Ransom

Ransom (פַּדיוֹן, Ex 21:30; "redemption," Ps 49:8; or פַּדיוֹם, pidyom', "redemption," Nu 3:49,51; elsewhere ַֹכּפֶר, kopher, forgiveness, or גָּאֵל, to act the part of Goel [q.v.]; N.T. λύτρον, or ἀντίλυτρον), a price paid to recover a person or thing from one who detains that person or thing in captivity. Hence prisoners of war or slaves are said to be ransomed when they are liberated in exchange for a valuable consideration (1Co 6:19-20). Whatever is substituted or exchanged in compensation for the party is his ransom; but the word ransom is more extensively taken in Scripture. A man is said to ransom his life (Ex 21:30); that is, to substitute a sum of money instead of his life as the penalty of certain offences (Ex 30:12; Job 36:18). The poll-tax of half a shekel for every Hebrew was deemed the ransom, or atonement money, and was declared to be a heave-offering to Jehovah, to propitiate for their lives (Ex 30:12-16). Some of the sacrifices (as the sin- and trespass-offerings) might be regarded as commutations or ransoms (Le 4; Le 5). In like manner, our Blessed Lord is said to give himself a ransom for all (1Ti 2:6; Mt 20:23; Mr 10:43) — a substitute for them, bearing sufferings in their stead, undergoing that penalty which would otherwise attach to them (Ro 3:31; Ro 7:23; 1Co 1:30; Eph 1:7; Eph 4:30; Heb 9:13). SEE REDEMPTION.