גְּאֻלָּה
redemption (including the right and the object); by implication, relationship
Definition
The noun גְּאֻלָּה refers to the act, right, or state of redemption. It primarily denotes the legal right of a close relative (the 'kinsman-redeemer' or גֹּאֵל) to buy back family property (Leviticus 25:24-25) or to free a relative from debt-slavery (Leviticus 25:47-49). By extension, it signifies the resulting state of being redeemed and the relationship that obligates this redemption. In some poetic contexts, it can refer to the redemption itself as an abstract concept.
Biblical Usage
This word is used almost exclusively in legal and narrative contexts within the Pentateuch, specifically in Leviticus 25, which details the laws of the Jubilee and kinsman-redeemer. Its 13 occurrences are concentrated in this chapter, describing the redemption of land (Leviticus 25:24), houses (Leviticus 25:29-33), and persons (Leviticus 25:48-52). The usage is consistently tied to the social and economic safety nets of Israelite tribal society.
Etymology
Derived from the root ג.א.ל (g-ʼ-l), meaning 'to redeem, act as a kinsman.' גְּאֻלָּה is the feminine passive participle form of the verb גָּאַל (H1350), literally meaning 'a redeemed thing' or 'the state of being redeemed.' This root is central to the biblical concept of family-based redemption and restoration.
Semantic Range
This word is foundational for understanding biblical redemption. It grounds God's saving acts in the concrete, legal metaphor of family obligation. The human system of גְּאֻלָּה provides the framework for God's identity as Israel's Redeemer (e.g., Exodus 6:6; Isaiah 43:1). It enriches the New Testament concept of redemption by highlighting its cost, its basis in relational covenant, and its goal of restoring lost inheritance.
In ancient Israelite culture, גְּאֻלָּה was a crucial family duty within the clan-based tribal system. It prevented the permanent loss of ancestral land (the family's inheritance from God) and protected individuals from perpetual destitution or slavery. This practice maintained tribal integrity and embodied social justice, ensuring that poverty was temporary. It differs from a modern commercial transaction by being an inalienable family responsibility.
פִּדְיוֹן (pidyôn, H6306) — a ransom price paid for redemption. כִּפֻּר (kippur, H3725) — atonement, covering over sin, often involving a ransom aspect. תְּשׁוּעָה (tᵉshûʻâh, H8668) — deliverance or salvation, a broader term for rescue.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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