Purchase
Understanding Biblical Purchase
In contemporary English, 'purchase' typically means acquiring something through payment. However, in biblical usage, particularly in translations like the King James Version, the term carries broader meaning, emphasizing acquisition or obtaining rather than necessarily involving monetary exchange. This distinction is important for accurate interpretation of key passages about redemption and salvation.
Key Hebrew and Greek Terms
The primary Hebrew word translated as 'purchase' is qanah (קנה), meaning 'to acquire, get, or obtain.' This term appears in significant contexts like Exodus 15:16, where God's people are described as 'purchased,' and Psalm 74:2, which speaks of God's 'purchased' congregation. Another Hebrew term, ga'al (גאל), meaning 'to redeem' or 'act as kinsman-redeemer,' appears in Leviticus 25:33 regarding property redemption.
In the New Testament, two Greek words are translated as 'purchase': ktaomai (κτάομαι), meaning 'to acquire or get for oneself' (Acts 1:18; 8:20), and peripoieō (περιποιέω), meaning 'to acquire, preserve, or save for oneself' (Acts 20:28; 1 Timothy 3:13). Neither necessarily implies monetary payment, focusing instead on the act of acquisition.
Purchase in the Biblical Narrative
The concept of purchase appears throughout Scripture in both literal and metaphorical contexts. Literally, it describes property transactions (Genesis 33:19; Jeremiah 32:6-15) and the acquisition of people, as when Joseph was purchased by Potiphar (Genesis 39:1). The laws in Leviticus 25 establish principles for redeeming property and people, emphasizing that ultimately 'the land is mine' says the Lord (Leviticus 25:23).
Metaphorically, purchase language describes God's relationship with Israel. In Exodus 15:16, after the Red Sea deliverance, the people are called God's 'purchased' possession. This theme continues in Deuteronomy 32:6, where God is called Israel's 'Father, who created you, who made you and established you.' The Psalms echo this, calling Israel 'the tribe of your inheritance, whom you have redeemed' (Psalm 74:2).
New Testament Development
The New Testament develops the purchase metaphor christologically. In Acts 20:28, Paul tells the Ephesian elders to 'shepherd the church of God, which he obtained (purchased) with his own blood.' This profound statement connects Jesus' sacrificial death with God acquiring His people. Similarly, 1 Corinthians 6:20 declares, 'you were bought with a price,' while 1 Peter 1:18-19 contrasts redemption from empty traditions with the 'precious blood of Christ.'
The book of Revelation expands this imagery, describing the redeemed as those 'purchased from among mankind' (Revelation 14:3-4) and singing a 'new song' before God's throne because they were 'ransomed for God from every tribe and language and people and nation' (Revelation 5:9).
Theological Implications of Divine Purchase
The biblical concept of purchase, particularly God's purchase of His people, establishes several important theological truths. First, it emphasizes God's initiative in salvation—He actively acquires His people rather than waiting for them to come to Him. Second, it highlights the costliness of redemption, whether expressed through God's mighty acts in the Old Testament or Christ's blood in the New Testament. Third, it establishes God's rightful ownership and authority over those He has purchased, creating obligations for holy living (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
This language also connects with other biblical metaphors for salvation, including redemption, adoption, and inheritance, creating a rich tapestry describing God's saving work. The purchase metaphor particularly emphasizes the transfer of ownership from slavery to sin to belonging to God.
Biblical Context
The concept of purchase appears throughout Scripture, beginning with property transactions in Genesis (Abraham purchasing the cave of Machpelah in Genesis 23) and continuing through the Exodus narrative where God describes Israel as His 'purchased' people (Exodus 15:16). The Levitical laws establish principles for redeeming property and people (Leviticus 25), while the prophets use purchase language to describe God's relationship with Israel (Isaiah 43:21). In the New Testament, purchase language becomes explicitly christological, with Jesus' death described as purchasing the church (Acts 20:28) and believers described as 'bought with a price' (1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23). Revelation completes this theme with the heavenly vision of the purchased singing before God's throne (Revelation 5:9; 14:3-4).
Theological Significance
The biblical concept of purchase teaches profound truths about God's nature and salvation. It reveals God as the initiator and achiever of redemption, actively acquiring His people rather than passively receiving them. The language emphasizes the costliness of salvation—whether through God's mighty acts in the Old Testament or Christ's sacrificial death in the New Testament. This metaphor establishes God's rightful ownership over believers, creating the basis for Christian ethics and holy living. It also connects with the biblical theme of God as the true owner of all things, who graciously shares His inheritance with those He has purchased. Ultimately, the purchase metaphor highlights both God's sovereignty in salvation and the profound value He places on His people.
Historical Background
In the ancient Near Eastern context, purchase transactions followed established legal conventions documented in texts like the Code of Hammurabi and numerous clay tablets recording sales. Property purchase often involved symbolic acts like exchanging sandals (Ruth 4:7-8) or weighing silver before witnesses (Jeremiah 32:9-10). The concept of redemption (ga'al) operated within kinship structures where a relative had responsibility to redeem family members from slavery or debt. Archaeological discoveries, including the Elephantine Papyri and Dead Sea Scrolls, provide examples of purchase contracts and redemption practices contemporary with biblical periods. Understanding these cultural practices illuminates why biblical authors used purchase language to describe God's relationship with His people—He acts as the ultimate kinsman-redeemer who pays the price to reclaim what belongs to Him.