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typified by the Anakims, the Amorites, who were to be destroyed utterly, man, woman
and child, root and branch. The command of Deut. 7: 1-3 is repeated with verbal
alterations over and over again. The nations cast out from the land of promise were to be
utterly destroyed, no covenant was to be made with them, no marriages contracted with
them, their name was to be destroyed "from under heaven".
Because the iniquity of the Amorites had not reached its limit Israel had to go down
into bondage and be redeemed by the blood of the lamb. The fall of man, his bondage
and redemption is likewise closely connected with Satan and the fallen angels, and unless
redemption be considered in connection with this purpose of the ages, it will never yield
its full teaching nor take its right place in the vast economy of grace.
#10.
The Ransom.
pp. 94, 95
One of the phases of the doctrine of redemption is expressed by the word "ransom",
but whether the English conception of ransom be the meaning of the original remains to
be seen. In the N.T. ransom is the rendering of lutron and antilutron, and in the O.T. of
kopher and padah. Lutron and antilutron are derivatives of luo = "to loose", as one
would a shoe (Mark 1: 7), or more fully, as one would a person in bonds (Luke 13: 16).
Lutron is the means of loosing, whether that means be the payment of a price, the
exhibition of power, is not directly specified in the word. The O.T. occurrences of the
word ransom may be placed under one of two headings. They are either the translation of
the Hebrew kopher, usually rendered atonement, or the Hebrew padah, usually rendered
redemption. Let us give the O.T. passages first:--
"When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they
give every man a ransom (Heb. kopher, LXX Gk. lutron) for his soul unto the Lord . . . . .
to make an atonement (kaphar) for your souls" (Exod. 30: 12-15).
Other references are Job 33: 24, 36: 18; Psa. 49: 7; Prov. 21: 18, and
Isa. 43: 3. In every case the word ransom could be replaced by the word atonement. In
Hos. 13: 14; Isa. 35: 10; Exod. 21: 30, the word ransom is a translation of the word
padah = "to redeem".
It will be seen that the idea of a ransom must be regulated by the Scriptural doctrine of
atonement and redemption; we should not seek to colour the doctrine of atonement and
redemption by the conception we have of the English word ransom.
The two N.T. passages are as follows:--
"Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give
His life a ransom for many" (Matt. 20: 28; Mark 10: 45).
"Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time" (I Tim. 2: 6).