Redemption
Summary
The word “redemption” may be familiar, but it can be hard to understand. We might hear one person talk about redeeming a coupon while another portrays redemption as divine rescue and salvation. This Redemption guide dives into the multi-layered concept of redemption by examining key Old and New Testament passages. At its core, biblical redemption is about reclaiming what has been lost, but that description only scratches the surface. Explore this guide to learn more about the meaning of redemption in the Bible.
The Big Picture
The Meaning of Redemption
Christians sometimes say, “I’ve been redeemed by the blood of the lamb!” But what does that mean?
If a possession is lost or stolen, the owner might show proof that it once belonged to them in order to get it back. Or they might have to pay to recover what they’ve lost. That’s one way the Bible talks about redemption.
The Bible also talks about how people can be redeemed. If a debtor ran out of money in ancient Israel, they could sell themselves as a slave to pay off debts. A family member could then pay money—a redemption price—on their behalf to claim their relative back from slavery. That rescuer, called a “kinsman-redeemer,” would transfer the enslaved person back into the family.
The story of the Bible begins with the idea that all creation, and especially humanity, belongs to God. But tragically, humans have been corrupted and enslaved by death. God wants humanity back, and the story of the Bible is about how God transfers us back into his possession—he redeems us.
The Blood of the Lamb
When people talk about being redeemed by “the blood of the lamb,” that alludes to a story from the Exodus scroll. Pharaoh claims Israel as his own slaves, but Israel belongs to God. So God confronts Pharaoh to demand that he set Israel free. When Pharaoh refuses, God displays his power through plagues. But even then, Pharaoh still won’t acknowledge God’s claim on Israel.
God sends one final plague to show that all life, not just Israel, belongs to him. This deadly plague threatens the lives of both Egyptians and Israelites, reminding us that every life is already enslaved to death. But God also provides a way to be kept safe through the plague. This is what the Passover meal is all about—God instructs every family to put the blood of a flawless lamb on the doorframe of their house to protect them.
The lamb, uncorrupted by evil or death, represents a life belonging totally to God. Death has no rightful claim to it. When the lamb gives up its life, it opens up a way back to life with God. The lamb’s blood on the doorframe is a symbol of this flawless life that has been given for others.
On the night of Passover, God liberates people from death. The next day, Pharaoh releases his claim on Israel, so God also liberates them from slavery. Both liberations are central to what redemption means in the rest of the Bible.
The Slavery of All Humanity
And this redemption is for a purpose. God redeems the people of Israel to become his partners and represent his character to every nation and family on earth. But Israel’s story turns tragic as they, along with all humanity, become enslaved to their corrupt desires and the deadly violence that results. Instead of living in freedom, Israel remains claimed by death.
So when Jesus comes, he announces the arrival of God’s redemption from death for all humanity. He leads a life fully dedicated to loving God and loving others, freeing them from sickness and death. Then, Jesus goes to Jerusalem on Passover weekend to confront the power of death itself, knowing that the city leaders will decide to kill him.
Jesus is blameless, so they have no right to claim his life. But in an act of generous love, Jesus surrenders his life for others. When he rises from the dead, it all becomes clear: Jesus is God’s ultimate counter-claim against death. The life of Jesus, represented by his blood, is a covering for anyone who takes refuge in him. Death cannot claim Jesus, and it ultimately cannot claim anyone who belongs to him.
So being “redeemed by the blood of the lamb” means that because of Jesus’ life, a person is reclaimed by God into freedom and a kind of life that’s beyond the power of death.
Dive Deeper
So far we’ve just skimmed the surface. Explore these studies to take a deeper dive into how this theme contributes to the whole story of the Bible.
Read
2 God spoke further to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord; 3 and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but by My name, Lord, I did not make Myself known to them. 4 I also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as strangers. 5 Furthermore I have heard the groaning of the sons of Israel, because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. 6 Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the labors of the Egyptians, and I will rescue you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments. 7 Then I will take you as My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the labors of the Egyptians. 8 I will bring you to the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you as a possession; I am the Lord.’”
7 “The Lord did not make you His beloved nor choose you because you were greater in number than any of the peoples, since you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the Lord brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His faithfulness to a thousand generations for those who love Him and keep His commandments; 10 but He repays those who hate Him to their faces, to eliminate them; He will not hesitate toward him who hates Him, He will repay him to his face. 11 Therefore, you shall keep the commandment, the statutes, and the judgments which I am commanding you today, to do them.
Consider
The story about God’s liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery belongs to a pattern of redemption woven throughout the Bible. Whenever God is restoring a person or people back to their family (after they’ve been taken by another), he is redeeming them. In the exodus narrative, this redemption theme comes into full view and becomes a foundational paradigm continued throughout the Old and New Testaments.
In the exodus story, a tyrannical Egyptian pharaoh acts like he owns Israel as his possession, but God tells Moses that he will “redeem” them, using a Hebrew verb (ga’al) that means “to repossess back into the family” (Exod. 6:6). God has already described Israel as his “firstborn son,” meaning that all of Israel belongs to him—not to Pharaoh (Exod. 4:22). So God redeems them by bringing them back into his family.
Elsewhere in Scripture, redemption frequently involves some kind of payment. But Pharaoh has no right to own Israelites in the first place, so God offers no redemption price. Instead, “with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment” (Exod. 6:6, BibleProject Translation)—referring to plagues designed to persuade Pharaoh to listen—God eventually compels him to set Israel free.
When Moses later talks about God redeeming his people from slavery in Egypt, he uses the Hebrew verb padah (Deut. 7:8), which means “to restore to your possession” or “to rescue from a life-threatening situation. ” God’s deliverance of the Israelites involves both a family reunion (ga’al) and a liberation from death to life (padah).
Reflect
How does the exodus narrative help us understand redemption?
Another Relevant Scripture Reference
Read
13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Sanctify to Me every firstborn, the firstborn of every womb among the sons of Israel, among people and animals alike; it belongs to Me.”
3 And Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you departed from Egypt, from the house of slavery; for by a powerful hand the Lord brought you out from this place. And nothing with yeast shall be eaten. 4 On this day in the month of Abib, you are about to go out from here. 5 And it shall be when the Lord brings you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall perform this rite in this month. 6 For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord. 7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and nothing with yeast shall be seen among you, nor shall any dough with yeast be seen among you in all your borders. 8 And you shall tell your son on that day, saying, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9 And it shall serve as a sign to you on your hand, and as a reminder on your forehead, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth; for with a powerful hand the Lord brought you out of Egypt. 10 Therefore, you shall keep this ordinance at its appointed time from year to year.
11 “Now when the Lord brings you to the land of the Canaanite, as He swore to you and to your fathers, and gives it to you, 12 you shall devote to the Lord every firstborn of a womb, and every firstborn offspring of an animal that you own; the males belong to the Lord. 13 But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and every firstborn among your sons you shall redeem. 14 And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ then you shall say to him, ‘With a powerful hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. 15 And it came about, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the Lord put to death every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from human firstborns to animal firstborns. Therefore, I sacrifice to the Lord the males, every firstborn of a womb, but every firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 16 So it shall serve as a sign on your hand and as phylacteries on your forehead, for with a powerful hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.”
44 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 45 “Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites in place of their cattle. And the Levites shall be Mine; I am the Lord. 46 And as a redemption price for the 273 of the firstborn of the sons of Israel who are in excess of the number of the Levites, 47 you shall take five shekels apiece, per head; you shall take them in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), 48 and you shall give the money, the redemption price of those who are in excess among them, to Aaron and to his sons.”
Consider
When Pharaoh tries to keep his hold on the enslaved Israelites rather than allowing God to reclaim them, God sends a series of plagues to persuade him to change his mind. In the final plague, death comes upon all the firstborn sons of Egypt as judgment for the Egyptians killing the Israelite baby boys (Exod. 1:15-22) and for their oppression of Israel, God’s own possession and “firstborn son” (Exod. 4:22-23).
Before the final death plague, God instructs the Israelites to mark their doorposts with the blood of a blemish-free lamb as a sign of trust in God’s protection. Those who mark their doorposts like this will be protected from the plague (Exod. 11-13). This ritual becomes the foundation of the annual Passover celebration—a reminder of how God rescues and redeems his people.
The whole community belongs to God, but especially Israel's firstborn sons, whom God delivered from death at the Passover. So God instructs the Israelites to “redeem” (Hebrew: padah) their firstborn sons (Exod. 13:13), reclaiming them with a sacrificial animal or payment of money.
Later, God selects the Levites to be set apart in place of the firstborn sons, calling them to serve him as priests in his sanctuary (Num. 3:11-13, 3:44-45). Every firstborn son that exceeds the number of Levites must pay a “redemption payment” (peduyim, from the verb padah) of five shekels to the temple (Num. 3:46-47; see also Num. 18:15-16).
Reflect
Why does God ask for a redemption payment for the Israelites’ firstborn sons?
Read
23 ‘The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, because the land is Mine; for you are only strangers and residents with Me. 24 So for every piece of your property, you are to provide for the redemption of the land.
25 ‘If a fellow countryman of yours becomes so poor that he sells part of his property, then his closest redeemer is to come and buy back what his relative has sold. 26 Or in case someone has no redeemer, but recovers to find sufficient means for its redemption, 27 then he shall calculate the years since its sale and refund the balance to the man to whom he sold it, and so return to his property. 28 But if he has not found sufficient means to get it back for himself, then what he has sold shall remain in the hands of its purchaser until the year of jubilee; but at the jubilee it shall revert, so that he may return to his property.
47 ‘Now if the means of a stranger or of a foreign resident with you becomes sufficient, and a countryman of yours becomes poor in relation to him and sells himself to a stranger who is residing with you, or to the descendants of a stranger’s family, 48 then he shall have redemption right after he has been sold. One of his brothers may redeem him, 49 or his uncle, or his uncle’s son may redeem him, or one of his blood relatives from his family may redeem him; or if he prospers, he may redeem himself. 50 He then, with his purchaser, shall calculate from the year when he sold himself to him up to the year of jubilee; and the price of his sale shall correspond to the number of years calculated. It is like the days of a hired worker that he will be with him. 51 If there are still many years remaining, he shall refund part of his purchase price in proportion to them for his own redemption; 52 but if few years remain until the year of jubilee, he shall so calculate with him. In proportion to his years he is to refund the amount for his redemption. 53 He shall be with him like a worker hired year by year; he shall not rule over him with severity in your sight. 54 Even if he is not redeemed by these means, he shall still leave in the year of jubilee, he and his sons with him. 55 For the sons of Israel are My servants; they are My servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.
Consider
In the Hebrew Bible, the verb ga’al can describe God’s act of redeeming his people from slavery in Egypt (see Exod. 6:6; Ps. 77:15), but in Leviticus 25, God also calls the Israelites to redeem each other.
The passage explains that if Israelites become so poor that they sell their family land or themselves into slavery, a relative can act as a go’el—a “kinsman-redeemer” or “repossessor” (from the Hebrew verb ga’al)—by paying a redemption price to bring the land or people back into the family’s possession. If no relative can act as a go’el, then the person or land will be lawfully restored during the Year of Jubilee, which happens once every 50 years, when all land is returned to its original owner and all debt-slaves set free.
God bases these laws on the fundamental principle that both Israel and its land belong to God. God redeemed Israel to be his “servants” (Hebrew: ‘eved, Lev. 25:55), so “they are not to be sold in a slave sale (‘eved)” and kept in permanent servitude (Lev. 25:42).
Similarly, “the land … shall not be sold permanently” because it does not ultimately belong to the Israelites (or any other person) but to God (Lev. 25:23). God provides the Israelites with land for living and flourishing as his tenants, but he still owns it and therefore determines how to best use it.
The Israelites who received these commands from God likely had fresh, painful memories of many brutalities related to their experience of slavery in Egypt. So God calls them to never perpetuate that kind of oppression. Instead, they are to live according to his own pattern of redemption, refusing to let any Israelite stay trapped in poverty or bondage forever.
Reflect
How do the actions of a go’el (kinsman-redeemer) reflect the pattern of redemption God carries out in the exodus story?
Read
9 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11 then you shall select for yourselves cities to be your cities of refuge, so that the one who commits manslaughter by killing a person unintentionally may flee there. 12 The cities shall serve you as a refuge from the avenger, so that the one who commits manslaughter does not die until he stands before the congregation for trial. 13 So the cities which you are to provide shall be six cities of refuge for you. 14 You shall provide three cities across the Jordan, and three cities in the land of Canaan; they are to be cities of refuge. 15 These six cities shall be a refuge for the sons of Israel, for the stranger, and for the foreign resident among them; so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there.
16 ‘But if he struck him with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer must be put to death. 17 And if he struck him with a stone in the hand, by which he would die, and as a result he did die, he is a murderer; the murderer must be put to death. 18 Or if he struck him with a wooden object in the hand, by which he would die, and as a result he did die, he is a murderer; the murderer must be put to death. 19 The blood avenger himself shall put the murderer to death; he himself shall put him to death when he meets him. 20 Now if he pushed him in hatred, or he threw something at him with malicious intent, and as a result he died, 21 or if he struck him with his hand with hostility, and as a result he died, the one who struck him must be put to death; he is a murderer. The blood avenger shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.
22 ‘But if he pushed him suddenly, without hostility, or threw any object at him without malicious intent, 23 or had any deadly stone, and without looking he dropped it on him so that he died, while he was not his enemy nor was he seeking to harm him, 24 then the congregation shall judge between the one who fatally struck the victim and the blood avenger in accordance with these ordinances. 25 And the congregation shall save the one who committed manslaughter from the hand of the blood avenger, and the congregation shall return him to his city of refuge to which he fled; and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil. 26 But if at any time he goes beyond the border of his city of refuge to which he flees, 27 and the blood avenger finds him outside the border of his city of refuge, and the blood avenger kills him, he will not be guilty of bloodshed, 28 because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest the one who committed manslaughter may return to the land of his property.
Consider
Another form of redemption or repossession in the Hebrew Bible is performed by “the redeemer of blood” (Hebrew: go’el haddam, sometimes translated as “the blood avenger”), who is responsible for ensuring justice when a family member is murdered.
For the biblical authors, God created all humans in his own image, so human life is sacred and most highly valued, as it represents God’s own life. Therefore, murdering a person also involves wrongfully taking something that belongs to God.
Spilling blood defiles the land (Num. 35:33-34; Gen. 4:10), and no “redemption payment” or “ransom” (kopher) can substitute for the life of a murderer (Num. 35:31). The only suitable redemption for taking an innocent life in this context is the life of the murderer (Gen. 9:5-6). So the go’el haddam repossesses the life-blood of their murdered family member from the person who took it.
But the focus of Numbers 35:6-34 is on outlining limitations to the practice of redeeming blood, explaining that multiple witnesses are required to put a murderer to death (Num. 35:30) and that manslaughter cases should be handled differently. When someone unintentionally kills a fellow Israelite, God provides a designated “city of refuge” where that person can flee to find protection from the go’el haddam and resolve the manslaughter case without further bloodshed (Num. 35:22-28).
Ultimately, the regulations about the redemption of blood are about preventing the spiral of violence and upholding the supreme value God puts on human life.
Reflect
What does Numbers 35:9-28 tell us about God’s value for human life?
Read
4 Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, the redeemer of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, “Come over here, friend, sit down here.” And he came over and sat down. 2 Then he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. 3 And he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has returned from the land of Moab, has to sell the plot of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. 4 So I thought that I would inform you, saying, ‘Buy it before those who are sitting here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if not, tell me so that I may know; for there is no one except you to redeem it, and I am after you.’” And he said, “I will redeem it.” 5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance.” 6 Then the redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, otherwise I would jeopardize my own inheritance. Redeem it for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, since I cannot redeem it.”
7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the way of confirmation in Israel. 8 So the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” And he removed his sandal. 9 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. 10 Furthermore, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased will not be eliminated from his brothers or from the court of his birth place; you are witnesses today.” 11 And all the people who were in the court, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem. 12 Moreover, may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the descendants whom the Lord will give you by this young woman.”
Consider
The book of Ruth provides a beautiful example of redemption. As the narrative begins, a devastating famine strikes, and Naomi travels with her family to the land of Moab to survive. But her husband and her two sons die, leaving Naomi and her Moabite daughter-in-law Ruth alone and vulnerable (Ruth 1:1-5). Their family’s land in Israel—which would have been passed down from one male to another—is in jeopardy. And these women have few ways to provide for themselves and little hope for their future.
As Naomi prepares to travel back home to Bethlehem, Ruth binds herself to her mother-in-law with a promise to remain faithful to her no matter what happens (Ruth 1:16-17). She follows through on her promise, even though it often places her in situations of grave danger (Ruth 2:9, 2:22, 3:1-15). Ruth’s selfless courage and loyal love lead to provision and hope for Naomi and bring her to the attention of Boaz, Naomi’s “kinsman-redeemer” (Hebrew: go’el; Ruth 2:5-6, 2:20).
Boaz can “redeem” (ga’al) the property that belonged to Naomi’s husband, but he must first defer to a nearer relative, another go’el who has the right of refusal (Ruth 4:4; also 3:12-13). When Boaz informs this relative that purchasing Naomi’s land will also require him to marry Ruth, the nearer relative bows out; he will not serve as a kinsman-redeemer.
So Boaz steps into this role, buying Naomi’s land and marrying Ruth. Together, Ruth and Boaz provide security for Naomi and bear a son who will continue her family line (Ruth 4:13-22). Naomi’s situation is redeemed because of Ruth’s loyal love and Boaz’ role as a go’el, or “kinsman-redeemer.” This story begins with loss and suffering, but acts of redemption transform it into a story of hope and promise.
Reflect
How does Boaz’ role as a go’el (“kinsman-redeemer”), along with Ruth’s loyal love, transform Naomi’s story?
Read
24 Now the men of Israel were hard-pressed on that day, for Saul had put the people under oath, saying, “Cursed be the man who eats food before evening, and before I have avenged myself on my enemies.” So none of the people tasted food. 25 All the people of the land entered the forest, and there was honey on the ground. 26 When the people entered the forest, behold, there was honey dripping; but no man put his hand to his mouth, because the people feared the oath. 27 However, Jonathan had not heard it when his father put the people under oath; so he put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened. 28 Then one of the people responded and said, “Your father strictly put the people under oath, saying, ‘Cursed be the man who eats food today.’” And the people were weary.
43 So Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” And Jonathan told him, and said, “I did indeed taste a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am, I must die!” 44 And Saul said, “May God do the same to me and more also, for you shall certainly die, Jonathan!” 45 But the people said to Saul, “Must Jonathan die, he who has brought about this great victory in Israel? Far from it! As the Lord lives, not even a hair of his head shall fall to the ground, because he has worked with God this day.” So the people rescued Jonathan and he did not die.
7 No one can by any means redeem another
Or give God a ransom for him—
8 For the redemption of his soul is priceless,
And he should cease imagining forever—
9 That he might live on eternally,
That he might not undergo decay.
14 Like sheep they sink down to Sheol;
Death will be their shepherd;
And the upright will rule over them in the morning,
And their form shall be for Sheol to consume
So that they have no lofty home.
15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol,
For He will receive me. Selah
16 As for me, I shall call upon God,
And the Lord will save me.
17 Evening and morning and at noon, I will complain and moan,
And He will hear my voice.
18 He will redeem my soul in peace from the battle which is against me,
For they are many who are aggressive toward me.
19 God will hear and humiliate them—
Even the one who sits enthroned from ancient times— Selah
With whom there is no change,
And who do not fear God.
Consider
The Hebrew Bible often describes people being redeemed or repossessed from bad situations or even from death itself. Sometimes, these deliverance stories include formal aspects of redemption, like an exchange of payment or the help of a relative who acts as redeemer. But other times, biblical authors use redemption language to broadly reference any kind of rescue from a dangerous situation.
For example, when King Saul makes a foolish oath that any soldier who eats before they win their battle must die, his son Jonathan’s life is put into jeopardy. Knowing nothing about the oath, Jonathan eats some wild honey, which means that Saul has to kill him if he’s going to fulfill his oath. But Saul’s troops step in to “redeem” (Hebrew: padah) Jonathan with a counter-oath, and they end up rescuing his life (1 Sam. 14:45).
At other times, God rescues humans from danger. In Psalm 55:16-19, the psalmist feels overwhelmed by cruel enemies and cries out to God for rescue. In response, God “redeems” (padah) him from harm.
However, Psalm 49 raises the problem that even when someone is redeemed from danger, they will inevitably face death again. A person’s life, the psalmist says, is priceless—no “redemption payment” (pidyon) or “ransom” (kopher) is adequate to preserve a life for eternity (Ps. 49:7-8).
Yet the psalmist concludes with this hope: “God will surely redeem (padah) my life-being from the power of Sheol; he will hold me fast” (Ps. 49:15, BibleProject Translation), expressing his belief that God alone can provide lasting redemption from death.
Reflect
What are some broader ways that authors use redemption language in the Hebrew Bible?
Other Relevant Scripture References
Read
43 But now, this is what the Lord says, He who is your Creator, Jacob,
And He who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name; you are Mine!
2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you.
3 “For I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I have given Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
4 “Since you are precious in My sight,
Since you are honored and I love you,
I will give other people in your place and other nations in exchange for your life.
5 “Do not fear, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
And gather you from the west.
6 “I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring My sons from afar
And My daughters from the ends of the earth,
7 Everyone who is called by My name,
And whom I have created for My glory,
Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.”
21 “Remember these things, Jacob,
And Israel, for you are My servant;
I have formed you, you are My servant,
Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me.
22 “I have wiped out your wrongdoings like a thick cloud
And your sins like a heavy mist.
Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”
23 Shout for joy, you heavens, for the Lord has done it!
Shout joyfully, you lower parts of the earth;
Break into a shout of jubilation, you mountains,
Forest, and every tree in it;
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
And in Israel He shows His glory.
20 Go out from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans!
Declare with the sound of joyful shouting, proclaim this,
Send it out to the end of the earth;
Say, “The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob.”
21 They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts.
He made the water flow out of the rock for them;
He split the rock and the water gushed out.
9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord;
Awake as in the days of old, the generations of long ago.
Was it not You who cut Rahab in pieces,
Who pierced the dragon?
10 Was it not You who dried up the sea,
The waters of the great deep;
Who made the depths of the sea a pathway
For the redeemed to cross over?
11 And the redeemed of the Lord will return
And come to Zion with joyful shouting,
And everlasting joy will be on their heads.
They will obtain gladness and joy,
And sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Consider
Just as God “redeemed” (Hebrew: ga’al) the Israelites from slavery in Egypt (see Exod. 6:6), he also promises to ga’al his people centuries later when they find themselves exiled in Babylon. Using language from the first exodus, Isaiah declares that when God rescues his people from Babylonian exile, they will pass through waters without being harmed and through deserts without being thirsty (Isa. 43:1-7, 48:20-21; see Exod. 14:1-31, 15:22-25, 17:1-7). The same God who earlier parted the Red Sea—which Isaiah pictures as a raging sea dragon—will also make a way for his people out of this life-threatening exile (Isa. 51:9-11).
In Isaiah 43:1-3, God says that he gives Egypt as a “ransom” (kopher) when he “redeems” (ga’al) Israel from Babylon. This could refer back to the Egyptians who died when they resisted God’s command to free the Israelites at the exodus (Exod. 12:29-32, 14:26-29). Or it could point forward to Egypt’s defeat at the hands of Cyrus the Persian in the 6th century. Either way, Egypt’s downfall represents God’s opposition to all proud oppressors (see Isa. 2:12-22).
When God redeems his people, he not only frees them but also forgives their sins that led to exile in the first place. God says their wrongdoing will be removed like a heavy mist that vanishes (Isa. 44:22). As he redeems them from exile, God is also inviting them back into loving relationship with him.
Reflect
Why do you think the book of Isaiah refers back to Israel’s exodus from Egypt when describing what God will do for the Israelites in Babylonian exile?
Other Relevant Scripture References
Read
67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying:
68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people,
69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us
In the house of His servant David—
70 Just as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient times—
71 Salvation from our enemies,
And from the hand of all who hate us;
72 To show mercy to our fathers,
And to remember His holy covenant,
73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham,
74 To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies,
Would serve Him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.
36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, 37 and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She did not leave the temple grounds, serving night and day with fasts and prayers. 38 And at that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak about Him to all those who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
42 Calling them to Himself, Jesus *said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles domineer over them; and their people in high position exercise authority over them. 43 But it is not this way among you; rather, whoever wants to become prominent among you shall be your servant; 44 and whoever wants to be first among you shall be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
Consider
Israel experiences a partial redemption when some of the people return to their land (see Ezra 1-2). But centuries later they’re still being dominated by an enemy ruler—the Romans. So they’re waiting for God to redeem them from their foreign overlords and set a more powerful king on David’s throne (Isa. 9:1-7, 60:8-16).
The gospel accounts connect Jesus and his story to this long-anticipated redemption. Zechariah, a priest and the father of John the Baptizer, prophesies that God’s “redemption” (Greek: lutrosis) has already begun (Luke 1:68). God is raising up a king in the line of David who will rescue his people.
The Gospel of Luke also tells us about a prophetess named Anna who has been praying and fasting in the temple for many years. When she sees Jesus as a child at his dedication, she tells everyone who is “looking forward to the redemption (lutrosis) of Jerusalem” about him (Luke 2:38). Anna sees Jesus as the one who will bring God’s promise of redemption to fulfillment.
But Jesus has come not to wield or exploit his power through a show of force like other kings by waging war against Rome. Instead, he has come “to serve, and to give His life as a ransom (or redemption payment, lutron) for many” (Mark 10:45). Here, Jesus recalls Isaiah’s promise of a servant who would suffer and die to bear “the sin of many” (Isa. 53:12).
The people’s real enemies are not the Romans, or other flesh-and-blood people, but the cosmic powers of sin and death. And Jesus redeems people from those powers so that he might restore them to life with God.
Reflect
How does Jesus fulfill the prophetic promises of redemption, and how does that relate to people’s expectations?
Another Relevant Scripture Reference
Read
21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 but it is the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus,
13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written: “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you 21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things having come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made by hands, that is, not of this creation; 12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all time, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
15 For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the violations that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
Consider
Some New Testament authors connect redemption with the idea of atonement. In the Hebrew Bible, the blood of a sacrificed animal would make atonement by wiping the defilement of the people’s sins off of the holy places in the tabernacle or temple so that God could continue to live in their midst. So the author of Hebrews suggests that Jesus provides redemption by offering his own blood as an atoning sacrifice (Heb. 9:11-14).
Although we may associate redemption specifically with Jesus’ death (see Mark 10:45; Rom. 3:24-26), Hebrews 9 describes the key moment of redemption as coming through Jesus’ resurrection and ascension when he cleanses the heavenly holy of holies.
As Paul says in Romans 6, all people are enslaved like hostages to the power of sin and death. Since death has no claim on Jesus, he redeems people by giving his own life over to death on behalf of the dying, in order to raise up both himself and everyone else. He sets people free to become captivated instead by “righteousness” (Greek: dikaiosune, Rom. 6:15-19), which means living in right relationship with God and others. As 1 Peter puts it, Jesus redeems people from a “futile way of life” to be “born again,” into a new life that’s compelled by love (1 Pet. 1:18, 22-23).
By teaching us to relate rightly with God and neighbor, Jesus restores us to the kind of people God made all humanity to be. So he repossesses, or redeems, us back into God’s family (see Rom. 8:14-17).
Reflect
In what way does Jesus’ redemption of people from sin and death compare to God’s redemption of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt? In what way does it differ from that story?
Another Relevant Scripture Reference
Frequently Asked Questions
Redemption is a complex topic, and you probably still have questions. Here are some answers to common questions we hear about redemption.
Redemption and salvation are overlapping ideas in the Bible, and they’re often used to talk about the same events. But they don’t mean exactly the same thing. Salvation simply describes deliverance from any kind of harm or threat, while redemption can call to mind the ideas of:
Repossessing a person back into the family
Restoring property to the family’s possession
Paying a redemption payment
Redemption offers one (but not the only) metaphor that biblical authors use to frame an understanding of Israel’s salvation from slavery in Egypt and, in the New Testament, humanity’s salvation from slavery to sin and death. Just as God repossessed the Israelites from the wrongful grasp of Pharaoh and brought them back into his family (Exod. 4:22-23; Exod. 6:6-7), so too, in Jesus, God repossesses humanity from the grip of sin and death, making us his children (Rom. 6; Gal. 4:4-7). New Testament authors also use the idea of a “ransom” or “redemption payment” to illustrate the salvation Jesus provides through his blood (Mark 10:45; 1 Pet. 1:18-19).
In his letter to the Roman churches, the Apostle Paul teaches that enslavement to sin causes humans to act in ways that corrupt themselves and others. Paul says that he wants a life of wholeness and harmony, but his sin-broken body continues to resist the work of God that brings wholeness (Rom. 7:14-23). So Paul rejoices that, through Jesus, God rescues us from “this body of death” (Rom. 7:24-25, BibleProject Translation). He redeems us from our bondage to sin and gives us his Holy Spirit, who empowers us to live according to his way of life (Rom. 3:23-24; Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:5-6).
When we turn away from enslavement to sin and follow Jesus’ wisdom, the image of God is restored within us (Col. 3:5-11). This restoration allows us to become more human, more fully ourselves—the people God created us to be. And as we reflect God’s character to the world around us, it transforms our relationships, bringing peace and unity (Col. 3:12-14; Eph. 4:1-5:2).
Jesus talks about redemption on two occasions recorded in the Gospels. First, the mother of James and John asks Jesus to give her sons the right- and left-hand positions next to Jesus’ throne (Matt. 20:20-21). She wants to see her boys become first over all the rest. Jesus’ surprising answer suggests that real power and authority is about loving and serving others, not wielding control from an official position or authoritative title.
Jesus says, “whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom (Greek: lutron) for many” (Matt. 20:27-28, NIV; see also Mark 10:44-45). In other words, Jesus did not come to sit in the halls of power and exercise the rights of a king. Instead, he came to offer up his life as a redemption payment to free his people from slavery to sin and death.
In Luke’s gospel, when Jesus tells his followers about the coming destruction of Jerusalem, he says that when these things happen, their “redemption (Greek: apolutrosis) is drawing near” (Luke 21:28, NIV). The destruction of Jerusalem symbolizes God’s will to eradicate corrupted power systems that harm people. And it points forward to a new day when God will make all things right and free humanity from every form of bondage.
God’s purpose in redemption is to free people from enslavement that leads to destruction and bring them back into his family. In the Hebrew Bible, God redeems the Israelites from their enslavement to Egypt and later from Babylonian exile. And in the New Testament, God redeems people from the power of sin and death.
In both cases, God’s aim is for people to be restored to his family, living as his children (Exod. 4:22-23; Gal. 4:4-7; Rom. 4:9-17). Ultimately, God’s redemption aims at healing people, making them whole, and setting them free to be truly human so that they can live in ways that bring life for themselves, for others, and for all creation.
In the Bible, redemption is not exactly the same as forgiveness, but the two ideas are connected. Forgiveness involves God releasing people from the debt they owe for acting in destructive ways. But receiving forgiveness for what we’ve done doesn’t resolve the problem because we often continue with harmful patterns of thought and action, even when we don’t want to (see Rom. 7:14-25). So we need to be freed—or redeemed—from the enslavement to sin and death that leads to those harmful patterns so that we can truly love and care for one another.
Both forgiveness and redemption are accomplished through Jesus’ death. His blood, shed on the cross, cleanses us from the defilement of our wrongdoing and functions as a “ransom” or “redemption payment” to free us from our bondage to sin (Mark 10:45). Ephesians 1:7-8 connects the ideas of redemption and forgiveness, saying that in Christ, “we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us” (NIV). Redemption is not the same as forgiveness, but Jesus offers us both so that we may be free to live according to God’s ways, which lead to life.
The Bible describes God’s redemption as being given by grace (see Eph. 1:7), that is, as a gift of God’s favor. This kind of gift is given from a pure motive of love for the other, not out of obligation or any other compulsion. In that sense, grace is freely given.
But in the New Testament’s 1st-century world, gifts were designed to create social bonds between the giver and receiver, and they had to be properly received. That meant that the receiver had to use the gift as it was intended and respond to the giver, either by giving something back or offering gratitude.
So when God gives the gift of redemption, a person receives it tangibly by using the gift as God intended and offering gratitude and personal devotion to God. The person doesn’t earn the gift by those actions—once more, grace is a free gift. But without using the gift as intended and responding with gratitude and commitment, the gift of redemption is received in vain—that is, with no meaningful effect (see 2 Cor. 6:1).
Imagine that a person gives his neighbor a free bicycle with the intent to help his neighbor get to work more efficiently. But then the neighbor stashes the bike in a closet and never rides it. In that case, the gift of a free bike has been received, kind of, but with no meaningful effect.
So what does it mean to use the gift of redemption as intended? God’s gracious redemption of his people from slavery to sin aims to help people turn away from the death-dealing effects of sin and enter into God’s way of life. Receiving that gift, or grace, means choosing to “ride the bike,” as it were. It means turning toward God’s righteousness—that is, doing right by God and one another (Rom. 6)—since God’s righteousness leads to life for us and the world around us.
Atonement focuses on wiping away the defilement of people’s sin so that they can live in the presence of (or be “at-one” with) a holy God (see Lev. 16). But redemption involves freeing people from enslavement to sin and death and repossessing what was lost, returning people to their original home with God.
These different ideas are nevertheless connected in Scripture. The book of Hebrews envisions Jesus as accomplishing both together. While atoning for humanity’s sin the purification accomplished by his own blood, he also offers “eternal redemption” (Heb. 9:12). Jesus gives his life as a “redemption payment” (or “ransom,” Greek: lutron, Mark 10:45) in order to redeem us from the grip of sin and death, freeing us to follow God’s life-giving ways (Rom. 3:23-24; Rom. 6:1-23).