his blood! And what tends to endear the Lord Jesus Christ yet infinitely more under his character of Redeemer is, that in the whole of this immense transaction all he hath accomplished is in our nature. It is the man whose name is the Branch, it is Jesus, who in his human nature is bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, that hath wrought out salvation. So that both redemption itself, and the glorious person by whom it is brought, gives a double relish to all the purposes of it, and lifts the heart to all the acts of adoration and praise to the great Author of our felicity. Hail! I would say, thou great and Almighty Redeemer and benefactor of mankind!

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A name given to Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, because he redeems mankind from the bondage and guilt of their sins, by dying in their place, and thus paying their ransom,  Matthew 20:28   Galatians 3:13   Ephesians 1:7   1 Timothy 2:6   Titus 2:14   1 Peter 1:18,19   Revelation 5:9 . In the law of Moses,  Leviticus 25:25,48 , this title is given to one who has the right of redemption in an inheritance, especially to a near kinsman, who may redeem it from a stranger or any Jew who had bought it. Such was Boaz, who, being one of the nearest relations of Elimelech, married Ruth the heiress of Elimelech, and thereby reentered into the possession of her estate. Jeremiah redeemed the field of his nephew Hanameel, which was on the point of being sold to another,  Jeremiah 32:7,8 . So Christ became a partaker of flesh and blood, that as our near kinsman he might redeem for us the heavenly inheritance,  Job 19:25,26 .

The nearest kinsman was also called the redeemer of blood-in our English translation, the avenger, or revenger of blood; and had a right to revenge the blood of his murdered kinsman,  Numbers 35:12,19,21   Deuteronomy 19:6,12 . To protect the innocent from these avengers, or redeemers, God appointed cities of refuge throughout Israel. See Cities Of Refuge .

Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary

The Hebrew goel is thus rendered, and the title is applied to Christ, as he is the avenger of man upon his spiritual enemy, and delivers man from death and the power of the grave, which the human avenger could not do. The right of the institution of goel was only in a relative, one of the same blood; and hence our Saviour's assumption of our nature is alluded to and implied under this term. There was also the right of buying back the family inheritance when alienated; and this also applies to Christ, our Goel, who has purchased back the heavenly inheritance into the human family. Under these views Job joyfully exclaims, "I know that my Redeemer," my Goel, "liveth," &c. See Goel , See Mediator , and See Jesus Christ .

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Leviticus 25:48,49 Numbers 5:8 Ruth 4:1 Job 19:25 Psalm 19:14 78:35Redemption

Webster's Dictionary

(1): ( n.) One who redeems.

(2): ( n.) Specifically, the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ.

King James Dictionary

REDEE'MER, n.

1. One who redeems or ransoms. 2. The Savior of the world, JESUS Christ.

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

a frequent rendering of the Heb. גֹּאֵל , Goel, which strictly means the Nearest Kinsman. It is thus applied to Christ, as he is the avenger of man upon his spiritual enemy, and delivers man from death and the power of the grave, which the human avenger could not do. The right of the institution of goel was only in a relative — one of the same blood — and hence our Saviour's assumption of our nature is alluded to and implied under this term. There was also the right of buying back the family inheritance when alienated; and this also applies to Christ, our goel, who has purchased back the heavenly inheritance into the human family. Under these views Job joyfully exclaims, "I know that my Redeemer (my goel) liveth," etc. (See Goel); (See Jesus Christ); (See Mediator).