Word

גָּאַל

gâʼal · H1350 · Hebrew · 104 occurrences

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Meanings

to redeem or reclaim oneself

Action by which enslaved humans regain their freedom, normally achieved by paying a price

Examples
Leviticus 25:49 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.
to redeem or reclaim

Action by which humans cause a person, animal, or object that became someone else's property to be restored, normally by paying a price

Examples
Leviticus 25:25 ‘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.
Leviticus 25:30 ‘But if it is not bought back for him within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city passes permanently to its purchaser throughout his generations; it does not revert in the jubilee.
Leviticus 25:33 ‘What, therefore, belongs to the Levites may be redeemed, and a house sale in the city of this possession reverts in the jubilee, because the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the sons of Israel.
kinship-redeemer or avenger

A person with the duty to help close relatives regain property or freedom lost to others, and to avenge a relative's death, itself seen as redemption

Examples
Leviticus 25:25 ‘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.
Leviticus 25:26 ‘Or in case someone has no redeemer, but recovers to find sufficient means for its redemption,
Deuteronomy 19:6 “Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue him in the heat of his anger, and overtake him because the way is long, and take his life, though he was not sentenced to death since he had not hated him previously.
to redeem or deliver

Action by which humans or a deity deliver people from someone else's power or difficult circumstances, usually implying the deliverer may claim those delivered

Examples
Genesis 48:16 The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, Bless the boys; And may my name live on in them, And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
Exodus 6:6 “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.
Exodus 15:13 “In Your faithfulness You have led the people whom You have redeemed; In Your strength You have guided them to Your holy habitation.

How it’s used In 13 roles

Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.

the word studied the word it goes with

Who or what does itSubject

52 occurrences in 19 groups

Not stated: he, she or it 18
Not stated: you (one person) 8
Not stated: I 4
Not stated (infinitive) 4
יְהֹוָהthe LORD, YHWH 3
Other words · 14 groups that occur once or twice (17) 17

What it acts on, or what is saidObject

33 occurrences in 18 groups

וֹhim 5
ךְyou 4
הֶםthem 4
Other words · 15 groups that occur once or twice (20) 20

With prepositionsPrepositional phrases

14 occurrences in 12 groups

מִןfrom+ יָדhand, power 3
Other words · 11 groups that occur once or twice (11) 11

With adverbsAdverbs

10 occurrences in 3 groups

לֹאnot 9
עוֹדstill, again, yet 1
שָׁםthere 1

Whose, or of whatGenitive or possessive

35 occurrences in 10 groups

דָּםblood 12
ךְyour 5
יmy 3
הוּhis 3
נוּour 3
הֶםtheir 3
Other words · 4 groups that occur once or twice (6) 6

Words describing itAdjectives, demonstratives, participles

4 occurrences in 3 groups

קָרוֹבnear 2
גָּאַלto redeem, to act as kinsman-redeemer 1
דָבַרto speak, to say 1

Named alongside itApposition

9 occurrences in 1 groups

יְהֹוָהthe LORD, YHWH 9

What it doesIt is the subject

16 occurrences in 10 groups

אָמַרto say 4
Other words · 9 groups that occur once or twice (12) 12

What is done to itIt is the object

4 occurrences in 4 groups

קָרָאto call, to cry out 1
רָבָהto increase 1
שָׁאַרto remain 1
שָׁבַתto cease, to rest, to put an end 1

What it is said to bePredicate

7 occurrences in 4 groups

קָדוֹשׁholy 3
חָזָקstrong, powerful, mighty 2
יֵשׁthere is, there are 1
אַיִןthere is no, not 1

What is said to be itIt is the predicate

5 occurrences in 5 groups

הוּאhe, she, it 1
אֵלGod, god 1
אָנֹכִיI 1
שֵׁםname 1
אַתָּהyou 1

After prepositionsPrepositional phrases

8 occurrences in 3 groups

לto/for 5
מִןfrom 4
בֵּיןbetween, among 1

In phrases “… of it”It is the genitive

4 occurrences in 2 groups

יָדhand, power 3
שָׁנֶהyear 1

When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.

MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.

In the other Testament 2 words

λυτρόω lytróō · G3084 · to set free, to liberate, to deliver: Greek λυτρόω specifically denotes the act of ransoming or redeeming through payment of a price, corresponding to the redemptive-transaction sense within Hebrew גָּאַל's broader kinsman-redeemer semantic field (which also includes familial obligation and property redemption contexts not captured by the Greek term's narrower commercial/soteriological range).
λυτρωτής lytrōtḗs · G3086 · deliverer, liberator: Greek λυτρωτής (lytrotēs) renders the Hebrew גָּאַל (ga'al) specifically in its redemptive/ransoming sense, particularly as a substantive 'redeemer' rather than the broader kinsman-redeemer or avenger roles also encoded in the Hebrew root.

Semantic domains 6 entries

Safe002003003019: גָּאַל (redeem) can denote rescuing or delivering someone into safety, as in the angel who redeemed Jacob from all evil in Genesis 48:16.
Free002003002012: The word most centrally denotes redeeming or setting free, whether a person from bondage (Exodus 6:6) or property through a kinsman-redeemer's right.
People001001003: גָּאַל denotes the act of redeeming performed by a person, most often a kinsman-redeemer acting on behalf of a relative, as at Leviticus 25:25 — "his closest redeemer is to come and buy back what his fellow countryman has sold" — and Leviticus 25:48 — "One of his brothers may redeem him."
Unclean002001001066: This code is inherited from the shared listing with the homographic root גָּאַל (gâʼal, H1351) (defile, pollute); it does not independently apply to the redemption sense attested in these citations.
Evil002001002007: This code is likewise inherited from the shared listing with גָּאַל (gâʼal, H1351) and does not independently apply to the redemption sense.
Unwilling002001002031: This code is likewise inherited from the shared listing with גָּאַל (gâʼal, H1351) and does not independently apply to the redemption sense.

Word family 4 words

Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.

גָּאַלgâʼal · H1350גְּאֻלָּה gᵉʼullâh · H1353 · redemption, kinfolk, kindred · 14×גָּאַל gâʼal · H1351 · to redeem oneself, to reclaim oneself, to redeem · 11×גֹּאֶל gôʼel · H1352 · defilement · 1×

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H1350. gaal I. גָּאַל verb redeem, act as kinsman (Late Hebrew, Niph`al be redeemed; also…

H1350. gaal
I. גָּאַל verb redeem, act as kinsman (Late Hebrew, Niph`al be redeemed; also גְּאוּלָּה גּוֺאֵל,) —
Qal Perfect ׳ג, etc. Isa 44:23 Isa 44:14t.; Imperfect יִגְאַל, etc. Lev 25:33 Lev 25:18t.; Imperative גְּאַל, etc. Rth 4:6 Rth 4:3t.; Infinitive absolute גָּאֹל Lev 27:13 Lev 27:2t.; construct לִגְאוֺל Rth 4:4 Rth 4:2t.; suffix לְגָאֳלֵךְ Rth 3:13; Participle גֹּאֵל Lev 25:26 Lev 25:24t., גּוֺאֵל Isa 59:20; Psa 103:4; suffix גֹּאַלְךָ Isa 48:17, גֹּאֲלֵךְ Isa 54:8 (suffix 19 t.); passive plural גְּאוּלִים, etc. Isa 35:9 Isa 35:4t.; —
1 act as kinsman, do the part of next of kin (chiefly in D H P Ruth), גֹּאֵל kinsman Lev 25:25 (H) Num 5:8; Num 35:12 (P) Rth 2:20; Rth 3:9, Rth 3:12; Rth 4:1, Rth 4:3, Rth 4:6, Rth 4:8, Rth 4:14; 1Ki 16:11.
a. in taking a kinsman's widow וגאלתיך לגאלך יחפץ לא ואם יגאל טוב יגאלך אם if he will do thee the kinsman's part (raise up children by the widow) well, let him do the kinsman's part; but if he is not pleased to do thee the kinsman's part then I will do thee the kinsman's part Rth 3:13;
b. in redeeming from bondage Lev 25:48-49, (H);
c. in redeeming a field Lev 25:26, Lev 25:33 (H) Rth 4:4, Rth 4:6;
d. claim as kinsman Job 3:5;
e. הַדָּם גֹּאֵל the avenger of blood Num 35:19, Num 35:21, Num 35:24, Num 35:25, Num 35:27 (twice in verse); Jos 20:3, Jos 20:5 (?; not in ᵐ5) Jos 20:9 (P). Deu 19:6, Deu 19:12 (D) 2Sa 14:11.
2 redeem, by payment of value assessed, of consecrated things, by the original owner Lev 27:13, Lev 27:15, Lev 27:19, Lev 27:20, Lev 27:31 (P).
3 redeem, with God as subject implying personal relationship, chiefly in poetry: —
a. individuals, from death Psa 103:4; Lam 3:58; Hos 13:14, רע מכל Gen 48:16 (E poetry), נפשׁ Psa 69:19; Psa 72:14, orphans Pro 23:11; Jer 50:34, וגאלני ריבי ריבה Psa 119:154, גֹּאֲלִי Job 19:25, וְגֹאֲלִי צוּרִי Psalm 19:15.
b. Israel, from Egyptian bondage Exo 6:6 (P?) Exo 15:13 (song) Psa 74:2; Psa 77:16; Psa 78:35, אויב מיד Psa 106:10.
c. from exile (chiefly Isa3, the verb not in Isa1) Isa 43:1; Isa 44:22-23, Isa 48:20; Isa 52:9; Isa 63:9; Mic 4:10, מיד Psa 107:2; Jer 31:11; Yahweh is גֹּאֵל Isa 41:14; Isa 43:14; Isa 44:6, Isa 44:24; Isa 47:4; Isa 48:17; Isa 49:7, Isa 49:26; Isa 54:5, Isa 54:8; Isa 59:20; Isa 60:16; Isa 63:16; and the people גְּאוּלִים Isa 35:9; Isa 51:10; Isa 62:12; Isa 63:4 (compare גְּאוּלַי below), Psa 107:2.
Niph`al Perfect נִגְאָ֑ל Lev 25:49; Imperfect יִגָּאֵל Lev 25:30 Lev 25:5t.; תִּגָּאֵ֑לוּ Isa 52:3; —
1 reflexive redeem oneself Lev 25:49 (H).
2 pass. be redeemed,
a. field Lev 25:30 (H), slave Lev 25:54 (H);
b. consecrated things Lev 27:20, Lev 27:27, Lev 27:28, Lev 27:33 (P);
c. Jerusalem by Yahweh Isa 52:3.
גְּאוּלַי Isa 63:4, in ג ׳שְׁנַת,
noun abstract redemption, according to ᵑ9 ᵑ6 ᵐ5 Ges Hi De MV Che Di RVm; then either plural abstract suffix year of (my) redemption (so most); or abstract form. in י֯, after Syriac analogy, LagSymm. ii. 101 f. Semitic i. 19, 68. BN 192 (ᵐ5 omit my); but < Passive participle plural suffix my ransomed (released) ones Ew Br Brd AV RV compare below גאל above.

Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain

Topical studies with this word 6 entries

People26 occurrences Unclean0 occurrences Evil0 occurrences Unwilling0 occurrences Free30 occurrences Safe44 occurrences

Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.

Sources

eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0